1968–69 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 Basketball 1968–69 UCLA Bruins UCLA Logo 1964-1995.jpeg Pacific-8 Conference Pac-8 1 1 29–1 13–1 John Wooden 21st Denny Crum Gary Cunningham Lew Alcindor Pauley Pavilion,Los Angeles, California NCAA tournament National championsNCAA regular season championsPac-8 champions National Championship Game W Won 92–72 vs. Purdue The 1968–69 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team won an unprecedented third consecutive NCAA National Basketball Championship, the fifth in six years under head coach John Wooden with a win over Purdue, coach Wooden's alma mater.Official Collegiate Basketball Guide The Bruins opened with 25 wins, on a 41-game winning streak, but lost the regular season finale to rival USC on March 8, which snapped a home winning streak of 85 games.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hWoRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6337%2C1654279 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press SC snaps Bruins' streak March 9, 1969 1Bhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8mxYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7383%2C2509732 Spokane Daily Chronicle Washington Associated Press Fresh hope rises after Bruin loss March 10, 1969 15 The West Regional was hosted by UCLA in Pauley Pavilion, and they defeated #12 New Mexico State 53–38 and third-ranked Santa Clara 90–52. Center Lew Alcindor had a total of 33 points in the two games. In the Final Four at Louisville, Kentucky, UCLA had a two-point lead at halftime over #11 Drake and won 85–82 to advance to the championship game against sixth-ranked Purdue. Wooden graduated from Purdue in 1932, after earning All-American honors as a guard on the school's basketball team that he captained during his junior and senior years. The Boilermakers won two Big Ten titles and the 1932 national championship during his years there. Wooden also played baseball during his freshman year. The "Money Man", John Vallely, scored 29 points and Alcindor had 25 points at the semi-final game. Alcindor scored 37 points with 20 rebounds in the championship game.1964 and 1965 NCAA Championship Teams to be Honored https://web.archive.org/web/20090130011159/http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012609aah.html 2009-01-30 Players 1968 UCLA Bruins men's y Lew Alcindor y 33 C 7 2 225 Sr New York, New York John Ecker basketball y 52 F/C 6 6 So Los Angeles, California George Farmer wide receiver, born 1948 y 34 Kenny Heitz y 22 G 6 3 Sr Santa Monica, CA Jim Nielsen 34 F Steve Patterson basketball y 32 C 6 9 225 So Riverside, California Curtis Rowe y 30 F 6 7 225 So Bessemer, Alabama Don Saffer 25 G 6 1 Terry Schofield y 42 G 6 3 So Los Angeles, California Bill Seibert 54 F Lynn Shackelford y 53 F 6 5 190 Sr Burbank, CA Bill Sweek y 45 G 6 3 Sr Pasadena, CA John Vallely y 40 G 6 3 185 Jr Newport, California Lee Walczuk 44 Sidney Wicks y 35 F 6 8 225 So Los Angeles, California https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/ucla/1969.html John Wooden (Purdue) Denny Crum (UCLA) Gary Cunningham (UCLA) Schedule yes 1968–69 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings 1968 yes |- !colspan=9 style=UCLA Bruins|Regular Season November 30, 1968 1 Purdue 10 Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 94–82 1–0 December 6, 1968 yes yes 1 1968 men Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State 13 St. John Arena Columbus, OH 84–73 2–0 December 7, 1968 yes yes 1 Notre Dame 5 Athletic & Convocation Center Notre Dame, IN 88–75 3–0 December 20, 1968 yes 1 1968 men Minnesota Golden Gophers Minnesota Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 90–51 4–0 December 21, 1968 yes 1 1968 men West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 95–56 5–0 December 27, 1968 yes yes 1 1968 men Providence Friars Providence Madison Square Garden New York, NY ECAC Holiday Festival 98–81 6–0 December 28, 1968 yes yes 1 Princeton Madison Square Garden New York, NY ECAC Holiday Festival 83–67 7–0 December 30, 1968 yes yes 1 St. John's Madison Square Garden New York, NY ECAC Holiday Festival 74–56 8–0 January 4, 1969 yes 1 1968 men Tulane Green Wave Tulane Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 96–64 9–0 January 10, 1969 yes 1 1968 men Oregon Ducks Oregon McArthur Court Eugene, OR 93–64 10–0 1-0 January 11, 1969 yes 1 1968 men Oregon State Beavers Oregon State Gill Coliseum Corvallis, OR 83–64 11–0 2-0 January 18, 1969 yes 1 1968 men Houston Cougars Houston Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 100–64 12–0 January 24, 1969 yes yes 1 1968 men Northwestern Wildcats Northwestern Chicago Stadium Chicago, IL 81–67 13–0 January 25, 1969 yes yes 1 1968 men Loyola Ramblers Loyola–Chicago Chicago Stadium Chicago, IL 84–65 14–0 January 31, 1969 1 1968 men California Golden Bears California Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 109–74 15–0 3–0 February 1, 1969 1 1968 men Stanford Indians Stanford Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 98–61 16–0 4–0 February 7, 1969 1 Washington Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 62–51 17–0 5–0 February 8, 1969 