[Bob Kuska]Cinderella Ball : A look inside small-college basketball in West Virginia(pdf){Zzzz}

For most of the twentieth century, West Virginia was a college basketball hotbed. Its major programs were a success, but perhaps even more successful was the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, composed of fifteen schools that rarely earned headlines but set many records and became an identifiable part of small town culture and a source of state pride. This ethos exists today in small town Kentucky and Indiana but struggles to survive in West Virginia. Part of the reason is the state's population decline since the 1950s. That, author Bob Kuska argues, along with the rise of cable and satellite TV and the major college basketball empire, stole the thunder--and the crowds--from these small town communities.

And yet, these teams play on in obscurity and still find success. Against the backdrop of West Virginia's great small college history, Kuska chronicles the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of one modern school, Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia. What happened to that team during a rags-to-riches yearlong stretch would've been remarkable at any level, let alone at a school with very low athletic department budgets and low visibility that makes recruiting talented players almost impossible.

As he alternates between coaches and players, past and present, Kuska contrasts the fan enthusiasm of the conference's early years with the apathy that plagues the teams of the twenty-first century. If sports fans can get past the media and the madness that has made college basketball increasingly similar to professional basketball in its self-indulgence and sensationalism, they are left with leagues like the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference--scrappy, intelligent, and spirited--and still finding ways to succeed and thrive.

Publisher: Bison Books (December 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0803213921
ISBN-13: 978-0803213920

Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Bob Kuska is a career science writer and the author of Hot Potato: How Washington and New York Gave Birth to Black Basketball and Changed America’s Game Forever. He lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Brought back some great - now bittersweet - memories
By D. Smith on October 19, 2009
I grew up and went to school in Philippi and attended Alderson-Broaddus. I traveled with the basketball team for four years as the student sports information director and PA announcer at Rex Pyles Arena. What a great trip down memory lane as I relived the excitement of a snowy Saturday night with a packed arena and a fierce rival like Fairmont State on the court! Considering the author's last-minute decision to follow Alderson-Broaddus instead of Shepherd College, it's unbelievable how the next four years turned out for the Battlers. A modern day "Hoosiers" and "Rudy" all rolled into one!

As thrilling as the story was, it is sad to see the effect that cable sports and the economy have had on small-time college sports. As the author suggests, time is running out to enjoy quality basketball on a local level. A poignant and powerful read.

Amazing Story/Amazing Book
By Mothman on March 2, 2009
I love underdog stories with alot of drama and this book delivers pretty much to the fullest. I loved it because not only does it tell a fascinating story (a near extinct college with a six man basketball team that dramatically turns everything around) but it also raises a very interesting and relevant topic, in what technology does to deteriorate community. There are so many fascinating sub-stories that are the building blocks to the overall story that I found it tough to put down.

It is very well written. The author builds drama very well; almost cinematic. If you are a sports fan who likes underdog stories (Rudy, Cinderella Man, Hoosiers, etc) then this is a must read.


Good book about an unknown topic
By jayhawkfan11 on January 17, 2014
I enjoyed learning more about small school West VA basketball. The book is very exciting and page turning for the first 75% of it then it kind of starts to drag a little but a very good book!