The Beginning - 1891-92 - Basketball was originally a YMCA game, invented in 1891-92 by James Naismith as a boys and men's game. He was attending YMCA College in Massachusetts. At first a "Soccer Ball" was used, tossing it into a box placed on the floor. Later, bushel baskets (peach baskets were excellent) were suspended from the wall and a larger ball developed. Innovation came forth to develop the "Metal Ring." History, maybe legend, says some officials objected to only the "metal ring" as sometimes it was difficult to determine if the ball passed through the "hoop." Innovation again with development of the net: same basics used today. The back(bang)board (now plastic glass) is conjecture by the writer. In the beginning the basket was nailed to a building wall, thus a backboard. When the "metal Hoop" was developed and placed on a pole, innovation again with boards placed behind the basket. The ball cover was made of leather with 6-8 stitched seams, a rubber inner bladder placed inside (similar to rubber tire inner tube before tubeless tires) and the leather was laced together tightly as possible (similar to football lacing). Quite apparent ball was more difficult to handle and dribble than present day ball. Keep in mind, much of earliest era (before 1900 through near 1920 in Iowa) basketball was played outside on dirt ground. The country schools had only outside limited playground equipment and most of small rural towns had similar to very little more equipment. Consolidation of country schools with nearby town schools began near 1912 with many consolidations through mid-20's - Collins 1920 - with the new high school building completed December 1921 that included a gymnasium for basketball, similar date as other nearby communities and likely throughout the state.
In 1892, Naismith's classmate, Kallenberg, came west to Iowa and became YMCA Director at the University of Iowa. Kallenberg promptly taught students the new basketball game. On April 26, 1893, the Cedar Rapids YMCA and Iowa City YMCA played the first basketball game in Iowa in Close Hall (Housed YMCA and YMCA) gymnasium: Admission=15 cents. Score: Iowa City - 12; Cedar Rapids - 2. The rules of the game: Center Jump after each basket - this continued to 1934 for girls rules and to 1937 for boys rules, designated player shot all free throws and only one substitute player for each team. Basketball generally started in larger towns with YMCA's. The earliest communities with boys' basketball teams were Ft Dodge (1897), West Waterloo (1898), Ottumwa (1899), Boone, Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Mt. Pleasant, Oskaloosa by 1903. The earliest communities with girls' basketball were Dubuque (1898), Muscatine (1904), Washington (1904), Ottumwa (1906), Albia (1909) and Mystic (1909).