TERRE HAUTE —
Now might be too late for giving Christmas presents, but the book “Trophies and Tears: The Story of Evansville and the Aces” is a fascinating read for longtime Indiana basketball fans, particularly those older than 40.
Written by award-winning Kyle Keiderling of Henderson, Nev., and released in hardcover format in mid-December, the 480-page “Trophies and Tears” documents the rich tradition of the University of Evansville men’s basketball program through recent interviews and research of old yearbooks and newspaper/scrapbook clippings.
The book contains many cheery moments — behind-the-scenes details of all five NCAA College Division (now known as Division II) championships won in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s by the Purple Aces and their legendary coach Arad McCutchan — although some of those moments don’t seem so cheery from an Indiana State perspective when the Sycamores found themselves on the losing end of scores.
It also provides tear-jerking accounts of the events that led to and followed the DC-3 plane crash that killed 14 UE players, first-year coach Bobby Watson and 14 other persons Dec. 13, 1977, as the team tried to leave Dress Regional Airport for a game the next night at Middle Tennessee State. The flight lasted about 90 seconds amidst rainy, foggy conditions.
Among those who perished that night was 19-year-old freshman Mike Joyner, a former standout at Terre Haute South High School and a member of my 1977 graduating class. Among those interviewed for this book was Mike’s older brother, Robert Joyner of Terre Haute.
“Trophies and Tears” mentions the 1977 Aces’ final game being played against the Larry Bird-led ISU squad in Hulman Center on Dec. 10, three days before the tragedy. Evansville, which entered with a 1-2 record in its first season as an NCAA Division I program, lost to the highly regarded Sycamores 102-76 as Bird — then a junior — ripped the nets for 35 points.
Yours truly, almost one year before beginning my newspaper career with the Terre Haute Star, watched the action as a fan in the stands — cheering for the Sycamores but also hoping Joyner would make a good showing, which he did.
In the book, Keiderling boldfaces the name of each person who would be a crash victim on his first reference to him or her. I didn’t pick up on that at first, but I eventually figured it out.
Keiderling also sprinkles in specific details of the DC-3 plane involved in the crash throughout different parts of the book.
For example, at the end of the chapter about the 1965 through 1967 Evansville teams, he uses italics to point out that General Motors donated this DC-3 to the Michigan Technical University Development Fund on May 22, 1967. It was unrelated information to the rest of the chapter, but it was effective because of the time frame.
At the end of another section about the Aces’ mid-70s teams, he brings up Hawkeye Airlines of Ottumwa, Iowa, buying the plane Sept. 24, 1974, and eventually placing it into charter service.
Considering I knew in advance the fate of this plane, I found the occasional updates interesting.
Keiderling doesn’t get to the chapters about the crash, its cause and reactions of the victims’ families until late in the book because he wanted to illustrate in the early chapters how much basketball meant to the Evansville college and community. Some of Evansville’s greatest players reflected on those eras; only Jerry Sloan declined to be interviewed for this book, the author said.
If you’re old enough to remember, Sloan had agreed to accept the Aces’ head-coaching job after McCutchan retired in early 1977 only to renege soon afterward, making it available for Watson. Sloan, an Evansville standout in the mid-1960s, went on to post 1,221 regular-season coaching victories in the NBA.
Keiderling did a magnificent job of laying the groundwork in the early chapters. In Chapter 12, he describes the 1959-60 season that included the return of Ed Smallwood to the team. Those Aces — led by Smallwood — would repeat as NCAA College Division champions, defeating Chapman College of California 90-69 in the final contest.
I admit, I’m a little too young to know much about Smallwood’s career (at least before reading the book). But descriptions from those who played with Smallwood — as the only African-American player on the team, he was refused service by certain restaurants — made me want to Google “Ed Smallwood” and learn more about him. I discovered he died in 2002.
Speaking of descriptions, there are some of a graphic nature when Keiderling gets to when the first responders arrived at the crash scene and started finding bodies. It’s rather gruesome, but what can you expect from a tragedy as horrific as this?
