SE: Hall of Game – K-State 3x3 Hoops “Here to Win” in Springfield
Jun 11, 2021 | Women's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Before you see this court, you've got to hear about the first place where Rachel Ranke played three-on-three basketball.
"Midwest 3x3 is a big thing in Minnesota, so we made a point to play outside every summer," she said. "It was weird playing on cement, because you didn't want to fall and get hurt. But that was always my favorite tournament because it was me, my cousin and one of my teammates."
Skip ahead a few years and Ranke is a redshirt senior on the K-State Women's Basketball team.
She's still playing half-court hoops, with a slight upgrade to the venue:
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
This weekend, Ranke will lace it up with K-State teammates Emilee Ebert, Ayoka Lee and Cymone Goodrich at the 2021 Red Bull USA Basketball 3X National Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The 3x3 team will play inside the Hall of Fame on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams, fresh off a $25-million-dollar renovation. The court is literally surrounded by museum exhibits and the retired jerseys of some of the greatest basketball players of all time.
"I haven't been to the museum before, but I think we'll have some time when they open it up for tours and stuff," Ebert said. "That's going to be really cool."
Another three-on-three veteran, Ebert played in tournaments growing up in Frankfort, right down the road from Manhattan.
When it comes to 3x3 (the FIBA-branded name for three-on-three basketball), there are a few important differences from the college and NBA game.
Beyond the smaller teams and half-court setup, 3x3 also has a 12-second shot clock and a unique scoring system: the winning team is the first to reach 21 points or lead after 10 minutes.
Ranke and Lee helped this K-State team qualify for Nationals after winning a regional tournament back in 2019. They also had a pretty simple strategy.
"We over-prepared," Ranke said. "We played against our male practice squad guys and got our butts kicked every single day. But when we got there, the closest an opponent got to us was 13 points. We never even played a full 10-minute game."
The rule changes create a more fast-paced version of basketball with one-on-one matchups and plenty of tough shots.
In the world of 3x3 basketball, you can find yourself anywhere on the court and guarding pretty much any player on the opposing team.
It's the perfect environment for a player like Ebert to shine - the junior was the only Wildcat to finish among the program's top-five leaders in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks throughout the 2020-21 season.
"You really don't have a whole lot of time in 3x3. You get the ball out of the net or you go right off a miss back to the three-point line," she said. "The pace is so fast, where in full-court basketball you slow things down and run things…This is constantly just go, go, go."
The sport has never been in a brighter spotlight, with 3x3 Basketball set to debut at the Summer Olympics next month in Tokyo.
But with COVID-19 still a factor, competing in Springfield means going back into the kind of bubble that was common during the 2020-21 season.
Not to mention, the extra practice time for the Wildcats.
"Coach Mittie took us aside and asked us how we felt about it," Ranke said. "Yokie and I explained that this is USA Basketball and it's a huge opportunity. We kind of have to take it."
So, the 'Cats began matching up with the guys on the practice squad again – except this time, Ranke, Ebert and their teammates have been beating them.
"For me personally, there's a lot more space in 3x3," Ebert said. "Get to the rim, drive hard to the basket and that opens up a lot of opportunities. Then you've got Yokie in there to pass the ball. Those are two areas where I'm really going to try and focus my game."
The 'Cats are finishing up quarantine before heading to the Hall this weekend. The unique format and Hall of Fame setting might be exciting, but Ranke isn't here for sightseeing.
"I'm excited, I'm ready to go," she said. "My Dad texted me, 'Have fun,' and I texted him, 'I'm not here to have fun, I'm here to win.' I feel like we're prepared."
Before you see this court, you've got to hear about the first place where Rachel Ranke played three-on-three basketball.
"Midwest 3x3 is a big thing in Minnesota, so we made a point to play outside every summer," she said. "It was weird playing on cement, because you didn't want to fall and get hurt. But that was always my favorite tournament because it was me, my cousin and one of my teammates."
Skip ahead a few years and Ranke is a redshirt senior on the K-State Women's Basketball team.
She's still playing half-court hoops, with a slight upgrade to the venue:
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
This weekend, Ranke will lace it up with K-State teammates Emilee Ebert, Ayoka Lee and Cymone Goodrich at the 2021 Red Bull USA Basketball 3X National Tournament in Springfield, Massachusetts.
#KStateWBB players @ranke_12 @cgoodrich02 @Yokie50 & @emileeebert6 will rep the purple & white in Springfield, Massachusetts, this weekend at the Red Bull 3X Nationals.
— K-State Women's Basketball (@KStateWBB) June 8, 2021
Details -> https://t.co/L6SQ1NCA2z pic.twitter.com/MZ0pdgo9uT
The 3x3 team will play inside the Hall of Fame on the Jerry Colangelo Court of Dreams, fresh off a $25-million-dollar renovation. The court is literally surrounded by museum exhibits and the retired jerseys of some of the greatest basketball players of all time.
"I haven't been to the museum before, but I think we'll have some time when they open it up for tours and stuff," Ebert said. "That's going to be really cool."
Another three-on-three veteran, Ebert played in tournaments growing up in Frankfort, right down the road from Manhattan.
When it comes to 3x3 (the FIBA-branded name for three-on-three basketball), there are a few important differences from the college and NBA game.
Beyond the smaller teams and half-court setup, 3x3 also has a 12-second shot clock and a unique scoring system: the winning team is the first to reach 21 points or lead after 10 minutes.
Ranke and Lee helped this K-State team qualify for Nationals after winning a regional tournament back in 2019. They also had a pretty simple strategy.
"We over-prepared," Ranke said. "We played against our male practice squad guys and got our butts kicked every single day. But when we got there, the closest an opponent got to us was 13 points. We never even played a full 10-minute game."
The rule changes create a more fast-paced version of basketball with one-on-one matchups and plenty of tough shots.
In the world of 3x3 basketball, you can find yourself anywhere on the court and guarding pretty much any player on the opposing team.
It's the perfect environment for a player like Ebert to shine - the junior was the only Wildcat to finish among the program's top-five leaders in points, assists, rebounds, steals and blocks throughout the 2020-21 season.
"You really don't have a whole lot of time in 3x3. You get the ball out of the net or you go right off a miss back to the three-point line," she said. "The pace is so fast, where in full-court basketball you slow things down and run things…This is constantly just go, go, go."
The sport has never been in a brighter spotlight, with 3x3 Basketball set to debut at the Summer Olympics next month in Tokyo.
But with COVID-19 still a factor, competing in Springfield means going back into the kind of bubble that was common during the 2020-21 season.
Not to mention, the extra practice time for the Wildcats.
"Coach Mittie took us aside and asked us how we felt about it," Ranke said. "Yokie and I explained that this is USA Basketball and it's a huge opportunity. We kind of have to take it."
So, the 'Cats began matching up with the guys on the practice squad again – except this time, Ranke, Ebert and their teammates have been beating them.
"For me personally, there's a lot more space in 3x3," Ebert said. "Get to the rim, drive hard to the basket and that opens up a lot of opportunities. Then you've got Yokie in there to pass the ball. Those are two areas where I'm really going to try and focus my game."
The 'Cats are finishing up quarantine before heading to the Hall this weekend. The unique format and Hall of Fame setting might be exciting, but Ranke isn't here for sightseeing.
"I'm excited, I'm ready to go," she said. "My Dad texted me, 'Have fun,' and I texted him, 'I'm not here to have fun, I'm here to win.' I feel like we're prepared."
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