It's 2023, and we're probably all suffering from some form of ADD. With information and entertainment at our fingertips twenty-four hours a day, is it really a surprise when young athletes feel compelled to check their cell phones every ten minutes at the gym? ​

With March Madness right around the corner, is it your dream to participate? While many want it, few understand what it takes to play at that level. The question itself should probably be rephrased to "How can I put myself in a position to play college basketball?" Wordsmithing aside, I'm going to lay out exactly what you should be doing and not doing. Let's go! 

​The month of March is a special time of year for college basketball fans across the United States. It's a time when the top college basketball teams in the country come together to compete for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, known as March Madness. But what is it that makes March Madness so great? In this post, we'll take a closer look at the reasons why this tournament is so beloved by fans of the sport.

I finished reading Sooley by John Grisham over the weekend and really enjoyed the book. Samuel "Sooley" Sooleymon grows up in South Sudan, is the last person chosen to travel to the US to play in a youth tournament, and eventually gets a scholarship to North Carolina Central. 

This is an interesting topic because I'm willing to bet there were some tremendous inspirational speeches made before their were recording devices in everyone's hand. 

In today's locker rooms, coaches are often more careful with what they say because they know they're being recorded. A single slip up has consequences, and while every coach wants to "live in the moment," there is probably less spontaneity now than ever before.  

If you ask most basketball coaches why they coach, the first thing that comes out of their mouth isn't the word "money." 

However, as coaches move up the ranks, it can become an incredibly lucrative career. We'll start with high school coaches, then look at the college and pro ranks to compare and contrast what a basketball coach can make in a year. 

Tomorrow night, NBA fans will convene at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, UT, for All-Star weekend festivities. While the run of show continues to evolve, my personal favorite has and will always be the dunk contest. 

The NBA will have 4 players participate tomorrow: 

Trey Murphy III (New Orleans Pelicans)
Kenyon Martin Jr. (Houston Rockets)
Jericho Sims (New York Knicks)
Mac McClung (Philadelphia 76ers)

We could write another blog on how watered down the contestants have become. McClung has appeared in just 2 regular season games this year, while spending most of his time in the G League. We'll save that for another day, though. 

College sports books can be tricky in that most people show the alma matter love or follow a specific team based on family dynamics or geography. There are certain programs that seem to transcend that, usually due to national prominence and success. I can't say for a fact that the University of George has more football fans today than they did five years ago, but I'd be willing to bet that they do.  

And Georgia is investing accordingly. The Bulldog's spent $4.51 million on recruiting in 2022, which may not seem like a lot until you see that 2017's budget was $2.27 million. With winning comes more money, which is spent on better players and things, which the Bulldogs hope will lead to more winning. 

While the college game has certainly evolved, never has the business of college football been more scrutinized. I've written previously about books about college coaches and even more specifically, Nick Saban. Today, I'm going to bypass the biographies of college coaches and focus more on the sport itself: 

*The crossroads of business and college football

*The history of the sport and the impact it's had on broader society

*A unique look at a season at Michigan and Mississippi State 

Here are five books that go beyond the game itself and are worth your time. 

According to a survey conducted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in 2019-2020, basketball ranked third in participation rates among high school boys, with over 540,000 participants, and second among high school girls, with over 430,000 participants.

Given its soaring popularity (and the fact that teenagers are tough to shop for), it's only fitting that we build a list of the best basketball books for teens. 

Our goal with this list was to provide some different options, both fiction and non-fiction basketball books, that would cater to young teens as well as seniors in high school. This list has a mix of learning more about what makes the best athletes in the world tick to fictional tales to Teresa Weatherspoon actually teaching you the nuances of the game. If you're a parent or grandparent looking for a gift, you've come to the right place. 

Whether you're here to learn, improve your game, or simply find something to do in your leisure time, we hope you find value in these nine recommendations. 

In 2007, the book, Lone Survivor, was published recounting the stories of Marcus Luttrell fighting in Afghanistan. Six years later, Mark Wahlberg appeared in the movie and brought the stories to life on the big screen. Regardless of whether or not you've seen the film, I'd recommend reading the book. Here's why: