By Kendra Henry

Down one point, Howard University rallied hard to come back from a thirteen-point deficit against Butler University.

With eight seconds to go, Maurice Young hit the game-winning jumper that led the team to a 50-49 victory in the men’s club national championship game.

The energy in Carmichael Gym at North Carolina State University was undeniable.

The passion, dedication, and teamwork exhibited by the 70 teams who played on April 12-14 at the 2013 NIRSA NCCS National Basketball Championships was exemplified by the many rallies, buzzer beaters, sweat, and tears throughout the weekend.

With over 750 players, the 2013 NIRSA NCCS National Basketball Championships was the largest tournament to date.

Teams representing 57 schools and 19 states competed for the title of National Basketball Champion in the men’s club, men’s intramural, women’s club, and women’s intramural divisions.


2013 NIRSA NCCS National Basketball Champion teams.

The first day of the tournament, as explained by co-tournament director, John Washo, was filled with enthusiasm from everyone involved. All of the attending teams came in with confidence and courage to play their best. Likewise, the tournament officials were excited to engage in an excellent educational experience with some of the most knowledgeable officials in the country and meet new friends who they will stay-in-touch with for a lifetime. Working closely with other collegiate recreation professionals, staff came on the first day looking forward to making this year’s event a success. On behalf of the tournament staff, John emphasized what an honor it was to provide the best possible experience for the students who were participating.

Congratulations to the 2013 NIRSA NCCS National Basketball Champion teams

  • Men’s Club: Howard University
  • Men’s Intramural: The University of Texas at San Antonio
  • Women’s Club: University of Virginia
  • Women’s Intramural: University of North Carolina at Pembroke

North Carolina State University has a long history of hosting successful tournaments at their institution. John attributes the success of the tournament to many staff, led by Co-Tournament Director, Mary Yemma. Speaking of the Mary and her staff, John said, “This wasn’t the first time around a major tournament for the staff at North Carolina State, and it showed. They did an amazing job of having everything taken care of, which made the final product much better.”

Hailing from all over the country, volunteer tournament staff helped facilitate multiple learning opportunities for everyone involved. This years’ experience was a true team effort, with over 60 collegiate recreation professionals and students as tournament staff, 44 student officials, and 60 student volunteers. As volunteers, tournament staff learned hands-on skills that they were able to take back to their campuses, while simultaneously ensuring healthy play and sportsmanship for student participants.

Professional development is an important factor in the tournament. Staff learned about tournament management, operations, risk management, pool and bracket play, and conflict management. “Not everyone was able to win or be a part of the championship game, but the experience was a quality one that they’ll cherish for a lifetime. That’s directly attributable to the staff involved,” explained John. A key component of the tournament is the development of student officials. Structured as an officiating camp, student officials had the opportunity to work many games and receive constructive feedback from top college level officials from around the country. Classroom sessions were integrated into the format to help officials with play calling, rules knowledge, mechanics, positioning on the court, etc.

When asked what stood out to him the most, John said, “As with any tournament, the amount of dedication our professional and volunteers have when putting on a tournament is a keynote experience for so many students. For these 70 teams and 44 officials, the weekend at North Carolina State will be something they will look back on for the rest of their lives.”

For more information about the 2013 NIRSA NCCS National Basketball Championships, check out the tournament webpage with news, a live blog, videos, and photos from the weekend.