Mizzou Adopts "Diamond End Zone" Design

The University of Missouri likes to change the floor design at Mizzou Arena every few years, it seems. The latest one has a feature that I had not seen any school incorporate before. Namely, Mizzou has taken the "diamond end zone" theme from its football field and added to its basketball court (along with a shellac state outline). Here is a screenshot from this Columbia Missourian article...

Basketball Courts Blog Hits 200,000 Pageviews

I noticed last night that the old blog just went over 200,000 pageviews since we started in 2009. Here's a screenshot of the blog's hit statistics:

Who knew that seemingly obscure topics such as whether a team features a state outline at midcourt or paints in the keys or uses different shades of shellac to identify different zones of the court could attract this level of attention? I don't want to overstate things, as some websites probably get 200,000 or more pageviews per day. Still, it's nice to see these numbers.

I would, of course, like to thank New Jersey lawyer Matt Rachmiel, who started e-mailing me with court updates (basketball courts, that is) from the blog's inception and has never stopped! Also, thank you to everyone who has visited the blog.

Maui Invitational (Being Played in Vegas) Features Flowery Keys

Flowers are extremely popular in Hawai'i, including in the form of a lei. So even though this year's Maui Invitational is currently being played in Las Vegas due to COVID-19, the keys on the court will ensure that viewers are constantly thinking of flowers. Following is a screenshot from ESPN.com.

Asheville (NC) Championship College Tourney

Asheville, North Carolina, is well known as an artsy kind of town. Accordingly, the court for the inaugural Asheville Championship college basketball tournament features multicolor keys that look like they were designed by an artist.

Women's Final Four Court Remembers the Alamo

College basketball observers have long noted a major contrast between the courts for the men's and women's Final Four games. Whereas the court at the men's Final Four typically features no artistic references to the host city, the women's Final Four court annually reveals a creative tribute to where the games are being held (see earlier postings on this blog).

This year's women's Final Four court, on display in tonight's two national semifinals, does not disappoint, in my view. Though in perhaps an understated way, the court's reference to San Antonio's Alamo Mission is clear. The Alamo has a distinctive look, as shown here. On the women's Final Four court, the Alamo is defined only by its outline along the top of its facade. I couldn't find an image of the court earlier tonight, so I decided to create my own schematic, which follows.

I'm missing most of the little details of the design, particularly in the keys and out-of-bounds areas. However, I think I captured all the larger themes. All in all, a "memorable" court!

2021 NBA All-Star Game Court

The NBA has released an image of what the court will look like at Sunday's annual All-Star Game (link). This year's game, taking place in Atlanta, pays tribute to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). As you can see in the linked article, the court is very vivid. Yet, for the most part, the playing area avoids too busy of a design, in my view. I particularly like the background of stars in a different shade of shellac from the main floor. The out-of-bounds area has more going on, though.