1968–69 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

Players

• Denny Crum (UCLA)
• Gary Cunningham (UCLA)}}

Schedule

|- !colspan=9 style=|Regular Season |- !colspan=12 style="background:#;"| NCAA Tournament :Source:

Rankings

Main article: 1968–69 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings

Notes

• Three consecutive national championships for the Bruins, five in six years.
• This was the first year in which the Athletic Association of Western Universities officially adopted the name Pacific-8 Conference, although that name had been used unofficially since the 1964–65 season after Oregon and Oregon State joined the conference.
• USC, after losing a 61–55 double-overtime game to UCLA at the Sports Arena the night before, defeated the Bruins, 46–44, at Pauley Pavilion with a slowdown game. The Trojans' win ended four extended winning streaks by the Bruins:
  • 51 games in Pauley Pavilion.
  • 41 overall.
  • 45 in AAWU/Pac-8 play.
  • 17 over USC.
• Last season for the 7-foot-1 and 1/2-inch center Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), who led the Bruins to an overall three-year record (1967–1969) of 88–2, and is the only player in history to be named three-time NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. In 1969, Alcindor earned the first ever Naismith Trophy, given to the nation's top player.
• On the 40th anniversary, the team was honored at halftime of UCLA's Senior Day game, March 7, 2009, at Pauley Pavilion.
• Lew Alcindor's father played trombone with the UCLA band during the championship game.
• This team was honored at the January 26, 2019 game against Arizona on its 50th anniversary.

Awards and honors

• Lew Alcindor, NCAA basketball tournament MOP (1969)
• Lew Alcindor, Naismith College Player of the Year
• Lew Alcindor, Helms Foundation Player of the Year award
• Lew Alcindor, First Team All-American

Team players drafted into the NBA

:Source:

References

References

1. Official Collegiate Basketball Guide
2. (March 9, 1969). "SC snaps Bruins' streak". Eugene Register-Guard.
3. (March 10, 1969). "Fresh hope rises after Bruin loss". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
4. [http://uclabruins.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012609aah.html 1964 and 1965 NCAA Championship Teams to be Honored] {{webarchive. link. (2009-01-30)
5. (14 March 1969). "Bruins Break Through Stall, Beat New Mexico, 53-38". Los Angeles Times.
6. (16 March 1969). "It Was a Yawner for Lew, Bruins". Los Angeles Times.
7. (21 March 1969). "Bruins Outgunned but Not Outscored". Los Angeles Times.
8. (23 March 1969). "A DAY TO REMEMBER FOR LEW, BRUINS". Los Angeles Times.
9. "Season by Season Records". UCLA Athletics.
10. [http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-crowe-nest2-2009feb02,0,1316417.column Jerry Crowe, "Mack Calvin waited it out with USC to beat UCLA", ''Los Angeles Times'', February 2, 2009]
11. Jeff Borzello, [http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/storylist/17022452/5/top-16-college-basketball-teams-of-all-time Top 16 college basketball teams of all time], cbssports.com, March 21, 2012
12. "Naismith Awards - Naismith Trophy".
13. "1969 NBA Draft on Basketballreference.com".