Conference Pacific-10 Conference AP No. 1 Head coach John R. Wooden | Coaches No. 1 1971–72 record 30–0 (14–0 Pac-8) Assistant coach Gary Cunningham | |
The 1971–72 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team won the National Collegiate Champion on March 25, 1972, in the Los Angeles Sports Arena with an 81–76 victory over Florida State. It became the eighth championship in nine years under head coach John Wooden, who was coaching his 25th year at UCLA. The 1971–72 UCLA basketball team had a record of 30–0, in the process winning its games by an average margin of more than 30 points. The season was also part of UCLA's NCAA record 88-game winning streak. The UCLA streak contributed to a personal winning streak that lasted almost five years. It began "The Walton Years" for Coach Wooden.
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Season Summary
Sophomore Bill Walton lived up to his advance billing, leading the Bruins to a 30-0 record and the National Championship while averaging a double-double (21.1 PPG, 15.5 RPG). Greg Lee and Henry Bibby formed a solid back court, and forwards Keith Wilkes and Larry Farmer were double-digit scorers. Walton’s backup, 7-1 Swen Nater, could have been a star at other schools.