1 Washington State Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 108–80 18–0 6–0 February 15, 1969 yes 1 Washington State Bohler Gymnasium Pullman, WA 83–59 19–0 7–0 February 17, 1969 yes 1 Washington Hec Edmundson Pavilion Seattle, WA 53–44 20–0 8–0 February 21, 1969 1 Oregon State Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 91–66 21–0 9–0 February 22, 1969 1 Oregon Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 103–69 22–0 10–0 February 28, 1969 yes 1 Stanford Maples Pavilion Stanford, CA 81–60 23–0 11–0 March 1, 1969 yes 1 California Harmon Gym Berkeley, CA 84–77 24–0 12–0 March 7, 1969 yes 1 1968 men USC Trojans USC Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Los Angeles, CA 61–55 2OT 25–0 13–0 March 8, 1969 1 USC Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA 44–46 25–1 13–1 |- !colspan=12 style="background:#UCLA Bruins 1;"| NCAA Tournament March 13, 1969 yes 1 1968 men New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State 12 Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA Regional semifinal 53–38 12,817Prugh Jeff Bruins Break Through Stall, Beat New Mexico, 53-38 Los Angeles Times 14 March 1969 156219361 26–1 March 15, 1969 3:05 pm yes 1 Santa Clara 3 Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA Regional Final 90–52 12,812Prugh Jeff It Was a Yawner for Lew, Bruins Los Angeles Times 16 March 1969 156125484 27–1 March 20, 1969 7:30 pm yes yes 1 Drake 11 Freedom Hall Louisville, KY National semifinal NBC 85–82 18,435Prugh Jeff Bruins Outgunned but Not Outscored Los Angeles Times 21 March 1969 156149520 28–1 March 22, 1969 1:15 pm yes yes 1 Purdue 6 Freedom Hall Louisville, KY National Final NBC 92–72 18,669Prugh Jeff A DAY TO REMEMBER FOR LEW, BRUINS Los Angeles Times 23 March 1969 156132169 29–1 AP Poll Pacific time Source:Season by Season Records http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/uclabruins.com/documents/2016/10/17/MBKB_17MG_148_164.pdf#page=8 UCLA Athletics September 29, 2017 December 29, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201229080204/http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/uclabruins.com/documents/2016/10/17/MBKB_17MG_148_164.pdf#page=8 dead Rankings 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings AP 0 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Coaches 1 14 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Notes Three consecutive national championships for the Bruins, five in six years. This was the first year in which the Athletic Association of Western Universities officially adopted the name Pacific-8 Conference, although that name had been used unofficially since the 1964–65 season after Oregon and Oregon State joined the conference. USC, after losing a 61–55 double-overtime game to UCLA at the Sports Arena the night before, defeated the Bruins, 46–44, at Pauley Pavilion with a slowdown game. The Trojans' win ended four extended winning streaks by the Bruins:Jerry Crowe, "Mack Calvin waited it out with USC to beat UCLA", Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2009 51 games in Pauley Pavilion. 41 overall. 45 in AAWU/Pac-8 play. 17 over USC. Last season for the 7-foot-1 and 1/2-inch center Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who led the Bruins to an overall three-year record (1967–1969) of 88–2, and is the only player in history to be named three-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. In 1969, Alcindor earned the first ever Naismith Trophy, given to the nation's top player. On the 40th anniversary, the team was honored at halftime of UCLA's Senior Day game, March 7, 2009, at Pauley Pavilion. Lew Alcindor's father played trombone with the UCLA band during the championship game.Jeff Borzello, Top 16 college basketball teams of all time, cbssports.com, March 21, 2012 This team was honored at the January 26, 2019 game against Arizona on its 50th anniversary. Awards and honors Lew Alcindor, NCAA basketball tournament MOP (1969) Lew Alcindor, Naismith College Player of the Yearhttp://www.naismithawards.com/History/NaismithTrophy/tabid/58/Default.aspx Naismith Awards - Naismith Trophy 2009-03-13 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090302160347/http://www.naismithawards.com/History/NaismithTrophy/tabid/58/Default.aspx 2009-03-02 Lew Alcindor, Helms Foundation Player of the Year award Lew Alcindor, First Team All-American Team players drafted into the NBA Round Pick Player NBA Team 1 1 Lew Alcindor Milwaukee Bucks 1 3 Lucius Allen Seattle SuperSonics 5 48 Kenny Heitz Milwaukee Bucks 7 85 Bill Sweek Phoenix Suns 7 90 Lynn Shackelford San Diego Rockets Source:http://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?lg=N&yr=1969 1969 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com 2010-03-28 usurped https://web.archive.org/web/20100318001935/http://www.databasebasketball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?yr=1969&lg=N 2010-03-18 References 2 External links 1968–69 UCLA Bruins at Sports-Reference.com Ucla Bruins Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship seasons Category:NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons Ucla UCLA Bruins UCLA Bruins