Glory Road

Glory Road is a 2006 American film directed by James Gartner. The film was released on January 13, 2006.
It is based on a true story surrounding the events leading to the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship.
== Plot ==
Don Haskins is the newly wed men's basketball coach at Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas. Lacking necessary financial resources, he makes an effort to recruit the best players regardless of race to form a team that can compete for a national championship. Some of the young men he brings in possess skill, but are raw in talent when it comes to organised teamwork focusing on defence and ball distribution. In the end, his Texas Western Miners team comprises seven black and five white athletes; a balance that raises eyebrows among university personnel. Haskins puts his players through a rigorous training program, threatening to cut anyone who doesn't work as hard as he demands, while trying to integrate his players into a single team.
Following initial victories against mediocre local teams, Haskins quickly discovers that he has to give his black players more free room on the court. Yet, the more victories his team achieves with its flamboyant style, up until this point rarely seen in college basketball, the more racial hatred mounts on his squad. This culminates in threats to his own family, the beating of a player while on the road and ultimately the vandalism of his team's motel rooms by racists while they are at an away game. Increasingly frightened, the team loses its last game of the regular season after the black players stop playing with passion. Thus, the Texas Western Miners finish the 1966 regular season with a 23–1 record, entering the 1966 NCAA tournament ranked second in the nation.
Going on to the NCAA final, played at College Park, Maryland, they take on the top-ranked University of Kentucky under legendary coach Adolph Rupp. Rupp, with a well-organised and more experienced all-white Wildcats squad, firmly believes that his opponent stands no chance. On the eve of the decisive game, Haskins decides to experiment with a bold strategy, informing his team that he intends to start an all-black line-up in the game, and also only using the two other black players in the rotation.
In the midst of seemingly insurmountable odds, Texas Western encounters mounting problems with forward and team captain Harry Flournoy leaving the game with an injury, and their centre David Lattin in foul trouble. In a close game, the Miners narrowly lead at halftime, but finally manage to beat Kentucky 72–65 with some impressive steals, rebounding and passing techniques in the second half. The film ends with the players exiting the plane that brought them back to El Paso to the greeting of a raucous crowd.
== Cast and Characters ==
* Josh Lucas as Don Haskins
* Derek Luke as Bobby Joe Hill
* Mehcad Brooks as Harry Flournoy
* Austin Nichols as Jerry Armstrong
* Jon Voight as Adolph Rupp
* Evan Jones as Moe Iba
* Red West as Ross Moore
* Schin A.S. Kerr as David Lattin
* Alphonso McAuley as Orsten Artis
* Sam Jones III as Willie Worsley
* Damaine Radcliff as Willie Cager
* Emily Deschanel as Mary Haskins
* Al Shearer as Nevil Shed
* Tatyana M. Ali as Waltina "Tina" Malichi
* Wilbur Fitzgerald as Wade Richardson
* David Dino Wells Jr. as John Anderson
Category:Films
Category:Live-action Films
Category:2006 Films
Category:Sports Films
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