Glory Road is the latest in the genre of motivating, uplifting, come-from-behind-to-win-the-big-game sports movies (Rudy, Hoosiers, Remember the Titans and last year's Coach Carter all come to mind). It's a pure formula film so if you are expecting anything earth-shattering or mind-blowing, it ain't happening here. However, as a formula flick, it's a crowd-pleaser which captures an important moment in the history of college sports.

Josh Lucas stars as Don Haskins, who went from coaching a girls high school basketball team to a Division I NCAA team at Texas Western. Haskins inherits a competent team but his ambitions are higher. He initially approaches a number of talented white players who have already been tapped by more prominent schools. So the coach goes the unconventional route and decides to recruit black players. The end result is a team of seven blacks and five whites. Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke), a hotheaded point guard is the team leader. Will Cager (Damaine Radcliffe) is the heart of the team who must overcome his own heart ailment to play. Mechad Brooks of Desperate Housewives fame, plays Harry Flournoy who almost doesn't make the team because of his poor academic performance. The highlight of the film and the team's historic season is their NCAA championship game. Haskin starts five black players (a first in NCAA history) and only plays his seven black players for the entire game. They go up against the Kentucky Wildcats, led on the sidelines by coach Adolph Rupp (Jon Voight) and on the court by a youthful Pat Riley.

Like any movie 'based on' a true story, Glory Road does take a few liberty with the facts. Haskins won the championship in his sixth year of coaching for Texas Western not in his first. He also inherited a team with three black players so the team was already integrated.

Like I said, this is pure formula right down to the part where the players bond over Motown classics. Yet, it's done well. Josh Lucas, who admits that he wasn't a basketball fan before this movie, does an excellent job of capturing the earnestness and intensity of Don Haskins. Of the seven black players several stand out. Luke as Bobby Joe Hill is the talented point guard that grows into the team leader both on and off the court. His relationship with Mary (Tatiyana Ali),who later became his wife, is also very sweet. Domaine Radcliff also stands out.

The basketball scenes were well-done. At several points, I almost forgot I was watching a movie. It felt like I was actually watching a real game. Fans of Alicia Keys should know that she contributed several songs to the film - including the one that plays at the end. Basketball fans stay through the credits and hear the real Don Haskins, as well as Pat Riley and others real life players on the team, give their personal recollections of that historic season.