Origins of Basketball in Wisconsin
Basketball was invented in December of 1891 by Dr. James Naismith. The game spread across the country through colleges and became very popular. By 1898 the sport had reached schools in Wisconsin like the University of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Normal School. By this time the game had begun to turn into the modern basketball that we play today. For instance, basketball was originally played with nine players on a team. The hoop was a peach basket with no backboard. The ball was a soccer ball and no dribbling was allowed. But, when organized basketball formed in Wisconsin's colleges, the game was being played with five players on a team. Hoops were made of iron and had wooden backboards. Also, dribbling had been introduced to the game, and basketballs made by Spalding were being used. The game of basketball became popular quick, because it could be played during the cold winter months between football and baseball season.