Learn the lingo: basketball 101
Stephanie Ellis and Heather Neary, Staff Writers
Learn the Lingo: Basketball Offense: The art of attempting to put the ball into the basket.
2-Point Shot: An attempt taken inside the 3-point perimeter. Also the reason for the catchy cheer: Two, Two We Want Two! 3-Point Shot: A made basket that counts for . . . you guessed it - 3 points! This shot is taken outside of the 'three point line?. Free Throw/ Foul Shot: When a player is fouled either in the act of shooting or in a bonus situation, he is given a chance to make 1 or 2 shots from the foul line, depending on the situation. No parting gifts are given.
Pass: One player throws the ball to another?.sounds simple doesn't it? Watch out for roving defenders. Lay-up: The simplest shot in basketball usually taken close to the basket and banked off the corner of the backboard. This shot, when missed, can cause rapid Jeckel/ Hyde transformations in most coaches.
Jumpshot: Sound it out: J-U-M-P S-H-O-T. Way to go! You may now proceed with the rest of the article.
Slam Dunk: A very stimulating shot in which a player stuffs the ball like a turkey into the net with no hope of recovery. A made dunk usually results in wild cheering from the fans, but when missed can be very humiliating.
Fast Break: When a few players from one team, usually after a steal, BREAK away from the rest of the players and go really FAST down the floor in attempts to score an easy basket, usually a dunk or lay-up.
Airball: Many of you may have chanted this at a basketball game but still be unaware of its meaning. Let me allay you confusion. This is a shot that once taken, the shooter quickly drops to his knees to pray for it to hit something, however it does not. It doesn't hit the backboard or net or rim, the only thing it has hopes of hitting is perhaps an unknowing cheerleader. Poor thing! Alley-oop: A guard makes an arching pass that is aimed somewhere near the basket, the forward catches the ball in the air and slams it home for two points. In other words one player alleys and the other one oops.
Point Guard: The Floor General, the Coach on the Floor, or, the brains of the operations (no I was never a point guard in high school, sarcasm intended). Usually the best and brightest player on the floor assumes the responsibilities of bringing the ball up the floor, calling the plays and organizing the troops. Jason Parker you can call me any time (SE)!!! Shooting Guard: A guard that shoots the ball. Duh.
Power Forward: Not quite as good at handling the ball like the guards but not as tall as the center. A power forward is an all-purpose player. He can dribble some, shoot some, and muscle down low. Center: The big tall guy in the middle of the paint. Usually they are very slow and never get back on fast breaks, they do however make awesome slam dunks and alley-oops. Water Boy: An essential part of the hydrating process. The beloved H2O provider. Mars: ?That's why they pay me the big bucks!? Defense: All five players on the floor trying to stop the opposing team from scoring.
Block: When a defensive player dashes all hopes of a made basket by knocking the ball away from the goal. This usually takes incredible ?ups? and long arms, and results in the phrase, ?Get it out of my house!?
Rejection: This type of play can occur both on and off the court. When a guy makes a pass, thinks the ball is in his court, goes hard to the hole and then gets rejected. No pun intended.
Goal Tending: An attempt from a defensive player to block a shot but touching the ball on it's decent towards the hoop. Results in automatic points for the offensive team. Press: After scoring on offense the team, now on defense, tries to disrupt the opposing team by playing full court defense and using such antics as yelling, screaming, and waving their arms in jumpingjack like fashion in hopes for a steal. This type of defense usually occurs when a team needs quick points.
Double-Team: When two defensive players guard one offensive player.
Referee: Three blind refs, three blind refs, see how they run, see how they run, there eyes are shut and their whistles are stuck, what they call nobody knows, three blind refs. Reynold's Rowdies: Spirit filled football players that dress up in construction clothes and work helmets that lead the crowd in cheering on the basketball teams!
Double Dribble: Once a player picks up his dribble, he is not allowed to dribble again. However, if that player decides that he must violate this rule, the ball is immediately turned over to the other team, assuming that the guys in the zebra-striped shirts catch it. Five-Seconds: A player on offensive when guarded by a defensive player, is allowed to hold or dribble the ball for five seconds. If the player exceeds this amount of time, it is a violation and the ball is turned over to opposing team. Traveling: When a basketball player has flashbacks from his high school football glory days and rushes to the end zone with the ball. Unfortunately he is awakened to the sound of whistles, not from the cheerleaders.
Lane Violations: Players are only allowed to stay in the lane or ?paint? for three seconds.
Hack: A blatant foul or ?hack? across the arms of a player that is shooting, causing him miss the shot badly. Also one of the more attractive elements of the common cold.
Foul: A defensive player that comes into contact with an offensive player in an illegal fashion. Hacking, bumping or reaching usually results in a foul. College players receive five fouls per game. Bloody Massacre: When the TU men's basketball team demolished Prairie View 115-46. That's just a straight beating! Technical Foul: A technical foul results in two free throws and possession of the ball for the opposing team. Technical fouls are usually given to players that are rowdy, get in fights, or talk back to the refs using words that cannot be repeated since this is a school newspaper read by young, clean minds. Fouling Out: After a player on the away team commits his fifth foul, he is confined to sit on the bench for the remainder of the game. This causes the home crowd to go crazy usually singing, as in TU's case, Happy Trails as the dejected player heads toward the bench. Time out:
When the boys get in a fight, pull each others hair and take their ball and go home. This usually results in a time out so they can think about what they?ve done.
Overtime: If both teams are tied at the end of regulation (which is two, 20-minute halves), the game goes into a five minute overtime period. The team that is ahead at the end of the extra five minutes is the winner. Tip- Off: To start off every game, the tallest player from each team meets in the center circle. The ref throws the ball in the air and the two players try to tap it to one of their teammates that are strategically placed around the center circle. Not to be confused with the flip off or ?The Family's? tip off where the people involved usually end up ?Sleepin? with the fishes? Halftime: In between the two halves, there is a 10 minute break in play for the two teams to regroup. Both teams go to their respected locker rooms and the crowd is entertained by the cheerleaders and dance squads. Also, this is a good time for a bathroom break or concession run if you?re a fan, you don't want to miss any of the action! Warm-Up: Each team gets one half of the court before the game begins to practice and loosen up for the game. We don't want a bunch of cold basketball players at the beginning of the game do we? Shot Clock: The shot clock is the little clock above the backboard that counts down from 35 seconds giving the team on offensive 35 total seconds to shoot the ball. If the ball however hits the rim, but the shot misses, the shot clock is reset and the team has another 35 seconds to score. Backboard: The big piece of glass behind the rim. It is very useful when shooting a bankshot. Sweet Spot: The part of the backboard that shooters know how to use. (Add your own cheesy sexual innuendo here)
Bucket: Bucket, hoop, goal, whatever you want to call it, they all mean the same thing. This is what you want the ball to go through so you can get points. The Lane:
Three Point Line: An arching line that goes from one side of the basket all the way to the other. The distance is from the goal to the line at any point is 21 feet and the players are given more points (three instead of two) if they make a shot from behind this line. Free Throw Line: A line 15 feet directly in front of the basket. Players that are fouled shoot their free throws/foul shots from this line. NCAA Tournament: A field of 64 of the best college basketball teams play for the NCAA National Championship in March. Basketball lovers call this time of year March Madness or March Mayhem! Sweet Sixteen: and never been kissed! Elite Eight: TU men's basketball, Elite 8 baby! Final Four: If stinky North Carolina hadn't won, TU would have been in Indianapolis as one of the best four teams in the nation.
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