PDA

View Full Version : Basketball history



TulsaWarrior
03-10-2012, 06:14 AM
I grew up on the tail end of segregation seeing schools like Kentucky finally ending their practice of excluding black athletes. It's interesting how some of the country's best players ended up at northern schools like Marquette, California and UCLA. http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/03/eddie_miles_jackie_ridgle_it_s_time_for_southern_s tates_to_to_integrate_their_high_school_basketball _record_books_.html

TedBaxter
03-10-2012, 10:00 AM
I grew up on the tail end of segregation seeing schools like Kentucky finally ending their practice of excluding black athletes. It's interesting how some of the country's best players ended up at northern schools like Marquette, California and UCLA. http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2012/03/eddie_miles_jackie_ridgle_it_s_time_for_southern_s tates_to_to_integrate_their_high_school_basketball _record_books_.html

Now, I didn't start following MU until about 40 years ago, but from what I can gather, MU only had two southern African-American student athletes come in at the time of segregation. One would be Joe Thomas (Canton, Georgia) and the other I think was Len Jefferson (Selma, Alabama). Is this correct?

TulsaWarrior
03-10-2012, 10:09 AM
Len Jefferson was a starter but academic issues ended his career. He had such potential but was short changed by the K-12 education system in the south. Joe Thomas got here because of the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves connection. I remember taking the bus downtown and seeing him practicing his shot. Hours later when I was going home Joe was still out there shooting.