I was a big fan of Larry Bird. I don't think that I had a chance to see him play at the old Chicago Stadium. Another fierce competitor. Too bad he didn't win a national championship at the college level.
Bill Walton had his moments. I have a vivid memory of a game he played against Notre Dame back in 1974. I think the game started at 10:00 p.m. (CST) on a Saturday night. It was actually televised in Chicago, a rare event in those pre-cable days. One week earlier, Notre Dame had broken UCLA's 88 game winning streak and earned themselves a number one ranking. I have never seen an individual player at the college level dominate a game like Walton did in that game.
BTW, Walton sucks as an announcer.
sportingnews.com
One week later, Bruins reclaim No. 1 spot
FEBRUARY 9, 1974
Now that they have re-established their superiority among the nation's college basketball elite, the UCLA Bruins can concentrate on the business at hand, winning another Pacific-8 conference title.
The Bruins, with brilliant Bill Walton rising to new heights, destroyed Notre Dame, 94-75, at Pauley Pavilion January 26 and re-established their claim to the No.1 position among the collegiate titans.
UCLA's awesome display of power in the rematch provided sweet revenge for Coach John Wooden's team. The Bruins had been upset by the Irish 71-70, one week earlier in a duel that ended the Bruins' incredible 88-game winning streak and catapulted Notre Dame to the top of the ratings for seven days.
Wooden surprised everyone by starting Marques Johnson, a 17-year-old freshman, at the wing position in place of Pete Trgovich. The 6-5 1/2 Johnson, first freshman to start in Wooden's 26-year career at UCLA, scored 16 points, 14 of them coming in the second half.
"That was the key for them," observed Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps. "Johnson simply gave them added strength on the boards."
In addition to installing Johnson at forward, the Bruins moved Dave Meyers to guard on the left side and he moved the ball consistently to Walton.
"Wooden made these changes and it made them a much better team than we played a week ago." Phelps noted. "They certainly adjusted very well to the changes in only one week."
Walton, playing as if he was on a personal vendetta, dazzled the Irish by scoring 32 points before fouling out of the game with 5:39 remaining, and UCLA commanding an 82-56 lead.
The 6-11 redhead from LaMesa, Calif., handicapped by a back injury in the first game against Notre Dame, made 16 of 19 field goal attempts and snared 11 rebounds.
"We have a tremendous scoring machine in Bill Walton," Wooden said, "and until they stop him we should always try to get the ball to him. He's the most unselfish player I've ever coached."
UCLA led by as many as 28 points in running its Pauley victory string to 60 games and boosting its season record to 15-1.
The Bruins, who blew an 11-point lead with 3:30 to play at Notre Dame, surged ahead, 43-30, at halftime and never let the Irish get close after the intermission.
"I reminded them at halftime about the lead we had last week," Wooden said with a satisfied smile. "Not that they needed any reminder." UCLA scored the first nine points of the game and Notre Dame didn't counter until freshman forward Adrian Dantley hit a jump shot with 5:54 elapsed.
Walton, who dazzled 6-9 Irish center John Shumate with his lightning quick moves around the basket, and smooth Keith Wilkes, a 6-7 senior, combined for 32 of UCLA's 43 points in the first half. Wilkes collected 18 points and Walton, who was benched after picking up his third personal foul with 3:20 left in the half, had 14.
Walton hit for UCLA only nine seconds into the second half and the Bruins' lead began mounting.
Leading scorers for the Irish, beaten for the first time in 13 starts, were Shumate, with 25 points, and guard Gary Brokaw, with 14.
When the issue was no longer in doubt, UCLA fans, who had been chanting "We're No. 1" throughout the contest, broke out a sign that read, "God Made Notre Dame No. 1 for One Week."
"They outplayed us and outhustled us. They deserved to win. They are No. 1," Phelps conceded in a post-game interview.
"We tried to press and play our game, but their shooting (64 percent in the first half and 59 percent for the game) was unbelievable."
At the other end of the interview room, Wooden agreed that his team deserves the No. I ranking.
"At least that's the way I'm going to vote," he said with a grin.
Wooden would not say that the 71-70 loss in South Bend had made his Bruins a better team.
"I think a good scare last week would have been just as much help," he said. |
