Where did Jerry Harkness go to college?

Jerry Harkness was an American professional basketball player who played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Where did Jerry Harkness go to college? Harkness who was born on May 7, 1940 and died August 24, 2021 aged 81, played college basketball for the Loyola Ramblers, where he was captain of the 1962–63 team that won the 1963 NCAA national championship.

At Loyola, Harkness was a consensus first-team All-American and served as captain of its 1962–63 team that won the national championship.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Loyola defeated Tennessee Tech by 111–42, which as of 2021, was the largest margin of victory (69 points) in an NCAA Tournament game.

In the second round, Loyola faced Mississippi State in a historic match now known as the Game of Change because Harkness shook hands with Joe Dan Gold, the white captain of Mississippi State, prior to tip-off.

In a 2013 interview, Harkness told NPR of the handshake:

“The flashbulbs just went off unbelievably, and at that time, boy, I knew that this was more than just a game. This was history being made.”

Loyola beat Mississippi State, then sailed past Illinois and Duke to reach the tournament final.

Loyola then upset the Cincinnati Bearcats in overtime to win the championship game.