Sunday, April 10, 2011

  Largest Game of Knockout (Basketball): Utah State University sets world record

LOGAN, UT, USA -- 168 players came together in a game of lightning basketball at the Spectrum on campus at Utah State University in Logan - setting the new world record for the Largest Game of Basketball Knockout .
Photo: The group of 168 players came together in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people to play lightning basketball. Photo: Alan Murray ( enlarge photo )

  The previous Guinness world record for the largest game of basketball knockoutconsisted of 167 players at The George Washington University (USA) in Washington, D.C., USA.

Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most people spinning a basketball simultaneously, set by 104 participants at Ellesmere Port Catholic High in Chester, UK.

  A group of students from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business set out to raise money for grants or contributions called SEED (Small Enterprise Educational Development), aimed at helping developing countries in South America and Africa set up private businesses.

  So to get everyone to come, they set up a challenge: Attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world's largest lightning (basketball) game.

  The idea for the tournament at USU came from Matthew Sargent, a sophomore accounting major, taking Management 3110 (managing organizations and people). The class requires students to break up into groups and do a service project.

  "We were just brainstorming ideas, and we thought it'd be cool to break a world record," Sargent said. "Then, someone said, 'basketball,' and so we thought we'd combine the two."

  The rules of the game are simple: Participants line up in a line or two lines and shoot from the free-throw line. Only after the first person shoots can the second person go ahead.

  If a participant doesn't make the ball into the basket, he or she can get a chance to throw it in again from any vantage point. Once the ball goes though the hoop, that person passes it on to the next person in line. If the second player makes a shot before the first, the first is "knocked out."

  The winner of the tournament received a basketball signed by the Aggie basketball team members.

Related world records:   
Most halfcourt shots made in one minute: Charlie Vernon(Video)
Most halfcourt shots made in one minute: Eric Valentin
Largest game of knockout: George Washington University
Largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament: Spokane Hoopfest
Best 10-Year-Old Basketball Player: Jaylin Fleming
Longest basketball game: Sibiu players

Sunday, April 10, 2011