Interview with Orsten Artis, February 5, 2016

Partial Transcript: Okay, uh, my name is Gerald Smith and it's, uh, February 5, 2016. I'm in El Paso, Texas.

Segment Synopsis: Artis began playing basketball at Texas Western College as a freshman and was put on the freshman team. As a sophomore, the Miners made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing to Kansas State University. In his junior year, Artis shares that the team lost around ten games, losing in their first game of the NIT. The following year, Artis was not expecting much for his senior year. Once they had won their first ten games in the 1965-1966 season, Artis remembers the team improving each game. Coach Haskins encouraged the team and the Miners began believing in themselves. The Miners lost only one game in their regular season, entering the NCAA tournament with an almost perfect record. Artis recounts each game in the NCAA tournament, sharing details of each game.

Keywords: Basketball seasons; Centers; Coach Haskins; Comebacks; Don Haskins; Guards; NCAA Tournaments; Official; Overtime; Positions; Referees; Texas Western College; Texas Western Miners men's basketball team; University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP); Winning seasons

Subjects: African American basketball players; African Americans--Sports; Basketball--History; Basketball--Tournaments; College athletes; College sports; Texas Western Miners (Basketball team); University of Kentucky--Basketball; University of Texas at El Paso

Partial Transcript: And now, come Kentucky, for the finals.

Segment Synopsis: Artis recounts the night before the Miners played the University of Kentucky Wildcats for the National Championship title. Following a pregame meeting with several other coaches, Coach Don Haskins shared some comments made by Adolph Rupp. Allegedly, Rupp stated that five black players would never beat his five white players. Haskins thought this would motivate his players. Artis shares that the players just continued to play cards and talk amongst themselves, explaining that they were used to the pressure. Artis remembers Coach Don Haskins being more nervous at the beginning of the game than the players were. Artis discusses the matchups during the game, and how the Miners compared to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Keywords: Adolph Rupp; Coach Haskins; Coach Rupp; Conferences; Don Haskins; Hotels; Huddles; Kentucky Wildcats; Kentucky basketball; Motivation; National Champions; National Championships; Pregame; Pregame meetings; Semifinals; Texas Western College; Texas Western Miners men's basketball team; Tip off; University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Subjects: African American basketball players; Basketball--Coaching; Basketball--History; Basketball--Tournaments; Race relations; Racism; Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977; Texas Western Miners (Basketball team); University of Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball--History; University of Texas at El Paso

Partial Transcript: And as far as the, the fans in the stadium, aw, we'd seen all blue.

Segment Synopsis: Artis recalls the atmosphere in the arena, describing it as hostile and mentioning seeing fans in blue all over the stadium. Artis shares that Coach Rupp was a prejudiced coach, but Artis was more focused on the game than the racial tension in the stadium. He noticed the flags and the fans in the stadium, but didn't pay them much attention. Artis explains that he thought Coach Rupp was prejudiced because he never had an African American player on his team while he coached at the University of Kentucky, until the Miners beat him in the 1966 National Championship. Artis thinks that today's players don't recognize the struggle that African Americans went through in the sixties. He shares that their National Championship win set a trend for African American players to become more involved in college basketball. Artis is glad to be back for the fiftieth anniversary commemoration and to remember the camaraderie of the team.

Keywords: Adolph Rupp; Anniversary; Coach Rupp; Commemoration; Crowds; Fans; Flags; Hostile environments; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); National champions; National championships; Prejudice; Stadiums; Texas Western College; Texas Western Miners men's basketball team; UK; University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Subjects: African American basketball players; Basketball players; Basketball--Coaching; Basketball--History; Basketball--Tournaments; Race relations; Racism; Rupp, Adolph, 1901-1977; Texas Western Miners (Basketball team); University of Kentucky--Basketball--History; University of Texas at El Paso