EPITOME OF DYNASTY UCLA'S REIGN BEGAN WITH 1964 TITLE.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Twenty-eight consecutive victories weren't enough to convince the nation's coaches how good UCLA was. A victory in the NCAA semifinals still didn't bring the Bruins respect.

UCLA was unbeaten and ranked No. 1, and the college basketball world thought third-ranked Duke, with its size advantage and the prestige of the Atlantic Coast Conference, would roll to the championship. Even the oddsmakers believed it, installing the Blue Devils as a two-point favorite.

Coach John Wooden remembered one person, though, who gave the Bruins a chance. An international coach, who spent a week each with Duke, Michigan and UCLA during the 1963-64 season, was asked to pick a winner.

``He said UCLA wins,'' Wooden said. ``They looked and said 'why?' And he put up his hand, showed all five fingers and then he closed them. He said, 'UCLA is team. UCLA is team.' ''

Forty years ago today, UCLA's full-court zone press, relentless effort, artful ballhandling and 26 points from reserve Kenny Washington enabled the Bruins to breeze to a 98-83 victory, forever changing college basketball.

That victory was the culmination of a 30-0 season and secured the NCAA title, but most importantly was the birth of the most dominating run in the history of American sports.

UCLA won the NCAA championship again the following season, went 18-8 in 1965-66 and then won the next seven national titles. During a 12-year stretch, the Bruins won 10 national titles, had an 88-game winning streak and established supremacy against which every dynasty is measured today.

The starting five of that 1963-'64 team - guards Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard, center Fred Slaughter and forwards Jack Hirsch and Keith Erickson - were together for the second consecutive year. The key bench players were Washington and Doug McIntosh, both sophomores in their first year of eligibility.

``When you win a national championship it makes it so much easier to do a lot of things, especially in recruiting,'' said former Kansas State coach and current Lakers assistant Tex Winter, whose Wildcats lost 90-84 to UCLA in the semifinals. ``When it comes down to it, you need the players. It was probably the most important victory that one of his teams had because it did set the stage for what was going to go on.''

Wooden already recruited nationally.

Goodrich was from North Hollywood, Hirsch from Los Angeles and Erickson from El Segundo. But Hazzard, the slick ballhandling guard, was from Philadelphia, Slaughter from Topeka, Kan., Washington from Beaufort, S.C., and McIntosh from Lily, Ky.

But that championship may have widened the scope of players that began flocking to the Westwood campus. Lew Alcindor, the crown jewel, left New York's Power Memorial High for Westwood, and college basketball was never the same.

``If we didn't have the success early on, I wonder if we would have gotten the big fella,'' Slaughter said of Alcindor. ``Would he have come all the way West?''

Start the press

Even now, four decades later, victims of the 1963-64 Bruins marvel at how Wooden constructed a national champion. UCLA's tallest players were Slaughter, a senior center, and Erickson, a junior forward. Both were 6-foot-5.

But Wooden built the dynasty on a ferocious full-court press defense making that forced an up-tempo style and neutralized height advantages.

Wooden said many times UCLA trailed early in games, but his commitment to the press often paid dividends in the second half when opponents tired.

Wooden said he first used the press as a coach at South Bend (Ind.) High and at Indiana State, but didn't have the patience to commit to it at UCLA.

Wooden said a key to the press' success was having the left-handed Goodrich in the No. 1 slot of the press and the left-handed Hirsch in the fourth slot. With Slaughter at the No. 2 spot, Hazzard at the third spot and Erickson patrolling the back, the speed and quickness of the Bruins quickly frustrated, then overwhelmed bigger teams.

It also helped that UCLA had, as assistant Jerry Norman said, ``probably the two best guards in the history of college basketball.''

Hazzard was flashy, captivating ballhander and a very good passer. Norman said Goodrich complemented that with his shooting, understanding of the game and ability to drive to the basket.

Goodrich, who scored 27 points in the title game, averaged 21.5 per game. Hazzard, the NCAA Player of the Year, averaged 18.6 points. Further, either Hazzard or Goodrich led UCLA in scoring in 28 of the 30 games. Once, Erickson and Goodrich tied for the team lead. The only time another Bruin led the team in scoring was when Erickson scored 28 points against Kansas State in the Final Four.

``People could not keep up with us,'' Slaughter said. ``We were in better shape. Coach put it together for us, and we played. (Opponents) just didn't know how to handle it. If teams would have pressed us back, we would have had trouble. If I had to bring the ball up, game over. The way it was, Gail and I used to exchange layups.''

Building blocks

UCLA came close to winning its first national championship in 1962, before a two-point loss to Louisville in the semifinals. A year later, the Bruins lost 93-79 to Arizona State in the West Regional as Joe Caldwell scored 22 points. But Wooden began utilizing the press that season.

