Although John Wooden had been coaching successfully at UCLA since 1948, he did not gain national prominence until the 1963-1964 season. That year, UCLA went undefeated and won Wooden’s first national championship. One of the stars on that team was Walt Hazzard. Hailing from the tiny state of Delaware, Hazzard came to UCLA and won every conceivable honor in 1964. He was the NCAA tournament MVP, the national player of the year and he even won a gold medal with the USA national team at the 1964 Olympics. After an 11 year NBA career, Walt Hazzard followed in John Wooden’s footsteps and returned to UCLA as head coach in 1984, compiling a 77-48 career record.
4. Marques Johnson (Forward, 1973-1977)
When John Wooden retired in 1975, one of the young stars on his squad was Marques Johnson. Originally from Louisiana, Johnson’s family moved to Los Angeles and he became one of the most highly recruited players in the country. Despite the attention, Johnson stayed in Los Angeles to play for John Wooden. Although one of the best players in the country, Johnson had difficulty getting playing time for Wooden. But this motivated Johnson to work harder and strive to succeed. In 1977, Johnson was the national player of the year. Despite injuries later in his career, Marques Johnson played 11 seasons in the NBA, averaging over 20 points per game.
3. Gail Goodrich (Guard, 1962-1965)
Walt Hazzard’s backcourt mate on Wooden’s first national champion team was Gail Goodrich. Born in L. A., Goodrich credits Wooden’s interest in him, despite his short stature, as the reason he chose UCLA over USC. Goodrich set the record for points scored in an NCAA final when he netted 42 points in UCLA’s national championship win in 1965. An All-American, Goodrich was drafted by the L. A. Lakers and had an outstanding NBA career. An odd fact about Goodrich is that when he signed with the New Orleans Jazz as a free agent, the Lakers received the first round pick of the Jazz. With it, L. A. selected Magic Johnson. Gail Goodrich is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
By the mid-1960’s, John Wooden had won two national titles. This enabled him to recruit the finest high school prospects in the nation. The top recruit at this time was a 7-footer from New York named Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr. Once Alcindor arrived at UCLA, Wooden’s dynasty truly began. In the three years that Alcindor played for Wooden, the Bruins won three national championships. During those years, Alcindor was twice the national player of the year and was an All-American all three years. After leaving UCLA, Alcindor continued his dominance in the NBA, playing for 21 years and scoring over 38,000 points, a record. Alcindor is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
1. Bill Walton (Center, 1971-1974)
The pinnacle of John Wooden’s coaching career came in the early 1970’s when his squad won 88 games in a row. The star of those teams was Bill Walton. A wild, free spirit from California at the end of the hippy era, Walton benefited from Wooden’s discipline, enabling him to reach his full potential. Two of his greatest achievements at UCLA were winning the national player of the year award three times and in the 1972 national championship game, Walton scored 44 points, breaking the previous record of 42 points held by Goodrich. Unfortunately, his professional career was severely hampered by injuries. However, Bill Walton is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and is considered by many to be the greatest college basketball player of all time.
Statistical and biographical data found at the ESPN web page.
