Last year, the Daily covered the booming pickup basketball scene on the Tufts campus. Particularly when Tufts’ COVID-19 policies were the most restrictive, the consistently packed courts served as a rare beacon of normalcy. Every warm and sunny day, countless full and half-court games were played while skateboarders added to the engaging atmosphere.
As the rubble settles from the all-out gauntlet that was the NBA regular season, all sights are set on the postseason. With razor thin margins separating each playoff team in the East, and multiple heavy hitters in the West, it’s time to review the biggest storylines to follow as this year’s NBA Playoffs continue.
On Feb. 20, Tufts women's basketball beat Wesleyan to advance to the NESCAC Championship Semifinals. Video journalist Meg Hatton caught up with members of the team to look back on the season and preview Saturday's semifinal matchup.
When James Naismith placed two peach baskets and a soccer ball on an indoor YMCA court in Springfield, Mass. More than 130 years ago, no one could have predicted what was to come.
Men’s basketball split against NESCAC competition this week, dropping a game to Wesleyan (65–64) and earning a win at Bowdoin (74–53). The Jumbos faced the then-leader of the NESCAC, the Wesleyan Cardinals, and put up a good fight, falling just one point short of the victory. The Cardinals improved their conference record to 5–1 and overall record to 17–3. In Tuesday’s battle, the two teams were evenly matched throughout the contest with frequent lead changes and energetic game play from both sides. Using the momentum from a high-level game earlier in the week, Tufts secured a commanding win at Bowdoin on Friday night.
Unable to take a lead in the first half against the Bates Bobcats, Tufts went full throttle until the final buzzer. Thanks to junior guard Dylan Thoerner's layup with ten seconds left on the clock and 55 combined points from Thoerner and senior big man Luke Rogers, the final scoreboard sounded with a 71–70 Jumbos win.
Tufts University removed the basketball hoops located outside Harleston Hall in an effort to create more court space for the men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams in early October. The decision temporarily removes the only available outside space for Tufts pickup basketball players.
Over the past four years or so of running his podcast and interviewing people from NBA stars to presidential candidates, Redick fell in love with podcasting as a creative medium but felt that his endeavors were always somewhat lacking from the business end. He began to realize during the early months of 2020 that he didn’t own the most valuable assets of his show, the concept and the intellectual property behind the show.
The play-in has made playoff basketball more than feasible for a number of teams. Twenty teams will play meaningful, do-or-die basketball in May. It’s the exact wrinkle we needed to counteract the weirdness of a season shortened by COVID-19. It means the number of teams waving the white flag and opting to tank is incredibly small, amounting to only three or so per conference. It will make this final stretch of the season as entertaining, if not more so, than the playoffs themselves.
The second half of the 2020–21 NBA season is underway after an eventful All-Star Weekend. This year’s All-Star festivities were condensed into one night in Atlanta, Ga. The NBA pulled off playing without fans in a traditionally fan-focused event, though not without some obstacles. From an action-filled All-Star Game to some memorable performances in the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest, let’s run through some of the highlights from this year’s All-Star break.
For many, the recent shift toward warmer temperatures means shorts weather, a chance to lie in the sun on President's Lawn or a time to go on a nice walk around campus. But for a group of students here at Tufts, it has been the motivation for an outdoor exercise opportunity: pickup basketball.
Paige Bueckers, a first-year on the University of Connecticut women's basketball team, has been an internet sensation since her days in high school and it’s easy to see why. On the court, Bueckers is an electric player whose playmaking abilities are really what makes her stand out. Although there is no shortage of talent and excitement in the WNBA, the internet fame that follows the new generation of athletes like Bueckers could bring more viewers to women’s basketball.
As we near the NBA All-Star break, event participants have officially been announced, along with replacements for a couple hobbled stars. With COVID-19 numbers beginning to decline in some states, teams have begun allowing fans back to their arenas or increasing the number of fans allowed at games.
Take a look at where the top teams in the league stand as the next season approaches.
Now that James has helped to defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election by working to stop voter suppression — closely following his fourth championship win in the same year — it’s time to reevaluate his basketball legacy.
To fill some of that basketball void that’s been lingering since the finals wrapped up, I’ve decided to look ahead and evaluate what the basketball landscape will look like in 2021. There are some exciting narratives and teams to explore, as well as several key players coming back from prolonged absences.
On March 12, the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended its season until further notice, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. There are 259 games left to be played this regular season, but nobody knows if things will resume.After Gobert’s test came back ...
Leading up to this year’s hectic NBA season, we saw a major reshuffling of the league’s power dynamics. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and many more notable players all switched teams, leaving fans skeptical of the approaching season. The only real constant that people predicted ...
The seat of power in the NBA is out west. No, not in San Francisco anymore. 2019’s injury-riddled season finale for the Warriors made sure of that. Instead, the throne of NBA brilliance lies in Staples Center, at the heart of Los Angeles, split between two teams. After the summer of 2019 brought Kawhi ...
When Kobe Bryant passed away on Jan. 26, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter accident, it seemed as if the whole world was mourning. In the hours, days and even weeks following his death, social media platforms were flooded with posts paying tribute — painting ...
