And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: The Basketball Game That Changed American Sports

The 1966 NCAA men's basketball championship game pitted the vaunted Kentucky Wildcats against the unheralded Miners of Texas Western (now the University of Texas, El Paso). In an upset, the Miners defeated the Wildcats, 72-65. What makes this particular game worth studying is the social freight it carried. Kentucky, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp, was a scrappy, speedy team, and all of its players were white. Texas Western, helmed by 26-year-old Don Haskins (still UTEP's coach!), was disciplined, tenacious, and all five starters were black. Whereas Rupp actively resisted recruiting black players, Haskins sought them out in New York City, Detroit, and Gary, Indiana. When the two teams took the floor to contest the championship, the stark contrast in skin color on the court could not be ignored. And when Texas Western beat the heavily favored Wildcats, fans, players, coaches, college administrators, and the media took notice. In 1962 the percentage of blacks on college basketball teams was 10%. By 1975 the number had risen to 34%, a jump attributable to the Miner's landmark victory. Relatively few pages in this superlative book are actually devoted to the momentous game itself. Drawing on interviews with former players and other key contemporary figures, the author has produced a compelling and thoroughly researched account of an athletic event that by virtue of the race of its participants struck a resounding blow against prejudice in America. A Booklist Top Ten Sports Book of 1999, this fascinating amalgam of social history and hoop lore is highly recommended: a slam-dunk, in fact. Includes photos, team rosters, bibliography and index. KLIATT Codes: SA*—Exceptionalbook, recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Univ of Nebraska Press/Bison, 256p, illus, bibliog, index, 21cm, 00-033787, $14.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Randy M. Brough; Lib. Dir., Franklin P.L., Franklin, NH, March 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 2)


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