New book to check out
In 1957, a fiery, red-haired basketball coach named Beryl Shipley arrived at what was then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute (later Southwestern Louisiana and now the University of Louisiana). The university had peacefully integrated in 1954 when 114 African-American students were quietly enrolled, but athletics were off limits to minority students for many more years. Shipley wasted little time in turning the basketball program into a powerhouse, winning a slew of Gulf States Conference and later Southland Conference championships. Shipley's Bulldogs -- later known as the Ragin' Cajuns -- proved to be one of the most exciting teams in the country, making the leap from NAIA to NCAA Division I without missing a beat. In 1972, Cajuns' guard Dwight "Bo" Lamar led the nation in scoring. Despite consistently putting out quality basketball teams and endearing himself to the community, Shipley had to contend with an unlikely opponent -- Louisiana segregationists who were hell-bent on curbing athletic integration in Shipley's program. "Slam Dunked" reveals for the first time the questionable procedures and allegations of the NCAA. Newly discovered documents, dating back three decades show the NCAA's actions abetting those of the racially motivated Louisiana State Board of Education and other segregationists who were determined to punish those responsible for integrating athletics in the state. In 1965, Shipley's crew qualified for the NAIA National Collegiate Championship tournament. Because the Louisiana State Board of Education did not permit all-white teams to play integrated teams, Shipley sought and received assurances by the university athletic director that the team would be allowed to compete in the tournament. However, under pressure from the state board, the president ordered the team to cancel its tournament trip. A last-minute student protest at the president's home forced him to buckle, allowing the team to participate in the prestigious, integrated tournamnet. In 1966 a new university president gave Shipley his blessing to recruit African-American players, USL became the first public college in the Deep South to field an integrated athletic team. The state board immediately ruled that scholarship money for black players was unavailable. Shipley organized a community effort to raise scholarship money specifically for the black players, which violated NCAA rules. Within days, the state athletic commissioner alerted the NCAA to recruiting violations, resulting in the program being placed on probation in 1968. In spite of the constant harassment, the Cajuns became the cinderella team of college basketball, breaking into the top ten rankings and recording wins over such powerhouses as Houston University, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Long Beach State, Texas-El Paso and Marshall. In 1972, the NCAA again introduced recruiting allegations against Shipley's program. With neither the university nor Southland Conference officials willing to defend against the charges, the Ragin' Cajuns were given the so-colled "death penalty" in 1973, not being allowed to field a basketball team for two years.
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Should be on book shelves nationwide or you can buy it through amazon.com.
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