John Wooden’s incredible run at UCLA, with 10 national championships between 1964 and 1975, is most associated with his two greatest players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton. However, the dynasty started with two of Wooden’s smallest teams, and with how he turned the lack of size into a strength.
In 1964, UCLA’s tallest starter was 6-5. That team wasn’t going to grind inside against anyone. Instead, Wooden and his staff installed a full-court press and it led to an undefeated season. In 1964, no one was used to that sort of pressure.
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Behind a super-quick backcourt of Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard, the Bruins smoked bigger teams all season, including Duke, with 6-11 Jay Buckley, and 6-10 Hack Tyson in the championship game.
The Bruins didn’t qualify for the tournament in 1966, but Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) was a freshman, and everyone knew what was coming when he would be eligible as a sophomore.
UCLA won every championship between 1967 and 1973, before losing to NC State in the 1974 tournament. Wooden won again in 1975, then retired.
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