March 31, 2008

Detroit News columnists (and WSU graduates) Vartan Kupelian and Mike O'Hara column from Friday, March 28, 2008.

Behind the Scenes: Vartan Kupelian and Mike O'Hara

Honoring Wayne State

The tributes to the players, coaches and teams who stepped over the color barrier to achieve greatness in college basketball are appropriate and well worth being revived.

With the NCAA Midwest Regional in town, there should be an equally appropriate mention of Wayne State's role in advancing opportunities for African-American players.

Here's the disclaimer -- we're both proud WSU grads. But that does not enhance or diminish WSU's history.

In the early 1950s, the late Joel Mason recruited black players from Detroit's high schools to play at WSU.

Mason, who coached WSU basketball from 1948-66, was a colorful character who played professional football for the Chicago Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, where he was the "other" end opposite Hall of Famer Don Hutson. Mason also played pro basketball in the offseason.

Mason visited legendary Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp to learn more about basketball. Rupp was known as "The Baron," and Mason's players took to calling him "The Count."

Mason developed strong teams at WSU, with a core of talented black players, led by Charlie Primas, Johnny Kline and Ernie Wagner .

There are no official records, but old-timers insist that WSU was the first team in the Midwest to play five black players at the same time.

Mason was passionately protective of his players' rights. He tolerated no slights.

Old-timers tell of the time that WSU was on a road trip, and the players came back to the team hotel, complaining that they weren't allowed to enter a movie theater.

Mason left the hotel and returned with a strip of tickets. He was taking his players to the movies.

"Come on," Mason bellowed. "I'm the Pied Piper, and you guys are the mice."

And they followed him -- into an important place in the school's history.

Behind the Scenes -- You can reach Vartan Kupelian at (313) 222-2285 or vartan.kupelian@detnews.com and Mike O'Hara at (313) 982-3810 or mike.ohara@detnews.com.