Goodrich, who led the 1964-65 national championship team with a 24.6 points-per-game average, said his drive to winning UCLA's first national championship began in March 1963, when he was watching Loyola, Ill., win the national title.

``I said, 'Next year, we're going to be in that game,' '' Goodrich said. ``I was sitting there with my father and he said that would be pretty high expectations. I thought we could do it. We had everybody back. We believed. We trusted each other, trusted the process. I think everybody felt we would find a way to win.''

College basketball was being dominated by big men, and UCLA didn't have one. Therefore, the Bruins weren't regarded as title contenders.

UCLA opened eyes with a 78-75 defeat of Kansas State in Lawrence, Kan., in the third game of the season and moved to No. 6 in the Dec. 17 Associated Press and United Press International polls.

But its first big test came Dec. 21 against one of the nation's premier big men. Paul Silas, Creighton's 6-foot-7 center, pulled down 33 rebounds at Long Beach Arena, but the Bruins' press left Creighton flabbergasted, as well as humbled, in a 95-79 loss.

``This team, even though they were small, they were quick.,'' said Silas, currently coach of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. ``Even though we knew they were good, we did not know their press was so devastating. It just took you out of all your offense, and they had it down to a science.

``They would do everything (Wooden) asked and they were so fundamentally sound in every aspect of the game. They didn't have great, great talent, but it all blended so well, and they were cocky enough to know if they kept that pressure on, you were going to wilt.''

Less than a week later, UCLA posted its most impressive victory. A night after a Dec. 26 blowout of Yale in the opener of the Los Angeles Classic, Goodrich scored 30 points as the Bruins destroyed Cazzie Russell-led and third-ranked Michigan 98-80.

A night later the Bruins, playing one of their least inspired games of the season, beat Illinois 83-79 for its third win in three days.

``I don't think anybody expected us to be that good,'' said Goodrich, who was named the tourney's MVP after averaging 25.3 points. ``At Christmas time, when we beat Michigan, I think everyone noticed that we could beat everybody.''

UCLA, which moved to No. 2 in the polls, continued its streak with two victories at Washington State, the first by five points before scoring a school-record 121 the next day in a 44-point victory.

The second victory in Pullman, Wash., which came Jan. 4, coincided with No. 1 Kentucky losing to Georgia Tech. When both polls came out Jan. 6, UCLA was ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history, much to Wooden's delight.

``There's no denying it, we like being No. 1,'' Wooden told the Santa Monica Evening Outlook.

Few scares, less respect

UCLA's perfect season had one real threat between the three-point win at Kansas State in December and March's NCAA Tournament, but there was plenty of grumbling across the nation about UCLA's ability, and about favorable calls.

Illinois coach Harry Combes watched the Michigan throttling and said, ``The Bruins were absolutely the best basketball team I've ever seen.'' However, Combes was in the minority.

After a pair of double-digit victories against Stanford in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Stanford players saying, ``We complained to the refs, but what did it mean? The Bruins are not that good. We'll beat them up here next time, you wait and see.''

When the teams met later at Stanford, UCLA won by 12 points.

But Stanford's players weren't the only disbelievers. Two weeks after the victory over Stanford in Los Angeles, UCLA beat UC Santa Barbara on back-to-back days by scores of 107-76 and 87-59.

However, UCSB coach Art Gallon remained unimpressed, noting the Bruins' vaunted press resulted in just eight points in two games.

``UCLA is not as good as it's written up to be,'' Gallon said.

Despite widespread skepticism, the ``Westwood Wonders,'' as The Oregonian dubbed them, had few formidable challenges. The tightest contest was at California.

Hazzard had 17 assists as UCLA scored a Harmon Gym-record 87 points in crushing Cal by 20 to improve to 18-0 on Feb. 7, but the following day's rematch was very different. Wooden said complacency from the overwhelming win contributed to UCLA's 58-56 victory the next night. The rarity was that the win was not secure until the final horn.

Hazzard, a 72 percent free-throw shooter, made two free throws with 41 seconds left to give UCLA a 58-54 lead, but it was what transpired earlier in the game that foretold the possibilities to Washington.

``The only game I thought we could possibly lose was the game at Cal,'' Washington said. ``I remember Fred was on the free-throw line, and he wasn't a good free-throw shooter. I thought, 'Holy, tamoly.'

``But the fickle finger of fate hung with us. Fred's shot went off the backboard (and in). A bank shot. I thought, `Hey, the gods are with us.' It was like, 'Oh, please, this was our day.' ''

UCLA closed out its perfect regular season with seven more wins by an average of 20.9 points, and each by at least 10 points.

