Ive always wondered about this Cuba was a small school going against much larger schools also Sharp and North Marshall high school sure there are some others.Kentucky is King of high school basketball in that we have no classes so once in a blue moon a miracle happens for the little guy,Id love to see ssome of these small schools in Kentucky have their story told in a movie.
why no basketball movie about Cuba state champs like Hickory in Hoosiers
- Thread starter barnabus_c2001
- Start date
30 For 30
Team of Pigs!
Quotes:
"Fidel Castro is synonymous with Cuban basketball, and Cuban basketball is synonymous with Fidel Castro."
Fidel runs a "Hate America first" program.
JFK busts in on Castros presser and says "I'll kill you next time I see you!"
Team of Pigs!
Quotes:
"Fidel Castro is synonymous with Cuban basketball, and Cuban basketball is synonymous with Fidel Castro."
Fidel runs a "Hate America first" program.
JFK busts in on Castros presser and says "I'll kill you next time I see you!"
You could also throw Corinth in the mix. Runner up in 1929 and won state in 1930 and came in 3rd in the National tournament in Chicago the same year.
The story has already been written. IDK if the books are the same but Marianne Walker has two books on amazon
about the team.
The Graves County Boys: A Tale of Kentucky Basketball, Perseverance, and the Unlikely Championship of the Cuba Cubs
and
When Cuba Conquered Kentucky: The Triumphant Basketball Story of a Tiny High School that Achieved the American Dream
One reviewer wrote:
"I recently was discussing with an Indiana native the movie Hoosiers. I told him there was a story in Kentucky that topped that. He didn't believe me so I searched the internet and found this book. This book is fabulous. I grew up during this period in Eastern Kentucky mountains. Ms Walker needs this made into a movie"
Maybe someone will write a screen play.
Walker wrote a piece for the HL:
Historic upset rooted in values of small-town life; 1952 Graves County team triumphed in Sweet Sixteen
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You should have seen Cuba back in he early 1950s, especially in 1952. They looked like and played like a "white" Glob Trotters team. They were very good.
Oopps, I did not see the above link about Cuba before I posted mine. My high school in Western Tenn. played them and lost on our home court. We had a very good team too. We knew we were in trouble when they came out to the Trotter's music and ran their warm up drills.
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The Hoosiers story was a good one, but the Cuba story is and was infinitely better. I think every boy in the school played on the team. (something like 8)) They played many of their games outdoors as they didnt have a gym. The coach wrote most if not all the major college coaches of the day and ask if they could send film or written materials on how basketball was played. One one team sent anything. That was a film. The team was the Harlem Globetrotters and the owner Abe Saperstein. The Cuba coach and the team surmised that was how you played basketball. So the only real instructions they had was watching the highly unusual and entertaining play of the Globetrotters. When they got to the State Tournament they were so poor they didnt have uniforms. So a collection was taken up to buy the kids uniforms. And no the name NEVER has to be changed. Its part of the MAGIC of Cuba High School. Its a HELL of a lot better then the Hoosiers story, although I love that one as well.
Cuba is 10 miles from where I live, their top player was Howard "Howie" Crittendon he was principal at Calloway County High School when I was there in 69-72 he was still a great player and played at dinner with us in his sock feet he was like trying to guard a deer and he grinned the whole time he was playing.
I agree. What some do not realize is Milan was highly ranked that season, and was actually one of the favorites to win the state title. The previous season they lost in the State semi-finals to South Bend Central. Milan returned four starters off that team. Now, with that being said, it was still a huge upset.
Though I love the single class format for basketball, I have to disagree with this. Class basketball has taken some of the mystique from Indiana HS basketball, but even then, it's still highly regarded, revered and followed. Though I do believe the folks in mountains of eastern Kentucky would disagree. IMO, that is the only area in Kentucky that is remotely close to matching the intensity/following of that in Indiana. I worked the Class 1A semi-state at Seymour a few years back. Schools that played, neither had an enrollment over 300. Yet the 8, 500 gym at Seymour HS was sold out. Here's a pic my wife took:
Going to have to disagree here. Reality is and was that when the Kentucky Athletic Association changed boundaries coupled with busing traditional rivalries were destroyed. Male vs ST X. One of the best HS games I ever saw was in the LIT with Shelby County playing Central HS. Attendance is not a fair comparison after the powers that be destroyed Kentucky HS basketball.
There is NO STORY like the Cuba HS championship
There is NO STORY like the Cuba HS championship
The story has already been written. IDK if the books are the same but Marianne Walker has two books on amazon
about the team.
