If someone were to tell you that basketball was created for white athletes and black players were both unable to understand the game or play well you would not only think that person is a racist, you would think they were absolutely insane. The thought that any race would be unable to play a sport is based on racial stereotypes and not founded in any sort of educational or real-life understanding.

However, in the 1960s, college basketball was dominated by such thoughts. Teams had black players on the roster, but usually only played one or two per game. All this changed in 1966, when small Texas Western College from El Paso, Texas won an NCAA championship. What made that team so special? Don Haskins, coach of Texas Western, started five black players and used them throughout the game. His all-black team managing to beat powerhouse Kentucky, changed the game of basketball forever.

Race relations

Don Haskins continually maintains that he did not look for five black players, but looked for five good players to start his basketball team in the NCAA championship. It was a marker in time, because previously no team had ever played an all-black starting lineup in a championship game. In fact, only earlier that year Don Haskins was the first to play on all-black starting lineup ever. The game marked a turn in time as people began to understand basketball was about athletic discipline and prowess, not the color of one’s skin. It took a few years for other colleges to catch up, but soon many colleges were recruiting from both black high schools and white high schools. Integration made its way through college basketball when Texas Western showed sports had no race.

Disciplined defense

One thing that distinguished Haskin’s coaching from other colleges was his stress on discipline and defense. When you look at a film of the 1966 championship game, you think that it would be exciting and full of offense. In fact, one of the stereotypes of black players was what they had no patience or control to manage the game and had to be balanced out with white players to keep focus. Not only was that categorically untrue, but Haskin’s emphasis was not on scoring as many points as you can before the buzzer. The team went on to the court to play a defensive game. His five-man defense kept most opponents down to a limited number of points scored against them. Texas Western’s wins were never high-scoring games, but his defense changed the way that NCAA basketball teams played the game.

Independence

Years later, Texas Western College went on to become the University of Texas at El Paso and incorporated into the Texas university system. In 1966 Texas Western was an independent college of the mines. It certainly should have been no match for a powerhouse basketball program like Kentucky. The win helped all small schools to realize that a basketball program was worth investing in. Although the conventional wisdom of the time was the big schools like Kentucky, Duke and Indiana have a lock on basketball success, small independent colleges with dedicated coaches and good players would be able to make the grade.

Once, basketball was a sport dominated by white coaches, white athletes and outdated racist ideas. The pivot point in that road was in 1966 when coach Don Haskins and the Texas Western miners played what many consider to be the Emancipation Proclamation of basketball and the most important game ever played

It is amazing that so many businesses are allowing important data to be uploaded to flash drives without USB encryption. This is just like offering an invitation to thieves or unauthorized users to take advantage of personal or company information. Drives like the ones offered by SanDisk Enterprise feature USB encryption that puts valuable data under lock and key with only those authorized to view it being allowed access. Whether the information is private or public there is not reason to display it for all to see. USB encryption allows information or data to be secured so only those authorized to access it can do so.

USB Encryption Considerations

A strong password can give a flash drive a good base level of security but USB encryption adds a whole new level of security. The fact is that passwords are discovered and the outcome is that information is then available to unauthorized users. USB encryption however prevents the data from being accessed even if the password is compromised. Without the proper encryption code the data will not be accessible, transmittable or exploitable. Drives using USB encryption protect valuable personal and business data during transmission.

If a company utilizes mobile data then USB encryption is essential to protect data. When data is accessed an attempt may be made to intercept the data and gain access. USB encryption will prevent the interceptor from gaining access and exploiting the data being transmitted. Interception can be passive in the fact the hacker can be unseen and hidden from the user. When a drive with USB encryption is implemented it will make no difference if the illegal access is passive or if active possession of the drive has been gained. Access to data will be denied to the unauthorized user.

Advanced USB Encryption

The use of drives with a strong authentication process are important and when used in conjunction with USB encryption locks down data in an electronic fortress. Those that would attempt to gain access will be disappointed. Companies utilizing sensitive and confidential data must implement the use of USB encryption to show due diligence to their customers. People today expect companies and institutions to act responsibly with personal and confidential data. Drives not using advanced USB encryption are an open invitation to hackers and thieves to take as much of the data as they want. This would be unacceptable to a company when the technology is available to secure their data.

If a flash drive is going to perform adequately then it must feature advanced USB encryption such as the units offered by SanDisk Enterprise. The units offered feature the most advanced algorithm available on the market today. 128 bit USB encryption has proven to be the most secure software for protecting important and confidential data. A fight against illegal access to sensitive information must include advanced technology. Drives that feature the most advanced USB encryption software will eliminate the risk of unauthorized access to data and virtually eliminate the risk of data compromise.

Thanksgiving and Christmas meals just aren’t complete without a Sweet Potato or Yam dish.  If you are tired of the same old recipe every year, go back in time and try these old fashion recipes from Southern Indiana when I was a kid.  Yes, that was a long time ago but they are just as good today!

SWEET POTATO APPLE SCALLOP

2 lbs sweet potatoes (3 medium)

2 med apples, peeled and cored

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp orange extract

2 tbsp butter

Place sweet potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 20-25minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or pan that has been greased. Cut apples into 1/4-inch rings; cut in half. Arrange over sweet potatoes. Sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice. Combine the brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and orange extract. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until apples are tender.

INDIANA APPLE YAMS

8 to 10 large baking apples

1 can (20-oz) sweet potatoes

1/4 cup dark Karo syrup

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

16 miniature marshmallows

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Hollow out the apples until only a 1/2-inch thick wall remains. Combine the Karo syrup, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, marshmallows, and lemon juice. Drain the sweet potatoes, mash and combine with the syrup mixture. Stir to combine mixture well. Generously stuff the apples with the sweet potato mixture to overflowing. Place the apples in a cake pan or casserole dish and dot with the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Enjoy!