Inthe1966NCAAbasketballchampionshipgame,anall-whiteUniversityofKentuckyteamwasbeatenbyateamfromTexasWesternCollege(nowUTEP)thatfieldedonlyblackplayers.Thegame,playedinthemiddleoftheraciallyturbulent1960s--partDavidandGoliathinshortpants,partemancipationproclamationofcollegebasketball--helpeddestroystereotypesaboutblackathletes.Filledwithrevealinganecdotes,TheBaronandtheBearisthestoryoftwointenselypassionatecoachesandtheteamstheyledthroughtheupsanddownsofacollegebasketballseason.Inthetwilightofhislegendarycareer,Kentucky’sAdolphRupp(“TheBaronoftheBluegrass“)wasseekinghisfifthNCAAchampionship.TexasWestern’sDonHaskins(“TheBear“tohisplayers)hadbeencoachingatasmallWestTexashighschooljustfiveyearsbeforethechampionship.Afterthishistory-makinggame,conventionalwisdomthatblackplayerslackedthedisciplinetowinwithoutawhiteplayertoleadbegantodissolve.Northernschoolsbegantoabandonunwrittenquotaslimitingthenumberofblacksonthecourtatonetime.Southernschools,whereathleticshadalwaysbeenawhites-onlyactivity,beganagradualmovetowardintegration.DavidKingsleySnellbringstheseasontolife,offeringfreshinsightsontheteams,thecoaches,andtheimpactofthegameonracerelationsinAmerica.
