1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball team


The 1965–66 Texas Western Miners basketball team represented Texas Western College, now the University of Texas at El Paso, and was coached by Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The team made history by winning the national championship in 1966, becoming the first team with an all-black starting lineup to do so.
The Miners defeated Kentucky 72–65 in the historic championship game, played on Saturday, March 19, at Cole Field House on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, a suburb of Washington D.C.
The team was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007
and inspired the book and film Glory Road.

Roster

Name#PositionHeightYearHome Town
Jerry Armstrong21Forward6−4SeniorEagleville, MO
Orsten Artis23Guard6–1SeniorGary, IN
Louis Baudoin22Forward6–7JuniorAlbuquerque, NM
Willie Cager11Forward6–5SophomoreNew York City, NY
Harry Flournoy44Forward6–5SeniorGary, IN
Bobby Joe Hill14Guard5–10JuniorDetroit, MI
David Lattin42Center6–6SophomoreHouston, TX
Dick Myers31Forward6–4JuniorPeabody, KS
Dave Palacio15Guard6–2SophomoreEl Paso, TX
Togo Railey25Guard6–0JuniorEl Paso, TX
Nevil Shed33Center6–8JuniorNew York City, NY
Willie Worsley24Guard5−6SophomoreNew York City, NY

After the championship

The 1965–1966 Texas Western basketball team faced many issues because of their race. For example, when they won the championship no one brought out a ladder for them to cut down the net. Nevil Shed had to hoist up Willie Worsley so he could do the honors. Also, they were not invited on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was customary for the NCAA Champions. Texas Western's winning the basketball national championship helped promote the desegregation of athletics in the Southeastern Conference which had its first black basketball player in 1967.

Schedule

!colspan=8| NCAA Tournament