A new book timed for the 50th anniversary of the most celebrated basketball team in Rutgers history details how the Scarlet Knights faced an unexpected opponent on the road to the 1976 Final Four.

Racism.

After head coach Tom Young replaced senior Mike Palko in lineup with talented freshman James Bailey early that season, the Scarlet Knights consistently fielded an all-Black starting five for the first time in school history. The fans, Bailey said in the book, “were not ready for that yet.”

That friction was one challenge that the Scarlet Knights had to overcome en route to a 31-0 start and a first-ever berth in the NCAA semifinals, a reserve guard on that team, Jeff Kleinbaum, writes in “ Unforgettable Knights : A Player’s Account of the Legendary Rutgers Final Four Season.”

“It w

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