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Dołączył: 11 Kwi 2011
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Wysłany: Czw 17:18, 26 Maj 2011 |
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1966 NCAA Tournament featured the best 22 teams in the nation. These teams would square off in single-elimination play in attempts to become the national champions of NCAA Men’s Basketball. The tournament took place in March,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], just as it does today. This is the reason why when we talk about NCAA Basketball we talk about “March Madness.”
One team stood out from the rest of the field this season. That team was Texas Western. This team was never famous for having a stunning basketball program, but they employed some recruiting tactics that were unheard of in the NCAA at that time.
While we think of basketball being a sport that features players of all races and skin colors, it was not always this way. Before 1966 there had never been a team that held a starting lineup that consisted only of African American basketball players. In fact, most teams across the nation did not even have African Americans on their team.
The coach for Texas Western decided to shake things up. He went on to recruit numerous black players to come and play for Texas Western. Their team went on to have an amazing season. They even went on to become the first team in history to start a lineup of all black players.
Texas Western would start things off by playing against Oklahoma City. This matchup would be a relatively easy game for Texas Western. They would come out on top with a 89-74 victory, advancing to take on Cincinnati.
This game against Cincinnati would present the first of many scares for Texas Western in the tournament. They would narrowly escape this game with a two point victory to advance to play Kansas. Kansas would not be any easier to beat though. The Jayhawks pressed Texas Western for all they had and the game would come down to the final seconds. Texas Western managed to walk out with a 1 point victory.
This victory would take Texas Western to the Final Four where they would take on Utah. Utah had one of the best players in the nation, Jerry Chambers. Chambers led all players in scoring for the tournament and would be named the tournament Most Valuable Player that year. Despite his best efforts,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], he would not be able to take out Texas Western. Texas Western would battle through the game and they would win by a score of 85-78.
This Texas Western team would defy all odds and advanced to take on the Kentucky Wildcats. The Wildcats were led by the legendary Adolph Rupp. Rupp was an amazing coach and was known for getting the most out of his players. However, he was playing against a Texas Western team that was not going to go down easily.
Texas Western managed to pull out a 72-65 victory. This win would give the school their first national championship in their history. This win would make history and paved the way for blacks to become such a huge part of collegiate and professional athletics in the world today.
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