College basketball fastest teams bring the System to Greenville
Grinnell, Greenville and Covenant will open Division III play with a frantic round-robin built around the high-speed System.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The college basketball fastest teams are about to share one small gym and one very busy scoreboard. CBS Sports reports that Division III programs Grinnell, Greenville and Covenant will open the season in Greenville, Illinois, with a round-robin showcase built around the ultra-fast “System.”
The first game, Grinnell vs. Greenville, is set for midnight as the calendar turns from Nov. 5 to Nov. 6, the first moment Division III teams can begin play. The 1,000-seat gym on Elm Street will host three teams that, according to Synergy data cited by CBS Sports, have ranked first, second and third in possessions per game across NCAA basketball since 2024-25.
Greenville leads that group at 131.45 possessions per game, followed by Grinnell at 112.95 and Covenant at 104.45, according to Synergy. For comparison, Alabama is listed as the fastest Division I team in that span at 87.26 possessions per game.
What is the System in college basketball?
The System is a basketball approach built on speed, pressure and volume: quick shots, full-court defense and frequent mass substitutions. CBS Sports reports that its principles include aiming for 100-plus shots, creating 30-plus turnovers, chasing offensive rebounds and building a large shot-attempt advantage.
The philosophy is closely tied to Grinnell, where former coach David Arsenault Sr. is widely credited with developing it in the 1990s. His son, David Arsenault Jr., now coaches the Pioneers, who have gone 61-19 over the past three seasons and made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, according to CBS Sports.
Greenville coach George Barber adopted the style from Grinnell and has pushed it to the edge. CBS Sports reports that Greenville has led Division III in scoring every season since passing Grinnell in 2015-16, excluding the COVID-affected 2020-21 season context in the report. The Panthers averaged 113.2 points in 2025-26, 22 more than Division I leader Alabama, according to the report.
Covenant is the newer entrant. Coach Josh Brown told CBS Sports he called an estimated 35 to 40 coaches before taking the plunge. “Every single one of them was like, ‘you’re going to get called crazy,’” Brown said. Covenant rose from 81.2 possessions per game to 105.2 the next season and more than doubled its win total, CBS Sports reported.
Why Division III is where this style can live
The System demands deep benches. CBS Sports reports that teams using it often play 13 to 17 players, with substitutions coming almost minute by minute. Last season, Grinnell’s minutes leader averaged just 17.8 minutes per game on a 22-4 NCAA Tournament team.
That can make Division III a better fit. The level has no athletic scholarships, and CBS Sports notes that schools can use playing time and a distinct identity to keep large rosters engaged.
The style has produced strange numbers along the way. Grinnell’s Jack Taylor scored an NCAA-record 138 points in 2012. Greenville has scored 200 points in a game, 160 in a loss and once lost by 92, according to CBS Sports.
Division I programs have borrowed pieces, but not the full chaos. Cal Poly coach Mike DeGeorge, who used the System at Division III Rhodes and worked under Arsenault Sr. at Grinnell, told CBS Sports that going all-in at the top level carries job-security risk if the results turn ugly.
For one opening stretch in Greenville, though, the full version gets the floor. Three teams, one System and very little time to breathe.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.