2023-24 USBWA Best Writing Contest Winners

From some 220 entries, 25 stories are recognized among five categories as results of the 2023-24 USBWA Best Writing contest are unveiled. ESPN.com, with five, and The Athletic, with four, paced the contest winners that were marked by seven stories focused on the women's game.

ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf had three honored entries, second place for Spot News, fourth place for Enterprise and fourth-place for Magazine-Length Feature. He is the only member to get multiple citations in the contest.

Eamonn Brennan of Buzzer's column on the passing of Bob Knight, someone who reminded himself of his father, took first place. Kit Ginzky of the South Side Weekly in Chicago took a look at the state of streetball in what she coined "America's Basketball City" to take home first place in the enterprise category. Brendan Quinn's magazine-length piece on Tom Izzo and his adopted soon was the winner in that category while Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com examined Duke coach Kara Lawson's now viral speech, "Handle Hard Better," for first place in the moderate-length feature category. Finally. in spot news, Scott Dochterman earned another banner for The Athletic for his story that took readers to Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, where 55,000 fans, the largest crowd ever for the sport, watched Caitlin Clark's legend grow.

Overall, 23 different members were recognized for their work in the annual contest which included stories written between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024.

Following is the complete list of winning entries:

COLUMN
1. Eamonn Brennan, Buzzer: Bob Knight was my dad: On the death of an American archetype
Bobby Knight was a great basketball coach. But he was also an archetype, even a role model. His stubborn, macho persona was so powerful that it leaked past his Indiana basketball team and into the father-son relationships that reflected the light of their television screens. This phenomenon had a cost though and this column presents that other side of Bobby Knight. It’s an important piece.

2. Jackie Powell, MSNBC.com: Why Caitlin Clark passing Pete Maravich is such a huge moment
3. Matt Norlander, CBS Sports: Forty years in, beloved Oakland coach Greg Kampe is back in the NCAA Tournament after a one-of-a-kind career
4. Matt Fortuna, The Inside Zone: Dan Hurley is the new face of men’s college basketball. And he is perfect for the role
5. Mike Sielski, The Philadelphia Inquirer: Bob Knight revealed his good side and dark side in his unique relationship with a Philly hoops legend

ENTERPRISE
1. Kit Ginzky, South Side Weekly: Battle for the Blacktops: Faced with a growing shortage of usable courts, hoopers are fighting to preserve streetball in America’s basketball city
Blacktop basketball city courts are slipping away. The Covid 19 pandemic might have been the biggest reason, but the slow disappearance of the city game has repercussions that are only now being felt. A thorough examination.

2. Jeff Borzello, ESPN.com: UConn's dominance and the challenges of repeating as national champion
3. Seth Davis, The Athletic: Legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight dies at 83
4. Myron Medcalf, ESPN.com: Premium seating, hot chicken, deafening volumes: How men's college hoops is keeping fans engaged
5. Rachel Lenzi, Buffalo News: Medaille University athletes, officials deal with closing

MAGAZINE-LENGTH FEATURE
1. Brendan Quinn, The Athletic: A Hall of Fame coach’s son got his fairy tale ending. Now he wants to know how the story began
Actually, two stories unfold in this narrative about the adopted son of Michigan State’s basketball coach Tom Izzo and his wife. The “slow play” technique and detail of this piece magnify the message.

2. Brendan Marks, The Athletic: Cooper Flagg and the small New England town that raised basketball’s brightest young star
3. Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune: South Bend Saint Joseph senior Tyler Brown determined to live life on his terms
4. Myron Medcalf, ESPN.com: The hype, security and logistics: How USC is preparing for Bronny James
5. Ed Miller, Virginia Magazine: Bennettball: To get a look at UVA’s all-time winningest coach, we played by his rules

MODERATE-LENGTH FEATURE
1. Andrea Adelson, ESPN.com: 'Handle hard better': How Kara Lawson's viral speech inspired players and fans alike
Sports is full of bromides, catch phrases passed from team to team. “Handle hard better” is more natural than that, according to Duke coach Kara Lawson, and has caught its own fire. A good story that shows the “history” behind this viral curtain.

2. Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee leaders love what Shaka Smart is doing at Marquette, and not just with basketball
3. Sam King, Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier: The ceremonial send off of Purdue basketball star Zach Edey started with one autograph
4. Mitchell Northam, The Baltimore Banner: The rematch everyone wanted: LSU and Angel Reese set to face Iowa and Caitlin Clark
5. Lindsay Schnell, USA Today: Polynesian women's basketball players take pride in sharing heritage while growing game

SPOT NEWS
1. Scott Dochterman, The Athletic: Caitlin Clark and Iowa women’s basketball set attendance record at Kinnick Stadium
An inside-out look at a women’s basketball game in front of the biggest crowd ever - just over 55,000 in a football stadium. Answers the question: What was it like to be there?

2. Myron Medcalf, ESPN.com: How Long Beach State prepared for Bronny James' debut and won
3. Mike Waters, Syracuse.com: Liam Zoghby, Syracuse basketball manager, dies at age 22: ‘A beam of light at Melo Center’
4. Ishmael Johnson, TexasBasketball.com: Mark Campbell will never have a more impressive win than UCF
5. Payton Titus, The State: Thanks to a USC student’s screenshot on ESPN, Pearl Moore got what she deserved