The Graves County Boys: A Tale of Kentucky Basketball, Perseverance, and the Unlikely Championship of the Cuba Cubs

by Marianne Walker, Joe B. Hall (Foreword by)

Overview

In 1952, a year when Coach Adolph Rupp's University of Kentucky Wildcats won their third national championship in four years, an unlikely high school basketball team from rural Graves County, Kentucky, stole the spotlight and the media's attention. Inspired by young coach Jack Story and by the Harlem Globetrotters, the Cuba Cubs grabbed headlines when they rose from relative obscurity to defeat the big-city favorite and win the state championship. A classic underdog tale, The Graves County Boys

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813143057
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	10/11/2013
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Marianne Walker is a retired professor of English and philosophy at Henderson Community College and the author of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Preface xv

1 The Cuba Cubs 1

2 The Little Crossroads Team 6

3 The Clutch 13

4 The Coliseum Darlings 21

5 A Vision and an Oath 32

6 The Homecoming 40

7 The Land between Rivers 45

8 The Boys from Graves County 53

9 Little Cuba, Hub of the Universe 61

10 Doodle Floyd 71

11 Howie Crittenden 80

12 The Migration 88

13 The Tragedy 94

14 Mischief Makers 102

15 Jack Story 106

16 Sowing the Seeds 119

17 Preparing to Win 126

18 Skull Sessions 135

19 Unforgettable Cayce 144

20 Different Encounters 154

21 Pride Before Another Fall 158

22 The Season of Joy and Sorrow 166

23 Cubs Turning into Lions 171

24 Lexington, Here We Come! 182

25 The Little Comeback Team 188

26 A Memorable Year: 1952 201

Epilogue 211

Acknowledgments 223

Bibliography 225

Index 233

Editorial Reviews

Above and beyond the story at the heart of the book, Walker provides a slice of Americana— a sentimental look at a bygone era...[R]ush to the nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of "The Graves County Boys." You will not be disappointed.

Bowling Green Daily News

"Marianne Walker has captured the very essence of Kentucky high school basketball with her riveting and poignant book about the Cuba Cubs, unlikely state basketball championship in 1951. The Graves County Boys reveals the building of a championship team and dreams and aspirations of its team members in a personal and realistic way." -Guy Strong, University of Kentucky basketball player, high school and college coach for 35 years

From the Publisher

Once in awhile a sports book comes along that transcends sports. It takes the reader beyond the games and into the lives of the athletes. It gives historical background. It shows the glory and the hardships with straightforward honesty.

Kentucky Monthly

As a sports story, the success of the team from a tiny school winning the state basketball tournament in 1952 is heart-warming and exciting. But Walker also creates an indelible portrait of a community, of a neglected portion of the state, and of a vanished era and way of life.

author of Thirteen Women Strong: The Making of Robert Wallace

A classic underdog tale, The Graves County Boys: A Tale of Kentucky Basketball, Perseverance, and the Unlikely Championship of the Cuba Cubs... is a page-turning account of triumph over adversity [and an] inspiring David and Goliath story.

BooksWorld.com