“Trophies and Tears,” published by Morning Star Books, sells for $29.95. One way to order online and receive a discount (for a limited time) is by going to www.trophiesandtearsbook.com. It’s also available at www.barnesandnoble.com.
Grab it before it becomes a movie, which I can see happening someday.
David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at 1-800-783-8742, Option 4, or at (812) 231-4224; by e-mail at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.
Sports
Book review: Thumbs up for ‘Trophies and Tears’
- Sports
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Score: Post 346 runner #6 Jacob Johnson scores after a collision with the Pate catcher in the fourth inning Sunday afternoon.
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Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
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Evansville Pate defeats Post 346 in tournament
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Super Bowl champion gives back to kids
If they were quiet, several dozen youngsters were promised Friday, they could pass around a real Super Bowl ring after its owner was finished speaking to them.
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Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
- Local Interest
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Score: Post 346 runner #6 Jacob Johnson scores after a collision with the Pate catcher in the fourth inning Sunday afternoon.
-
Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
It’s an interesting dance that Wayne Newton Post 346 and Evansville Pate Post 265 have developed in American Legion baseball’s Terre Haute Invitational, and the last waltz was saved for the host team Sunday.
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METRO ROUNDUP: Wayne Newton 2-1 on young season
Wayne Newton Post 346 improved to 2-1 in American Legion baseball with a late 8-3 victory over Effingham on Thursday night.
Craig Peters was winning pitcher for Post 346 and T.J. Decker and Cody Thornton led a 16-hit attack with three hits each. -
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Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational
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Goatee, Bertoli ran away with Spring Athlete of the Year
When honoring athletes after a season of excellence, the phrase “what might have been” doesn’t usually come up.
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Indiana starting pitcher Joey DeNato (23) celebrates throwing out Louisville's Coco Johnson (20) at first for the second out in the bottom of the ninth inning in an NCAA College World Series game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 15, 2013 (AP Photo/The World-Herald, Ryan Soderlin) MAGS OUT; ALL NEBRASKA LOCAL BROADCAST TV OUT
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DeNato proves IU can pitch too
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The junior left-hander threw a four-hitter and the Hoosiers looked mighty comfortable at TD Ameritrade Park while beating Louisville 2-0 on Saturday night. -
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ISU's Johnson invited to World University Games
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FROM THE PRESS BOX: Close, but no cigar, theme for ISU sports in 2012-13
When I covered my first event of Indiana State’s 2012-13 season — ISU’s opening football game at Indiana — I was the first one in the press box at IU’s Memorial Stadium. I’m never the first one in the press box.
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DeNato proves IU can pitch too
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TODD GOLDEN: Golf ... the beast within?
Like many sports fans, my interest in professional golf is confined to the four major tournaments. Many prefer the Masters, some like the back-to-roots British Open, but I’ve always liked the U.S. Open the best.
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TODD GOLDEN: Golf ... the beast within?
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
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Tribune-Star/Jim Avelis Good hands: Terre Haute Rex shortstop Nick Johnson fields a groundball for an out in their game with Springfield Friday night at Warn Field.
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Sliders’ frustration against Rex continues
The Springfield Sliders probably curse the departure of the Dubois County Bombers from the Prospect League more than most.
What do the Bombers, who now ply their trade in the Ohio Valley League, have to do with the Sliders, or for that matter, the Terre Haute Rex?
When the Bombers left the Prospect League it created a situation where the Prospect League’s West Division teams — the Rex and Sliders both being members — had one less opponent to play in intradivision play.
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Sliders’ frustration against Rex continues
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has quickly earned a reputation as someone who isn’t afraid to shake things up a bit.
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Colts not standing pat in looking toward 2013 season
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Winner's kiss: Tony Kanaan of KV Racing Technology kisses the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday and kissed the bricks as part of a tradition at the Motor Speedway.
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