The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball

Like millions who love college basketball, John Feinstein was first drawn to the game because of its intensity, speed and intelligence. Like many others, he felt that the vast sums of money involved in NCAA basketball had turned the sport into a division of the NBA, rather than the beloved amateur sport it once was. He went in search of college basketball played with the passion and integrity it once inspired, and found the Patriot League. As one of the NCAA's smallest leagues, none of these teams leaves college early to join the NBA and none of these coaches gets national recognition or endorsement contracts. The young men on these teams are playing for the love of the sport, of competition and of their schools. John Feinstein spent a season with these players, uncovering the drama of their daily lives and the passions that drive them to commit hundreds of hours to basketball even when there is no chance of a professional future. He offers a look at American sport at its purest.

John Feinstein is the author of many bestselling books, including "A Good Walk Spoiled?"and "One on One."?He writes for the "Washington Post" and "Golf Digest" and is a regular contributor to the Golf Channel.

One sport. One league. One season. In this widely praised and bestselling book, America's favorite sportswriter takes us on a thrilling and unforgettable journey into the world of college basketball, revealing the integrity and skill with which the sport is played in one of the NCAA's smallest Division I conferences, and capturing the passion of players for whom sports are neither pastime nor profession, but something more.

Like millions who love college basketball, John Feinstein was first drawn to the game because of its intensity, speed and intelligence. And like many others he felt that the vast sums of money involved in NCAA basketball had turned the sport into a division of the NBA rather than the beloved amateur sport it once was. He went in search of college basketball played with the passion and integrity it once inspired and found the Patriot League. As one the the NCAA's smallest none of these teams leaves college early to join the NBA and none of these coaches gets national recognition or endorsement contracts. The young men on these teams are playing for the love of the sport, of competition and of their schools. John Feinstein spent an unforgettable season with these players, uncovering the drama of their daily lives and the passions that drive them to commit hundreds of hours to basketball even when there is no chance of a professional future. This is a look at American sport at its purest, written with the intensity, drama and insight into character that have made bestsellers of John Feinstein's previous books.

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