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[QUOTE="sutomcat, post: 3901606, member: 27"]
I think the speculation that Syracuse lost a good chance at being the NC in basketball Jim's senior season bares more discussion.

This unwritten rule that prevented Syracuse from starting three black players...where did it come from?  From other reading, it sounds like it was a 'gentlemen's agreement' among college athletic departments back then.

When did the rule finally go away?  Did it take the NC by Texas Western over Kentucky to finally make it happen?  I was curious about this so I did a little research to try and figure out when SU first had 3 African Americans in the starting lineup for men's basketball.

It could be Fred Lewis' 1967=68 team.  I think the starters then were Wayne Ward, Vaughn Harper, Ernie Austin, George Hicker and Richie Cornwall.

But Lewis' 1965-66 team has to be considered as well.  Bing and Penceal was clearly starters.  Vaughn Harper started half the games (probably the second half of the season).

That would also be the same season Texas Western won the NC over the Wildcats.  So it doesn't look like it was Texas Southern that is responsible.  Probably more of a gradual erosion of pre-justice that was happening through the country at that time.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/syracuse/1968.html#all_totals[/URL]
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