26-0 and counting

The Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament on such a roll even the low-key Wooden didn't hide his pleasure. Three days after UCLA's regular season-ending 91-81 triumph of USC pushed its mark to 26-0, Wooden spoke to the Southern California Basketball Writers Association.

``This is a tremendous team,'' Wooden said. ``I believe that this present team has come about as close as a team can come to realizing its true potential.''

But four days later UCLA got what Wooden, at the time, termed its biggest scare.

UCLA trailed Seattle by two points with less than eight minutes left in the first round of the NCAA West Regional before taking a one-point lead. Then, UCLA's pressure created turnovers, the Bruins scored seven points in 34 seconds and held on for a 95-90 win.

Afterward, Wooden said ``It's been a long, long time back in the season since during a game I didn't think we were going to win.''

Despite pulling out the victory and advancing to the regional final, nay- sayers surfaced again, this time in the form of Seattle coach Bob Boyd. He said UCLA's talent ``doesn't warrant a 27-0 record. Wooden's got a lot of mileage out of the kids he has.''

The patience Wooden said he lacked earlier in his coaching career when it came to using the press once again was on display in the regional final against San Francisco.

UCLA trailed by 13 in the first half, but rallied after intermission and, behind Hazzard's 23 points, scored a 76-72 victory to advance to its second Final Four in three years, but still the Bruins weren't taken seriously.

UCLA had a rematch with Kansas State in one semifinal, but talk centered around how the winner of the Duke-Michigan semifinal would win the national championship.

Again against Kansas State, it took a while for the Bruins' pressure to wear down the opponent, but that happened late in the second half.

Having defeated Wichita State on its home court to reach the Final Four, Kansas State was undaunted playing in front of a partisan crowd in Kansas City. The Wildcats led 75-70 with 7:20 remaining, which is when UCLA's defense took its toll.

The Bruins went on an 11-0 run, were aided by Kansas State's poor free-throw shooting (10 for 21) and won 90-84.

It also was the only game of the season in which Hazzard or Goodrich didn't lead the team in scoring. Erickson, who averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds per game, scored 28 points.

``That team played together as efficiently as any team,'' Wooden said. ``Each played their role exceptionally well. The amazing thing to me, they weren't a real close team off the court. On the court, you'd think they were the closest of friends. They never gave up. They never doubted themselves.''

The title game

With 6-10 towers Jay Buckley and Hack Tison, the Blue Devils were the rage at the Final Four.

Therefore, even though the Bruins were one win away from college basketball's first perfect season since North Carolina's 1957 squad, Wooden, as he wandered the hotel before the game, remembered no one believing his team had a chance.

``(Duke) had two guys that were 6-10. We had two guys that were 6-5,'' Norman, Wooden's assistant, said. ``They couldn't believe any team that had a biggest player that was 6-5 could be that successful. I think it was just coaches being so mesmerized with our size.''

A lack of television exposure, coupled with the earliest forms of East Coast bias because of the late starting times of games on the West Coast, left many pundits ignorant of UCLA's ability.

However, the final lesson was taught, and the idea an intimidating center was needed to win a college basketball championship disappeared during a two-minute, 40-second stretch late in the first half.

Duke led 30-27 with 7:14 to play in the half before the burden of breaking UCLA's pressure manifested. The Bruins scored 16 consecutive points, including eight from Goodrich, and took a 43-30 lead. UCLA led 50-38 at the half and coasted to a 15-point win.

Afterward, Duke coach Vic Bubas said, ``We can understand why UCLA was No. 1 and went undefeated all year.''

UCLA's 11th consecutive week atop the polls ended in its most glorious win, and Wooden's first national championship after 16 years at UCLA.

``That team was comprised of warriors, and it came from the top guy,'' Washington said. ``Coach Wooden is a warrior. You see coach Wooden today with those twinkly eyes, but at 93 and still walking? That's a warrior. You really could feel that. If you don't understand it, you can't feel that. You don't get the effort.''

Few probably realized at that moment what the championship would mean not only to UCLA, but to team sports in this country. Hazzard, though, had a glimpse after McIntosh and Washington out-smarted and out-worked Duke's bigger front court to grab 23 rebounds.

``McIntosh and Washington really cut them up on the boards,'' Hazzard told the Kansas City Star. ``What a pair of sophomores. UCLA is going to be tough for a long time.''

Beginning with that championship team through Wooden's retirement after the 1975 national championship win, UCLA won 10 NCAA titles, including seven n a row. The Bruins went 335-22, had the winning streak of 88 games and had four 30-0 seasons.

