UCLA Basketball Mount Rushmore: John Wooden, Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich
John Wooden
The UCLA Bruins might have the Mount Rushmore to end all Mount Rushmores, yet no one is as much of a no-brainer for any as Wooden.
The most decorated coach in college basketball history, no one has come close to matching Wooden’s 10 national championships. His 12 Final Fours are still a record he now shares with Mike Krzyzewski. He had four teams that went undefeated and three more that only lost one game.
In fact, UCLA went a combined 205-5 during a seven-year stretch from 1966 to 1973, winning the national title in each of those seasons. That’s a stretch that may ever be duplicated in the sport.
Wooden’s teachings have since spread well beyond the basketball court, including his Seven-Point Creed and Pyramid of Success.
Lew Alcindor
The artist who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor is widely considered to be one of the most dominant college basketball players ever to play.
He only played three seasons for the Bruins (freshmen were ineligible to play during his first year on campus in 1966), but was named National Player of the Year in all three seasons – an accomplishment that has only been matched once since. The Bruins won the national championship all three years as well, starting the dominant stretch mentioned previously.
Alcindor was so dominant that rules were actually changed in a manner to make him less so. The dunk was banned following his first season on the court for the Bruins, but that did nothing to slow him down.
Alcindor changed his name in 1971 after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA title, which was a sign of things to come – with the Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar is still the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and finished with six championships, six NBA MVPs, and 19 NBA All-Star Game appearances.
Bill Walton
The other player to win National Player of the Year in every season which he played, Bill Walton is also considered to be one of the best collegiate players ever. He led UCLA to perfect 30-0 records and national titles in each of his sophomore and junior seasons, including a dominant 44-point performance in the championship game as a junior.
UCLA’s 88-game win streak and streak of seven consecutive national titles came to an end during Walton’s senior season as he was hampered by injuries – particularly a spinal fracture he suffered against the Washington State Cougars.
The Bruins went 86-4 during Walton’s career, during which he averaged 20.3 points, 15.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He went on to have a successful 10-year career in the NBA, winning two championships – one with the Portland Trail Blazers and one with the Boston Celtics.
Gail Goodrich
Gail Goodrich had two dominanting seasons for the Bruins in 1963-64 and 1964-65, averaging 21.5 and 24.8 points per game, respectively, while leading UCLA to its first two national titles under Wooden. He was a consensus All-American and the National Player of the Year in 1965.
Credited with being the star who really jump-started UCLA’s dynastic run, Goodrich’s place in UCLA history is secure. He went on to have a very successful NBA career that lasted 14 seasons, nine of which were with the Los Angeles Lakers.