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Sign up todayWe Will Rise
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Learn moreThe inspiring true story of the tragic loss and triumphant resurrection of a basketball team and its coach at the heart of a small Indiana town.
By 1977 the University of Evansville’s Purple Aces basketball team had won five small-college national championships. With a charismatic young coach and a freshman phenom, this small Indiana city hoped to see its team shine in the national spotlight. Then, on a foggy night, after just four games, the plane carrying the team and its coach crashed after takeoff, killing everyone on board.
The tragedy seemed insurmountable, a devastating blow to the identity of a fading factory town. But, with the support of a city in mourning, ambitious new coach Dick Walters promised to rebuild the cherished institution. Assembling a team of castoffs, walk-ons, and overachievers, Walters restored the legacy of the team and its fans. Against all odds, his young men made history.
A tribute to those who were lost, and to those who carried on, We Will Rise is the rich and powerful story of an underdog team and its fans and the spirit of a resilient community.
Steve Beaven is an Evansville native and a former staff writer at the Oregonian. His work has appeared in the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two sons.
Reviews
“This story of [the] Evansville men’s basketball team’s rebirth after the 1977 plane crash is tragic and inspiring.” —Sports Illustrated
“The best stories about sports are about life, too…Beaven, who grew up in Evansville, crafts a beautiful story.” —Washington Post
“Growing up in Indiana, I heard the stories about the crash that destroyed the young team at the heart of We Will Rise. But I learned so much more reading this book. Steve Beaven honors the players and coaches who lost their lives and tells the stories of their families trying to move forward in the face of unthinkable grief. Here is the best of what sports can mean to a community.” —Brad Stevens, head coach of the Boston Celtics
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