Bobby Joe Hill

Bobby Joe Hill (1943-2002) was one of the first Black men in the United States to play in an NCAA basketball league.Bobby Joe Hill Birth: 1943 Highland Park (Wayne County) Wayne County Michigan, USA Death: Dec. 8, 2002 El Paso El Paso County Texas, USA

Dynamic basketball player. Bobby Joe Hill was the 5 foot ten point guard on the 1966 Texas Western (now known as the University of Texas at El Paso or UTEP) college basketball team that won the national title. Texas Western's win over top ranked Kentucky, who was nicknamed "Rupp's Runts," in the title game in College Park, Maryland, was one of the most historic games in the annals of college basketball. The school's all-black starting five defeated a lilly-white Kentucky team, 72-65. Bobby Joe Hill was the flashiest player on the court. In the first half, he stole the ball from both Louie Dampier and Pat Riley within the span of a minute and converted each steal into an easy layup. He led all scorers with twenty points, and his play was complemented by talented teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, Dave "Big Daddy" Lattin, and Willie Worsley. Don Haskins coached Texas Western, and the legendary Adolph Rupp directed Kentucky. The Miners' victory over the Kentucky Wildcats marked the end of racial segregation in college basketball and essentially proved the superiority of black athletes in the sport. It is interesting to note that Don Haskins and the entire Texas Western squad endured racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965-1966 season. The coach and his players were undeterred by such despicable behavior and shone brilliantly on the court in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Bobby Joe Hill stayed in El Paso after his Texas Western career and retired as an executive with El Paso Natural Gas. He died of a heart attack at age 59. Don Haskins deplored Hill's death deeply. The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the film "Glory Road," which was released across the country in January, 2006, forty years after the "fabulous five" forever altered the landscape of college basketball.

He was among the Texas Western Miners coached by Don Haskins. He hailed from Detroit, Michigan. He was portrayed by Derek Luke in the 2006 film Glory Road.

He was a member of the Texas Western Miners (now named University of Texas at El Paso) team that won the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament National Championship, the team was coached by Don Haskins. The Miners made history for being the first team to start an all African-American lineup in the Championship game.

References

• "UTEP to Pay Tribute to Bobby Joe Hill Prior to Tennessee State Game". Retrieved 2006-12-13.
• Anthony B (2006-01-25). "Bobby Joe Hill". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2006-12-13.He died at the age of 59.

Template:1940s-US-hoops-bio-stub Played black man's ball with a perminent high, this stoner douche lost his life to marriage