Not long after Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball at a YMCA Training School in Springfield, Mass., in 1891, one of his proteges, Reverend Nicholas McKay, introduced the game at a YMCA in Crawfordsville, Ind. While Springfield rightfully holds the title of the “Birthplace of Basketball”, it was The Hoosier State that quickly adopted, nurtured and grew the game with unbridled passion. Indiana’s love affair with basketball, many call it Hoosier Hysteria, hasn’t waned in more than 125 years This year, Indiana basketball fans will have a pair of NCAA national championship tournaments. The NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship semifinals and championship are scheduled for March 15-16 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. A short time later, March 27-30, the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship Elite Eight will be played at the Ford Center in Evansville. Can it get any better for Indiana basketball fans? Actually, it will. The NCAA, with headquarters in Indianapolis, has awarded Fort Wayne and Evansville four consecutive years to hold the championships meaning that in 2021, with the NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four set for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, all three championships will be played in Indiana. Adding another unique layer to this equation, the games in Fort Wayne and Indy will be played in the Eastern time zone while the Division II event in Evansville will be played in the Central time zone.
