Don Haskins, the grumpy bear of a basketball coach from Utep, has passed away. Don was a special coach for me because I lived in El Paso in 1966 when lowly Texas Western rose up and won the NCAA championship, in a single elimination tournament from Adolph Rupp's Kentucky team.
A nine year old kid, I watched every improbable game of the tournament, culminating in the first all black team ever assembled ultimately going on to win the championship.
Big Daddy David Lattin at center, Willie Cager, Orstin Artis and the great guard Bobbie Joe Hill put it together, rising from obscurity to beat Rupp, whose team featured Pat Riley and Louie Dampier.
Haskins was old school, didn't believe in the bounce pass and stressed fundamentals. David rose up and slew Goliath and that's a story one never gets tired of.
Fight on, Miners!
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