Fountaindale Public Library

The real Hoosiers, Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the hidden history of hoops, Jack McCallum

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-310) and index

platesillustrations

index present

non fiction

The real Hoosiers

bibliography

1389607610

Jack McCallum

Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the hidden history of hoops

"For far too long the storyline of Indiana basketball has been dominated by Hoosiers. Framed as the ultimate underdog, feel good story, there has also long been a cultural debate surrounding the film, and The Real Hoosiers sets out to illuminate the narrative absent from the film. This is the story of the real life team that inspired the team that most have long assumed was Hickory High's championship opponent. They were Crispus Attucks, an all Black team playing in the 1950s in a racially divided Indiana. Veteran sportswriter and the bestselling author of Dream Team, Jack McCallum, excavates the history of the Crispus Attucks Tigers. After a crushing loss to Milan High School (the real Indiana team Hickory High is based on) in the 1954 semi-final (not the final), Attucks went on to win back to back Indiana state championships led by a young Oscar Robertson and an African American coach who recognized the seemingly insurmountable challenges of playing basketball in a state that was a bastion not only for the game but also for the Ku Klux Klan. This is much more than a sports story. The history of Attucks is rich, far beyond the basketball court, and filled with cultural influence and importance. The Real Hoosiers replaces a lacuna in the history of Indiana while dissecting the myths and lore of basketball; placing the game in the context of migration, segregation, and integration; and enhancing our understanding of this country's struggle for Civil Rights"--, Provided by publisher

Prologue -- The Robertsons move north ... and find a "quiet" racism -- Attucks has a zebra problem -- Threats mar the outset of Oscar's sophomore season -- The magic of the Dust Bowl -- Hoops : the Hoosier State's most glorious import -- Separating fact from fiction in Hoosiers -- The secret spread of black basketball -- White robes -- 1927 : a school built by hate but also hope -- The lone blemish and Ray Crowe is not amused -- Basketball and blood in the same town square -- Attucks-Muncie : a game for the ages -- A triumph of firsts -- Legit celebration or veiled insult? -- The cape-wearing DuSable Panthers and the angry brilliance of Russ -- Prefection -- Knocking King Kelly off his throne -- Did Attucks unite a city? -- A tiger in winter

adult