basketball

There will be no March Madness in Wichita next spring.

A group of Wichita State University students has invented a way for young basketball players to improve their shooting.

The Boost Hoop is a funnel that attaches to the top of a basketball hoop. It requires players to put more arc on their shots while also improving accuracy and confidence.

The hoop was designed by the Boosted Ideas Lab and recently won the Shocker New Venture Competition. The four students on the winning team are Logan Cassity, Andrew Haden, Isaac Wilson and Jason DeGarmo.

The 2018 NCAA Tournament at Intrust Bank Arena is being hailed by Visit Wichita as a "huge win" for the local economy.

Out-of-town visitors generated an estimated $5.5 million in economic activity, while local residents spent an additional $3.5 million during the four-day basketball tournament, according to the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University. The result was about $500,000 in additional tax revenue for the city.

Tickets for the tournament sold out, aided by the appearance of the University of Kansas Jayhawks.

Intrust Bank Arena will host the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2022.

Wichita was one of four cities selected to host Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games that year. Wichita State University will serve as the host school.

"It's another great day for sports in Wichita," Brian Hargrove, executive director of sports for Visit Wichita, said Wednesday. "We are looking forward to providing another energetic welcome to basketball fans to Wichita in 2022. The announcement today reaffirms that Wichita is a sports destination in the Midwest."

Need tickets?

As the NCAA men's basketball tournament prepares to open in Wichita this week, tickets for all three sessions at Intrust Bank Arena are long gone.

The University of Kansas will open NCAA Tournament play in Wichita on Thursday while Wichita State University and Kansas State University will hit the road for tournament openers on Friday.