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The College Basketball Experience (also known as the '''National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame''') is a 60,000 square-foot fan interactive facility located in in Springfield, Massachusetts has indicated it will help with the exhibits.


THE ENTRY EXPERIENCE

As soon as they enter the College Basketball Experience, visitors get caught up in the excitement of basketball. This high-energy buzz is sustained as they move through the activities. Visitors are immersed in a visually and physically high-tech, high-energy fun experience.


THE FAN EXPERIENCE

The Fan Experience is the central focus of the College Basketball Experience. It is a glass-enclosed space, visible from points inside the arena and from the street. Arena visitors are able to get a glimpse of the Fan Experience activities as a way to entice them into the facility. With 20-foot high ceilings, it is a high-energy, interactive area encompassing exciting physical activities and computer-based situations, multi-media, and compelling interactive displays. This area centers on "doing" instead of "looking." The activities in The Fan Experience place a ball in the visitors' hands and provide them with opportunities to role-play as a college basketball player.


Fan Experience Activities

  • Locker Room – Begin your game-day transformation by jogging out of your favorite team’s locker room. Cheers from the crowd, flashes from the media, an introduction from the announcer and chills from the experience await your arrival from the tunnel to the court.


  • Center Court – Participate in a shoot-around, a basketball clinic or pick-up game, plus half-court and free throw contests courtesy of a full-size court.


  • Above the Rim – Get up and throw down no matter your size or vertical on a basket designed to your specifications. And show off your dazzling dunking display to your friends and family with a snapshot from a courtside photographer.


  • Who's Got Next? – Take the outdoor game indoors for a game of 3-on-3. Sign up your team on a posted chalkboard, and get ready to play the winner on a venue dedicated solely to the game of Street Ball.


  • Dish the Rock – Make precision passes as you race against the clock. Chest passes, bounce passes and alley-oops are needed to find your open man and assist on the game-winning play.


  • Make the Call – Step into the ESPN broadcast booth and make play-by-play history by calling your own game-winning play. Improvise your own exciting call, or read from a script to recreate classic college b-ball moments.


  • The Scoreboard – Get up-to-minute scores and highlights, and follow the tournament brackets during March Madness on larger-than-life screens on display throughout the Experience.



THE GAME

The Game is comprised of activities and information that do not fit within the other program areas, and serves as a "bridge" or transition between the high-energy Fan Experience and the quiet, respectful tone of the Hall of Honor. In this area fans participate in activities that do not require loose basketballs. Fans might measure their wingspan or test their vertical leap. They learn about coaches and players through computer-based interactives or video using coaches' own words. The Game also highlights key moments in college basketball history using video and other nonstatic methods. A few artifacts may be included to ground the experience, but The Game does not incorporate an artifact-heavy treatment. The components provide a foundation for the Hall of Honor, helping fans to further appreciate the accomplishments of the Hall of Famers, and provide context for the interactives in The Fan Experience.


THE HALL OF HONOR

The Hall of Honor, a quiet, reverential area separate and distinct from other program areas, offers a counterpoint to the rest of the experience and enables visitors to pay homage to Hall of Honor inductees; the greatest college coaches, players, teams and contributors of all time. Interactive media, iconic elements, and graphics are be integrated to provide for a rich, engaging experience.

On November 16, 2007, the NABC inducted the 2006 Founding Class of the Hall of Honor, including Oscar Robertson , Bill Russell , Dean Smith , John Wooden and the family of Dr. James Naismith . The Founding Class includes 175 individuals who are members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with roots in college basketball and were automatically included in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

On April 2, 2007, the second class was announced. The new members include Lefty Driesell , who led four teams, most notably the University Of Maryland , to the NCAA Tournament, Phog Allen of Kansas University , Adolph Rupp of the University Of Kentucky , Henry Iba of Oklahoma State University , John McLendon of Tennessee State , Guy Lewis of the University Of Houston and Norm Stewart of the University Of Missouri . The committee also added former Duke coach Vic Bubas for his contributions to the game. Players to be inducted include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Austin Carr , Dick Groat and Dick Barnett .


EXTERNAL LINKS

The College Basketball Experience