Aaron Afflalo was a key cog on the first two Final Four teams, but the last Final Four team in 2008 was perhaps the most talented.įuture NBA stars Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Darren Collison led the team, but the Bruins ultimately fell short again. The mid-2000s consisted of three straight Final Fours, including a loss in the title game in 2006. Despite not winning more titles, the Bruins kept their success rolling into the 2000s. In ’95, Jim Harrick led the 1-seed Bruins to their most recent national championship. His tenure ended in 1975 with his final national championship, and the Bruins wouldn’t summit the college basketball mountain again until 1995. Wooden’s success was so impactful on college basketball that the best player in the country each year receives an award named after the late, great UCLA coach.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton are the most notable legends that Wooden had during this unprecedented run of dominance. Their dominance began in the 1960s and spanned into the ‘70s when John Wooden coached the Bruins’ superstars to 10 titles in 12 years.įrom 1967-1973, UCLA won 7 straight championships and lost just 5 games total. With 19 Final Fours and 11 national championships, UCLA is arguably the most successful men’s basketball program in history.
