Advantages to Hieght in Basketball

    Growth in Homo sapiens occurs based on three particular factors, heredity, diet, and surroundings. While heredity is currently impossible to change, your diet and surroundings can still be changed. But is height really a contributing factor in the success of a human? Above average height may give advantages to humans when reaching for food from the top shelf or looking for the Christmas presents your parents hid. While these talents are useful, when it comes to college basketball, above average height may not be an advantage. The media repeatedly suggests that the short player will never make it in college or professional basketball. This is in fact just a stereotypical view of the sport of basketball.
    A little 6th grader who was no more then 4 feet tall was talking to me about basketball and told me that he was the next great thing. My first thought was your too short you will never make it; this would be most peoples reactions too. However after collecting solid and reliable statistics I now can say with out a doubt to that little kid, “The bigger your heart the more you will achieve.”
    Data has  been collected from the past 50 college basketball national championships, which consisted of; the player’s heights, points scored, field goal percentage, field goals made,  free throw percentage, fouls committed, rebounds, and points scored. This data supported part of my theory but the other part I was quite surprised about. When I finished this research I was about as shocked about the results as when George Mason made it to the final four.
    What I discovered was that the height of college basketball players did increase over the years, slightly more for the losing team however, than the winning team. This part didn’t shock me so much because it makes sense; humans get taller, basketball players should too. The surprising part was that when height increased really all other statistics showed no true pattern or definite increase. There was a slight decrease in free throw percentage, and just a slight increase in substitutions. I didn’t understand I was sure that the team with a taller average height would have better statistics.
    To make this simpler I took a look at two scenarios in the past; the 1966 national championship, and the entire University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) dynasty through the 60’s and 70’s.
    The 1966 national championship was a political, social, and emotional battle between the power house Kentucky Wildcats and the underappreciated, all odds against, Texas Western Miners (Now known as University of Texas at El Paso.). Kentucky was coached by what is considered one of the top 5 coaches of all time Adolph Rupp. Western Texas had a little known coach who took a social and political stand and started 5 African American players. This was a first in college basketball history. The players of Texas Western had an average height of 74 inches. This may sound like a lot but compared to the Wildcats whose average height was 76 inches this was miniscule. With all odds against them, not only being the first team to start all African Americans but also to be that much shorter, the Miners fought hard and defeated the Wildcats by 7 points. How did they win? Heart.
    When John Wooden took over UCLA in 1948 they were but a mediocre squad with mediocre talent. However the UCLA Bruins took off in the 60’s and 70’s playing in 11 national championship games and winning 10. No other school has come close to these numbers and probably never will. Now you may say well for four years Wooden had the greatest 7 feet tall player to play college basketball and that is why they won. However the overall average height of the teams to have played in a national championship is 77 inches. During all of UCLA national championship appearances their average height was below this average with an average of 76 inches. How did they win? Heart.
    Now what does this all mean? I’m not trying to say that Mike Krzyzewski needs to go out and recruit a 5 feet tall player. I’m also not trying to say that height causes a disadvantage. I’m saying that in anything whether sports, academics, business or life, your physical abilities and height do not create an advantage however it is the heart and love and belief in what you are trying to accomplish. When the 5 feet 4 inch Pookey Wigington (Seton Hall 1990, shortest player in a national championship game) would slash through the lane he didn’t think about his height but the heart and the will he had to make the upcoming shot. No one can measure or test the love of the game therefore it is impossible to statistically prove. I’m sure, however, that if there was a statistic on heart and love for what you are doing that those who succeed would be much higher. So next time you say or hear someone say if only I was taller just look over and say to them, “The bigger your heart the more you will achieve.”