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Glory Road - 2 Stars (Average)

Basketball Coach Don Haskins does not have to hang about for his fable to go on. He is a contributor of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Few present would evoke Don Haskins. He was the guide at Texas Western in 1966 when his 27-1 squad compete Adolph Rupp's 27-1 University of Kentucky Wildcats for the NCAA heading.

Nothing too out of character astir that, but that Haskins would become the primary trainer in NCAA long-ago to launch an all-African American lineup when the Miners squared off in opposition Rupp's all-white Kentucky unit that conspicuous two players who would become infamous in the NBA pro league: Pat Riley and Louie Dampier.

Remember these names: Bobby Joe Hill, David Lattin, Orsten Artis, Willie Worsley and Harry Flournoy during February, Black History Month. They were the starting roster for Texas Western when the Miners won the NCAA title fight resistant an all-white Kentucky team, 72-65.

I would graduate from Michigan State University two months after Texas Western won the title, and would not be alert of a short time ago how historical this episode was. My exalted university and institute administrative district and path teams were incorporated. Kentucky would not even hold out African Americans basketball scholarships, and in that were oodles remaining colleges and universities which excluded African American players in 1966.

There was a lot of meanness in the South at that circumstance. Heck, within was a lot cruelty everywhere, but not in Don Haskins' will to win for Texas Western, renowned nowadays as UTEP, the University of Texas at El Paso. Haskins was blind and simply put the greatest players on the level to nominate yourself.

Haskins recruited the top players, nada else mattered. Not even the stinky analysis and annihilation coercion some Haskins and his players prescriptive from die-hard, ignorant, reactionary Texas Western booster amplifier and donors. They interpret a assorted air in Texas today, specially at the University of Texas.

Glory Road in 2006 retold the chronicle of Don Haskins and Texas Western. Josh Lucas vie the role of Don Haskins, Derek Luke compete Bobby Joe Hill and John Voight compete Adolph Rupp. It is not one of the best pictures ever made, but the saga of Texas Western is on par with another super victories in sports history, plus the 1980 U. S. Hockey squad prizewinning the Gold Medal in the Olympics. Contrary to the pictures version, the heading activity was not as big an agitate as was delineate. Texas Western had an first-class team, as proven by its No. 3 commanding the critical position that period. Haskins was not the prototypic coach to kick up your heels African Americans, Texas Western had African American players on its list earlier Haskins arrived.

Haskins was the early to make the first move an all-African American roster in the NCAA label game, and it is as well correct that Texas Western was the primary academy in a Southern nation state to combine its muscular teams. Good for Texas Western.

Glory Road had a well-behaved letter of anticipation for African Americans. At most minuscule one handler had the mainstay to romp the finest. Do not reflect on for a minute that this was Don Haskins' one sec of glory, and that he was brave but not an superior court game guide.

Since Glory Road was not as such around Don Haskins as every really talented, completely uncomplaining and unbelievably plucky Texas Western players, let it be legendary that Don Haskins:

1) Played 3 time of life at Oklahoma A&M underneath Hall of Fame guide Hank Iba and was Team Captain.

2) Was bound for 4th spot among the NCAA's record prizewinning active coaches when he retired near 719 wins and 353 financial loss.

3) Had 33 victorious seasons at UTEP in 38 eld of coaching job.

4) Led UTEP to no smaller quantity than 17 20-win-seasons, an NCAA nickname in 1966, 7 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships, 4 WAC tournament titles, and 21 postseason trips (14 to the NCAA playoffs and 7 NIT-National Invitational Tournament-appearances).

5) Changed institute hoops in perpetuity by starting an all-African American squad hostile an all-white Kentucky unit in the NCAA tourney and ahead the description.

6) Coached Hall of Famer Nate "Tiny" Archibald, NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, and Antonio Davis, and mentored coming coaches Nolan Richardson and Tim Floyd.

Glory Road is a pic for every court game champion. It has a terrible communication and represents a serious instant in the process of basketball game as we cognise and relish it nowadays.

Copyright © 2007 Ed Bagley