Black participation in college basketball facts for kids

Black athletes have played a big part in American college basketball for more than 100 years. Their journey shows how sports can help bring people together and break down unfair rules.

Early Days of College Basketball

Basketball was invented in 1891. Just 13 years later, Coach Edwin Henderson brought the game to Howard University in Washington, D.C. He had learned about basketball at Harvard University. By 1910, basketball was very popular among young Black Americans. It was easy to play almost anywhere. You didn't need much special equipment. Many YMCA centers in Black neighborhoods helped spread the game. People played on indoor and outdoor courts, in parks, and on playgrounds.

Basketball Comes to Black Colleges

By 1915, Black athletes played basketball in high schools and colleges. They also played on club teams in big cities. Some of the first colleges for Black students to form basketball teams included Hampton University in Virginia, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, Wilberforce University in Ohio, and Virginia Union in Richmond.

In 1916, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) was formed. This was an all-Black sports league. It brought together teams like Virginia Union, Shaw University, Lincoln, and Howard to compete. Four years later, another all-Black league, the Southeastern Athletic Conference, was created. By 1928, there were four regional leagues just for Black colleges.

First Black College Stars

Even before World War I, some Black athletes became basketball stars at mostly white colleges. These players included Paul Robeson at Rutgers University and Cumberland Posey at Penn State.

George Gregory, Jr. was the captain of the Columbia University team. In 1931, he became the first Black American to be named an All-American college basketball player. This means he was one of the best players in the country.

Big Dave DeJernett was another early star. He played for Indiana Central University. In 1934, his team won a big championship. DeJernett later became one of the first Black college stars to play for a top professional team, the New York Rens, in 1936.

Several Black college basketball programs were also very strong. Xavier University of Louisiana won 67 games and lost only two between 1934 and 1938. Other great teams came from Alabama State University, Lincoln University in Missouri, Morgan State University, and Wiley College.

Breaking Barriers in Big-Time Basketball

From the 1920s until 1947, not many Black players were allowed on major college teams. A famous exception was Jackie Robinson. He was a multi-sport star at UCLA before World War II. He later became famous for breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. At UCLA, Jackie Robinson was a top scorer in basketball. He was also an All-American in football and played baseball.

Don Barksdale from UCLA also made history. In 1947, he became the first Black American to be named a "consensus All-American" in basketball. This means he was chosen by many different groups as one of the best players. Barksdale later won an Olympic basketball gold medal in 1948. He was also one of the first Black players to sign an NBA contract and play in the NBA All-Star Game.

In 1947, William Garrett helped integrate college basketball. He joined the team at Indiana University. Before him, there was an unofficial rule that kept Black players out of the Big Ten Conference. This was a very important college basketball league. Garrett faced challenges and unfair treatment. But he became one of Indiana's best players. In 1951, he was one of the first Black players drafted into the NBA. Within a year of his graduation, six Black players were on Big Ten teams. This showed that change was happening.

Making College Basketball Fair for Everyone

Integrating Post-Season Tournaments

The 1947–48 Indiana State Teacher's College team, coached by John Wooden, helped integrate college basketball tournaments after the regular season. In the 1946–47 season, Indiana State won their conference title. They were invited to a national tournament. But Coach Wooden said no because the tournament had a rule against Black players. One of his players, Clarence Walker, was Black.

The next season, 1947–48, Coach Wooden's team won again. This time, the tournament had changed its rule. With support from the NAACP and Walker's parents, Indiana State accepted the invitation. They made it to the final game. Clarence Walker became the first Black American to play in any post-season college basketball tournament. He scored eight points in that game.

Teams That Led the Way

The University of San Francisco team, coached by Phil Woolpert, made history in 1955. They were the first team with three Black starters to win the NCAA championship. These players included future Hall of Famers Bill Russell and KC Jones, along with Hal Perry. The next year, 1956, they went undefeated and won the NCAA championship again.

The Loyola University (Chicago) teams in the early 1960s also pushed for fairness. Coach George Ireland decided to play more than three Black players at a time. This broke an unofficial rule that many teams followed. In the 1962–63 season, Loyola started four Black players in every game. They even played an all-Black lineup in one game.

In 1963, Loyola surprised everyone. They started four Black players in the NCAA Tournament, including the championship game. Loyola won the championship, beating Cincinnati. This game was historic because seven of the ten starters were Black. This showed a big change in college basketball.

In 1963, Clem Haskins and Dwight Smith became the first Black athletes to join the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball program. This helped bring integration to college basketball in the Southeast.

Another important moment happened in the 1966 NCAA championship game. The Texas Western College team (now University of Texas at El Paso), coached by Don Haskins, started five Black players. They beat the favorite team, Kentucky, to win the NCAA title. This victory inspired the 2006 movie Glory Road.

Black Coaches Make History

In 1967, Cleveland State hired John McLendon. He became the first Black American head coach of a major college basketball program. In 1970, Illinois State hired Will Robinson as the second Black head coach at a major college.

In 1984, John Thompson Jr. became the first Black American head coach to win the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. His Georgetown Hoyas team defeated the University of Houston. Years later, in 2007, his son, John Thompson III, led the Hoyas to the Final Four. They were the first father-son coaching duo, of any race, to lead their teams to the Final Four.

Learning More About Black Basketball History

In March 2008, ESPN showed a four-hour documentary called Black Magic. This film tells the stories of Black basketball players at historically Black colleges. It shows their struggles and successes on and off the court.

See also

• Race and ethnicity in the NBA
• Black college football national championship
• List of African-American sports firsts