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UCLA's men's basketball team has a rich history of success, with a total of 11 NCAA Division I championships, the most recent of which was won in 1995. The team's historic run of nine championships in 10 years began in 1964, with the Bruins knocking off the Duke Blue Devils in the first national title game appearance for both schools. This was the first of 10 national championships in a 12-year period, including a record-breaking seven in a row, led by legendary coach John Wooden.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of NCAA Division I championships | 11 |
| First championship | 1964 |
| Years with championships | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 |
| Number of consecutive championship wins | 7 |
| Number of NIT championship wins | 1 |
| Number of Pac-10 regular season championship wins | 1 |
| Number of Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament wins | 1 |
| Number of Pac-12 tournament championship wins | 1 |
| Number of WNIT championship wins | 1 |
| Number of NCAA Division I championships across all sports | 124 |
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What You'll Learn
UCLA's first national championship
UCLA men's basketball has won 11 national championships, more than any other school. The team's historic run of nine men's basketball national championships in 10 years (and 10 in 12 years) began in the 1964 NCAA tournament.
In the 1963-64 season, UCLA went 30-0 and won its first national championship. The team was coached by John Wooden, who served as UCLA's head coach from 1948 to 1975 and became known as the "'Wizard of Westwood'."
In the 1964 NCAA tournament, UCLA knocked off the Duke Blue Devils in the first national title game appearance for both schools. UCLA's Walt Hazzard was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, while Duke's Jeff Mullins was the tournament's leading scorer with 116 points.
UCLA's 1964 championship team included notable players such as Walt Hazzard and Gail Goodrich. Hazzard was the second-leading scorer for UCLA and was drafted second overall in the 1964 NBA Draft.
The 1964 championship was the first of a run of seven consecutive national championships for UCLA, which shattered the previous record of only two consecutive titles. During his tenure, Wooden won 620 games in 27 seasons and 10 NCAA titles during his last 12 seasons.
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John Wooden's coaching
UCLA men's basketball team has won 11 national championships, with 10 of these occurring during John Wooden's tenure as head coach from 1948 to 1975. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", Wooden's coaching philosophy centred on teaching and instruction, with a focus on providing clear and specific guidance to his players.
Wooden's coaching style was influenced by his belief in the four laws of learning: explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. He understood that simply knowing whether something is good or bad is not enough—players need to know exactly what to do and what not to do in various situations. To that end, his teaching acts were geared towards giving players a clear picture of the desired actions and outcomes. This approach, combined with his core identity as a teacher, contributed significantly to his success as a coach.
Wooden's impact extended beyond just the basketball court. He recognised the importance of developing well-rounded individuals and emphasised the values of hard work, teamwork, and sportsmanship. His influence on his players was profound, and he helped shape them not only as athletes but also as people.
Under Wooden's guidance, the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team achieved unprecedented success. Before his arrival, the team had won only two conference championships in the previous 18 years. In his first season, Wooden transformed the team, leading them to a 22–7 record and their first Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) Southern Division championship. The following season, he guided the Bruins to a 24–7 record and their second PCC championship. The Bruins' dominance continued, with the team winning the division title in each of the next two seasons and capturing the conference title in the latter season.
The pinnacle of Wooden's coaching career came with an extraordinary run of nine championships in ten years, including an impressive streak of seven consecutive championships. This period cemented UCLA's legacy in college basketball and established Wooden as one of the greatest coaches of all time.
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Walt Hazzard's contribution
Walt Hazzard was a key player on the UCLA Bruins varsity basketball team, which won its first national championship in 1964. Hazzard was a star player at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, where his teams were 89-3, and he was named the city's player of the year as a senior. He then went on to UCLA, where he became a three-year starter and helped the Bruins to their first Final Four appearance in 1962.
Hazzard's skills as a ball handler and playmaker were highly regarded, with Coach John Wooden saying, "I never had a better man on the fast break than Walt Hazzard." Hazzard was named an All-American in 1963 and 1964, and his outstanding play led the Bruins to their first national championship in 1964. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press, and his performance in the championship game against Duke, which the Bruins won 98-83, was particularly memorable. Hazzard's jersey number 42 was retired by UCLA in 1996, a testament to his impact on the program.
After his playing career, Hazzard became a coach, first at the collegiate level and then in the NBA. He returned to UCLA as their head coach in 1984, twenty years after winning the national championship as a player. During his four seasons as UCLA's coach, he won 77 out of 125 games, including the NIT championship in 1985 and the Pac-10 regular-season championship in 1987.
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UCLA's 88-game winning streak
During the streak, UCLA won 72 games by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.5 points per game. The Bruins entered 86 of the 88 games as the top-ranked team and 20 of the wins came on the opponent's home court. Eighteen of the 88 wins were over top-20 teams. UCLA's 88-game winning streak was bookended by losses to Notre Dame.
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team has a rich history. They have won 11 national titles, more than any other school. The team won nine of these in a 10-year period and 10 in a 12-year period, starting in 1964. This was under the leadership of coach John Wooden, who served as UCLA's head coach from 1948 to 1975. Wooden won ten NCAA national championships in this 12-year period, including seven in a row.
UCLA's historic run began in the 1964 NCAA tournament when the Bruins knocked off the Duke Blue Devils in the first national title game appearance for both schools. UCLA's Walt Hazzard was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. In the 1963-64 season, UCLA went 30-0 and won its first national championship. The following year, they became the fifth DI men's basketball program to win back-to-back national championships.
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UCLA's 1964-65 season
UCLA has a rich history in men's basketball, winning 11 national titles, more than any other school. The team has set several NCAA records, and its success has been largely attributed to its coach, John Wooden, who served from 1948 to 1975. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", Wooden led UCLA to 10 NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, including a record-breaking run of seven consecutive wins.
The 1964-65 season was part of UCLA's historic run of nine men's basketball national championships in 10 years. The season started with a disappointing loss for the defending champions, as UCLA was overwhelmed in its season opener at Illinois, losing 110-83. However, the team quickly bounced back, winning their next nine games.
Throughout the rest of the season, UCLA continued their winning streak, defeating notable opponents such as Arizona State, Marquette, Boston College, Southern California, Minnesota, Oregon, Stanford, Loyola Chicago, Washington State, and Washington. The team's success was driven by talented players like Gail Goodrich, who became the only guard to score more than 35 points in an NCAA final, achieving 42 points against Michigan.
The 1964-65 season culminated in UCLA winning their second national championship, becoming the fifth DI men's basketball program to achieve back-to-back national championships. Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to a 28-2 record, with a perfect 14-0 conference finish. This season cemented UCLA's dominance in college basketball and set the foundation for their continued success in the years to come.
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Frequently asked questions
UCLA Men's Basketball has won 11 NCAA championships.
UCLA Men's Basketball won the championship in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1995.
John Wooden was the coach when UCLA Men's Basketball won its first championship in 1964.
