Outside the Limelight

by Orton, Kathy

• ISBN13: 9780813546162
• ISBN10: 0813546168
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-09-11
• Publisher: Rutgers Univ Pr

Summary

The Ivy League is a place where basketball is neither a pastime nor a profession. Instead, it is a true passion among players, coaches, and committed sports enthusiasts who share in its every success and setback.Outside the Limelightis the first book to look inside Ivy League basketball and at the boundless enthusiasm that defines it.With painstaking reportage, Kathy Orton vividly captures the internal fervor of the personalities who champion their game—all the triumphs and disappointments of an Ivy hoop season.Scholarships for student athletes?None, and this is the only Division I conference that does not offer them.The TV spotlight?It barely shines, despite the passion, talent, and commitment of the players.Megadollar contracts from the NBA?Rarely does a player receive an offer. These age-old institutions are better known for turning out presidents, not point guards, and CEOs and captains of industry, not centers on the court.Orton weaves together the stories of coaches and players as they move from fall practice through an entire season and ahead to the NCAA tournament. From Harvard to Penn, Princeton to Cornell and beyond, players—perhaps more accustomed to pomp and circumstance—face leaky gyms, endure long bus rides, rigorous courseloads, and unbearable exam schedules.Why?Just to prove they can hang with the big boys despite juggling multiple non-athletic responsibilities? Maybe.But more importantly, for the sincere love of the game.Outside the Limelightprovides frontcourt vision for college basketball fans everywhere to achieve an appreciation of this captivating conference and for diehard enthusiasts to gain greater insight into what brings Ivy League basketball to center circle.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Origins of a League

Great Expectations

A Mom-and-Pop Store

Great Scott

Multicultural Quakers

Getting Under Way

Roll Crimson Pride

Backdoor Cuts

A Tradition Tarnished

Bright Lights, Big Stages

The Heart of the Season

Harvardization

Conference Calls

We Interrupt This Season . . .

The Road Is the Thing

Everyone Onto the Court

Brothers in Arms

A Rivalry Like No Other

Topsy-Turvy Weekend

Dreams Deferred

And the Winner Is . . .

Tournament Hoopiness

The Wait of Expectations

Epilogue

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.