An add to the previous post about John Wooden. As I mentioned if he had been able to use Lew Alcindor (Kareen Abdul Jabbar) during the 65/66 season Wooden and UCLA probably would have won 10 straight titles. But even though that didn't happen it worked out. It was like fate played a roll.
In the '66 Championship game power house Kentucky, the overwhelming favourite, was up against Texas Western (now UTEP). The master Adolph Rupp coaching against upstart Don Haskins. Haskins started 5 black players for the first time ever in a championship game. Rupp had an all white starting 5 and an all white team which included Pat Riley.
It may not have been the best title game ever, but it was the most dramatic and I think it was probably the most important. Texas Western beat Kentucky. It changed the way American Universities, especailly in the south, recruited. That game opened a lot of doors for black players that other wise would have been slammed shut. There's a movie out about it called "Glory Road". It's worth watching.
John Wooden didn't fail often. But this one time his failure and Texas Western's success had a huge impact on the game.
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