Photos: Legacy of the 1966 Texas Western Miners

Sports

Texas Western Miners defeated the Kentucky Wildcats with an all-black starting five in the 1966 NCAA title game. Not widely considered a civil rights milestone, by winning a game, the Miners changed college basketball.

Texas Western Miners defeated the Kentucky Wildcats starting five black players in the 1966 NCAA title game. While the game was played at the height of the civil rights movement it is not marked as a watershed moment in sports and civil rights. By winning a game, however, the Miners changed college basketball. The 1966 Miners were made up by: Bobby Joe Hill (front row, from left), Orsten Artis, Togo Railey and Willie Worsley. Middle row, from left: David Palacio, Dick Myers, Harry Flournoy and Louis Baudoin. Back row, from left: Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Cager, David Lattin and coach Don Haskins.

Kentucky's Tommy Kron (left) passes over Texas Western's David Lattin (42) to teammate Larry Conley (40) during the first half of the 1966 college basketball championship game at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. Texas Western start five black players Lattin, Willie Worsley, Orsten Artis, Bobby Joe Hill and Harry Flournoy against Kentucky.

Kentucky's Thad Jaracz and Texas Western's David Lattin (42) reach for a rebound. Texas Western's team featured seven black players -- the Miners also had four whites and an Hispanic guard, none of whom played that night.

The Miners' 72-65 victory over the No. 1 Kentucky Widlcats, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp, stunned college basketball and upset conventional wisdom. It was his only defeat in an NCAA title game.

Kentucky's Louie Dampier shoots a short jumper during the championship game. Willie Worsley (24) is one of three Miners around Dampier.

Texas Western basketball coach Don Haskins (second from left) and players celebrate winning the 1966 NCAA basketball championship in College Park, Md.

Texas Western coach Don Haskins made no overt disclosure he would only field black players in the 1966 championship game. David Lattin, a member of the Miners' championship team, says that before the game Haskins told the team, " 'You know what? It's up to you.’ And he walked out of the room. ... So he didn’t tell us that he was just going to play the black guys. We never even realized that until the game was over."

Texas Western coach Don Haskins (center) is congratulated after his Texas Western Miners defeated Kentucky with all-black starting five in the 1966 NCAA title game. While the game was played at the height of the civil rights movement it is not a marked as a watershed moment in sports and civil rights. By winning a game, however, the Miners changed college basketball.

Most of the members of the 1966 Texas Western team posed at a 50th anniversary reunion Feb. 6, 2016. They stood in the same order as in 1966. Orsten Artis (front row, from left), Togo Railey and Willie Worsley. Middle row, from left: Dick Myers, Louis Baudoin. Back row, from left: Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Cager and David Lattin. Not pictured: Bobby Joe Hill (deceased), Harry Flournoy (ill and unable to attend reunion), David Palacio (did not attend), and coach Don Haskins (deceased).

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Texas Western Miners defeated the Kentucky Wildcats starting five black players in the 1966 NCAA title game. While the game was played at the height of the civil rights movement it is not marked as a watershed moment in sports and civil rights. By winning a game, however, the Miners changed college basketball. The 1966 Miners were made up by: Bobby Joe Hill (front row, from left), Orsten Artis, Togo Railey and Willie Worsley. Middle row, from left: David Palacio, Dick Myers, Harry Flournoy and Louis Baudoin. Back row, from left: Nevil Shed, Jerry Armstrong, Willie Cager, David Lattin and coach Don Haskins.

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