The Graves County Boys: A Tale of Kentucky Basketball, Perseverance, and the Unlikely Championship of the Cuba Cubs
and
When Cuba Conquered Kentucky: The Triumphant Basketball Story of a Tiny High School that Achieved the American Dream
One reviewer wrote:
"I recently was discussing with an Indiana native the movie Hoosiers. I told him there was a story in Kentucky that topped that. He didn't believe me so I searched the internet and found this book. This book is fabulous. I grew up during this period in Eastern Kentucky mountains. Ms Walker needs this made into a movie"
Maybe someone will write a screen play.
Walker wrote a piece for the HL:
Historic upset rooted in values of small-town life; 1952 Graves County team triumphed in Sweet Sixteen
I meant screenplay.
I saw that Cuba team play in the state tourney both years '51 and champs '52. They were one of the most fun teams to watch in the history of the KHSAA tourney and I've seen over 35 of them.
I also remember reading that the Doodles Floyd family did not want his name used for a movie. This was after he passed away, not sure of the year. Maybe some fan from the western ky area may know. And yes the book, When Cuba Conquered Kentucky is great, still have my hard bound copy! Just wonder how many fans alive today saw that team?
I also remember reading that the Doodles Floyd family did not want his name used for a movie. This was after he passed away, not sure of the year. Maybe some fan from the western ky area may know. And yes the book, When Cuba Conquered Kentucky is great, still have my hard bound copy! Just wonder how many fans alive today saw that team?
I'm sure there's a story like that in every state.The story has already been written. IDK if the books are the same but Marianne Walker has two books on amazon
about the team.
The Graves County Boys: A Tale of Kentucky Basketball, Perseverance, and the Unlikely Championship of the Cuba Cubs
and
When Cuba Conquered Kentucky: The Triumphant Basketball Story of a Tiny High School that Achieved the American Dream
One reviewer wrote:
"I recently was discussing with an Indiana native the movie Hoosiers. I told him there was a story in Kentucky that topped that. He didn't believe me so I searched the internet and found this book. This book is fabulous. I grew up during this period in Eastern Kentucky mountains. Ms Walker needs this made into a movie"
Maybe someone will write a screen play.
Walker wrote a piece for the HL:
Historic upset rooted in values of small-town life; 1952 Graves County team triumphed in Sweet Sixteen
Howie, went to Murray State as did Cuba's center, forget his name. After graduation from Murray, Howie played basketball for the 66 Oilers.
Go away please. This is a UK board. Does Peegs not accept you?
Btw, Archie is no savior. He's just not. He will do okay. Much better than Crean. But don't expect being in the running for national titles anytime soon. If ever.
Make a new movie about Cuba.
Hoosiers is one of those movies that everyone is supposed to like, or at least say they like, even if they don't.
Imo, its a horrible film, below average story, and boring as ish.
Hoosiers is one of those movies that everyone is supposed to like, or at least say they like, even if they don't.
Imo, its a horrible film, below average story, and boring as ish.
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Many years ago i used to shoot and play ball with some members of the Cuba title team. Cuba Ky is so tiny that it is unincorperated its not even a town. Its basically a group of houses in a poor area of the state in southern Graves County in far west Ky. Nothing to do their except dribble a ball.
I actually agree, it's decent but overrated. The best part is seeing gyms I've been in.
Man Graves County HS. Graves is where Cuba is located Mayfield is the county seat. Graves packs it's 6000 seat gym regularly for regular season games. We are not even that big of a basketball comminity the county seat Mayfield has like 10 football state championships. They have a couple of reg season football games vs rivals Paducah and Graves where they will get 10000 people in the stadium. Mayfields enrollment is 400 alot of it has to do with the opponent.Though I love the single class format for basketball, I have to disagree with this. Class basketball has taken some of the mystique from Indiana HS basketball, but even then, it's still highly regarded, revered and followed. Though I do believe the folks in mountains of eastern Kentucky would disagree. IMO, that is the only area in Kentucky that is remotely close to matching the intensity/following of that in Indiana. I worked the Class 1A semi-state at Seymour a few years back. Schools that played, neither had an enrollment over 300. Yet the 8, 500 gym at Seymour HS was sold out. Here's a pic my wife took.
Imagine in 1952 going to a high school game and a team comes out for warm ups to the theme music of the "Harlem Globetrotters". Their warm up basketballs are painted green/white/yellow. They ran warm up drills exactly like the Harlem Globetrotters. In retrospect instead of Hoosiers should have been Cuba
