NBA and NCAAB- The juggernauts of televised athletics. Does, He Shoots! He scores! Ring a bell? If so, you will definitely want to read this article on the similarities and differences between the two sports.
An extraordinarily noticeable difference is the 3-point line length. The NBA 3-pointer is from 23’9” except in the corners the length is 22”. The NCAA 3-pointer is 19’9” all the way around the court. Also, the lane, or “the paint”, in front of the basket is 16 feet wide in NBA and only 12 feet wide in college basketball. However, the court dimensions are the same (94 feet long and 50 feet wide).
At the beginning of the game, both levels do a “jump ball” (also called the tip-off). However, in the NBA, after each time the ball is possessed by two players at the same time, they resolve it with a jump ball. In NCAA, there is a possession arrow that decides who gets the ball. The arrow alternates after each jump ball.
There is also a difference in fouls, and foul trouble. After an NBA player gets six fouls, he is fouled out and can’t return for the rest of the game. In NCAA, after five fouls the player is fouled out. In the NBA, after five team fouls, the opposing team is “in the penalty”. That means that after each foul the opposing team gets two free throws. However in NCAA, after seven fouls, the fouled team gets a 1-in-1. That means that if you miss the first free throw, it is a live ball off of the rim. If you make the first, you get another shot. After 10 team fouls, the team gets two free throws no matter what the result is.
A big change is the style of play in the two leagues. In college basketball, you see many different styles of defense. You will occasionally see a man to man but a major college defense is the 2-3 defense. That means there are two players up top on defense, and three down low. If performed correctly, is a very effective defense. In NBA, it is mainly a man to man league. You might occasionally see a zone but most teams go with regular man to man defense.


As you can see, in most opinions, the NBA and NCAA are two extremely different leagues. So next time you watch a basketball game and you don’t get it, I hope you refer to this. I hope that this article was very helpful for you.