BUTTE — Long before the spectacle and pageantry of the modern March Madness tournament, the 1929 Montana State College men's basketball team was retroactively named national champions.
The tale of that storied team, and the many figures who had a hand in earning the Bobcats their only national title, was recently released by Bozeman author Paul Wylie by The History Press.
"Montana State's Golden Bobcats: 1929 Basketball National Champions" is roughly 150 pages and takes a deep, thoroughly researched look at both the evolution of basketball and the Bozeman team that helped usher in modern high-scoring offenses.
From the first peach baskets strung up by James Naismith, to the experience of World War I on future members of the '29 team, to the Bobcats' title-worthy win over the AAU champion Cook Painters, Wylie's book leaves no stone unturned and should appeal to both sports history buffs and casual fans alike.
Wylie, a retired Bozeman-area attorney, said he began seriously working on the project about 10 years ago, though the story of the Golden Bobcats was one that captured his imagination even as a kid.
Wylie's book can be purchased on Amazon.