Wooden, who lives in Encino and is still a fixture at Pauley Pavilion, gets the deserved credit for building the greatest sports dynasty in the country's history.

The players from that first title team see one another at various functions, but, like their playing days, aren't particularly close.

However, much like every person to play for Wooden at UCLA, they remain in contact with, as many put it, their ``second father.''

``I don't think ever, in my coaching career, did I think my five best players made the best team,'' Wooden said. ``As for this particular group, for some reason, I had seven interchangeable guys. You couldn't tell the difference, and you don't see that too much. I doubt I ever had another team work together quite as good. I had others at times, but just at times. But this group, they did it all the time.''

Today, that collection of Bruins can celebrate the 40th anniversary of a championship that founded a legacy.

Brian Dohn, [phone]

brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com

Story of cheerleaders' arrival adds mystique to UCLA's semifinal win

The legend grew stronger the past 40 years. UCLA's cheerleaders, delayed by weather, arrived to find the Bruins down five points to Kansas State with 7:20 to play in the 1964 national semifinals.

Once the cheerleaders entered Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium, UCLA went on an 11-0 run and beat Kansas State 90-84 to advance to its first title game.

At the time, it was reported the cheerleaders' arrival provided UCLA with an emotional lift. However, a few days ago the coaches of both teams cited more tangible factors for the decisive run.

``I think our press starting taking its toll and got to them,'' Bruins coach John Wooden said. ``It took a little longer. Sometimes it happened a little earlier. They tried to say it was the cheerleaders coming that did it. That's not true. I think our constant pressure got to them.''

UCLA began the 11-0 spurt with a fastbreak basket, then got three jumpers, another score off the fastbreak and a free throw, all in less than three minutes, to take an 81-75 lead.

``I thought, personally, a motivating factor more than them were the officials,'' Kansas State coach Tex Winter said. ``In those days, J.D. Morgan, their athletic director, was a very powerful man. I think he headed up the officiating committee, or the tournament committee, and he actually, at the time, either sat on the bench or right behind the bench.

``I think an awful lot of coaches felt that gave them an advantage, which they didn't need because they had a great team.''

- Brian Dohn

Ex-Bruins believe in Howland

For the first time in six decades UCLA had back-to-back losing seasons, but members of the school's first national championship team believe coach Ben Howland will return the Bruins to prominence.

Hall of Famer Gail Goodrich, a junior guard on the 1963-1964 title team and scoring leader for the Bruins' 1964-1965 title team, is confident after having watched UCLA practice this season and having spoken with Howland.

``I'm a big Ben Howland fan,'' said Goodrich, who lives in Connecticut. ``I see what he's done at Pittsburgh, and in that program. I'm a big believer in Ben Howland. I think he will be able to bring UCLA's program back to the level all the alumni expect. He wasn't left with very much ability.''

Howland's first year was a disappointment. The Bruins lost 14 of their past 16 games and finished 11-17, stirring ugly memories. The 2002-2003 team became the first to finish below .500 since 1945-1946. The 10-19 atrocity cost Steve Lavin his job.

The previous time UCLA suffered back-to-back losing seasons was 1940-1941 and 1941-1942, when Wilbur Johns' teams went 5-18 and 6-20, respectively.

``What I do like about what he said is he said it's normal; UCLA should win (the Pacific-10 Conference) every year and be battling for the national championship,'' said Kenny Washington, Goodrich's teammate on UCLA's first two title winners. ``That is spirit. That is normal. If you can't deal with that type of pressure, then you shouldn't be in that kind of program.

``There is nothing wrong with it. You have to relish that. You have to enjoy it. And if you aren't a supreme competitor, that isn't the program for you. And there is nothing wrong with that. Just go to another program.''

Howland, who built Northern Arizona into an NCAA Tournament team and rebuilt Pittsburgh into a national power, will welcome one of the top recruiting classes in the nation next season.

- Brian Dohn

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1) The UCLA basketball team celebrates after winning the NCAA championship for the first time in 1964.

(2) JOHN WOODEN

(3) UCLA's heralded group were, from left, Gail Goodrich, Keith Erickson, Fred Slaughter, Jack Hirsch and Walt Hazzard.

(4) Walt Hazzard was one of four UCLA players to average in double figures in the 1963-64 season.

(5) Gail Goodrich (25) led UCLA with 27 points in the 1964 championship game against Duke, helping the Bruins to their first national title.

Courtesy UCLA

Box:

(1) Ex-Bruins believe in Howland (see text)

(2) Story of cheerleaders' arrival adds mystique to UCLA's semifinal win (see text)

(3) 1963-64 UCLA STATISTICS

(4) ROAD TO THE NCAA TITLE