What constitutes a violation of traveling in NCAA basketball?

In NCAA basketball, traveling is defined as taking more than two steps without dribbling the ball. This rule is in place to maintain the flow of the game and prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by taking extra steps while holding the ball. When a player receives the ball while standing still or after completing a dribble, they are allowed to take two steps before they must either pass the ball, shoot, or start dribbling again. If a player exceeds these two steps without making a dribble, it results in a traveling violation, leading to a turnover and the opposing team gaining possession.

The options involving three steps or dribbling without passing do not accurately reflect the definition of traveling, as players are allowed to take up to two steps. Holding the ball for more than five seconds pertains to a different violation known as "five-second closely guarded," which doesn't relate to traveling. Thus, the accurate understanding of traveling in collegiate basketball is correctly captured by the definition involving two steps.