B Diddy Gives Ben Ball Warriors Another Shout Out
by Nestor on Oct 6, 2008 4:21 PM PDT
Email
PrintBumping this post up because would love to hear more feedback in what is turning out to be a very enjoyable thread re. all time favorite/great Bruin basketball legends among BN faithful. GO BRUINS. -N
While blue chip recruits keep lining up for Ben Howland to give their shot at stardom as Ben Ball warriors, Bruin alums in the NFL keep embellishing the brand of UCLA hoops. And the clutch assists in recent years keep coming from Boom Dizzle who is doing what he can to associate with Bruin glory, after losing out on it because of playing under Howland's predecessor.
Yes, B Diddy showing the love for blue and gold again:
Davis said he's tried to get a jump on the team bonding by working out with Mobley, Thornton and recently acquired Ricky Davis over the summer.
"I've spoken to everybody," Davis said. "I've seen a lot of the young guys, just tried to give them an opportunity to feel my personality and let them know we mean business, but at the same time, we're going to have some fun.
"We're chasing greatness, we're the second basketball team in the city, probably even the third behind the Lakers and UCLA, so we're chasing greatness."
I don't have a list of my five favorite all time UCLA basketball players. But if I were to make one, B Diddy is making it easy to get on that list.
So since I am on that topic why not open up the floor to discussion and share your lost of your top-5 (or may be to-10 since there are so many to chose from) UCLA basketball players of all time.
GO BRUINS.
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
45 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Only if he had a coach...
I’m gonna circumvent the rules and keep my list to players that I’ve seen play. I love Walton, Kareem, etc. but they were before my time and I lack some insight on them during their heyday.
1 – Baron Davis – Best player from UCLA right now in the NBA. I saw him first play at the Nike Extravaganza in Irvine when his SM Crossroads team was playing some other team that I forget. Had to check out the buzz about him since there wasn’t the type of coverage (HS Recruiting and Websites) there is today. On one play, he went baseline and cuffed it before throwing it down. Instantly, I knew this guy was legit. He just blew by his defender. On a side note, saw Chris Burgess from Woodbridge and left thinking what is all the hype about? If you remember, he was the #1 recruit in the nation. Orange County has a history of overrated ballers)
My Lasting Impression: That dunk on…I think it was Todd McCullough in Pauley. O.O
1 – Aaron Afflalo – They always talk about a “Michigan Man”. I think if you looked up “UCLA Man” in Webster’s, you’d see a picture of Aaron. He started the Return of UCLA Basketball by being Howland’s 1st recruit. And what a recruit he was. Always did the right things, said the right things and carried himself and UCLA with class.
My Lasting Impression: Picking up a fellow competitor off the ground after a heartbreaking loss.
1 – Ed O’Bannon – Another guy that was all class. We all had to wait a bit to find out what the hype was about but it was well worth it. Remember that photo of him with Walton & Kareem in SI? Heartbreaking loss against the Fab 5 when we had them and then losing to Tulsa the following year. He’ll forever go down in Bruin lore for bringing another banner to Westwood. That championship game performance was ALL HEART.
My Lasting Impression: Tough one because kissing the court at Pauley was huge but I’m going to say the image of him crumbling when we won the NC. After all that he had been through, it was rewarding as a fan to see him overcome all these obstacles.
4 – Tyus Edney – The little general that could. Another guy that had a HUGE part in hanging a banner in Westwood. Loved the way he played and my jaw dropped when he dunked too. Another guy that did things the right way.
My Lasting Impression: Sorry Mizzou. Tyus sure did “show” you what’s up.
5 – Alfred Aboya – Plays the game with passion, intelligence and all out effort. A true student-athlete that wants to be the President one day. Is it just me or do you think that we’ll be reading about Alfred in some Newsweek article in the future? I can see why Howland loves this kid.
My Lasting Impression: Not losing it when Morris intentionally threw that ball off Aboya’s face. I would’ve kicked his f’n ass. Aboya….already showing the nerve & the restraint to be a President. :)
Thanks N for this Q. Got to go down memory lane a bit.
My favorite five
The biggest excitement I think was from my all time favorite, Hazzard and Goodrich. That was the first championship. That was 30-0, and the full court zone press. (That phrase has survived — when we get set to litigate up a storm, the phrase is to put on a full court press.)
I was privileged to see Alcindor and Allen. They were a great one-two punch. So that’s probably my second favorite. Alcindor was pure grace, and Allen was sort of like Collison, only a little longer, and there was no one else around like Allen in those days.
I also saw Walton and Greg Lee, and that’s another of my top five. They were like a couple of surgeons, excising the other teams will.
Wicks and Rowe were great. I don’t remember ever seeing Rowe score, but he always ended up with around 16 or 17 points a game.
One little known but fondly remembered crowd-pleaser was Larry Hollifield. He was very fast going from Point A on the defensive end to Point B on the offensive end, and it was a very bad thing to get in between Point A and Point B. Ref, opposing player, Bruin, vendor, assistant coach – It didn’t matter. If you were between Point A and Point B, you would end up a splotch on Hollifield’s windshield.
So there’s five from a Geezer. (I should add the very solid and dependable John “Bags” Vallely – he was moneybags because he was money in the bank. And the best outside shooter of his era, Henry Bibby.) (And there are more, but I’m quitting before I end up listing everyone.)
It's an unfair question
because nearly every Bruin deserves to be on the list. But since Nestor asked, a few names popped up, and I think these guys pop up for their heart more than any other reason. So, following BlueReign’s self-imposed restriction to players I have seen, and in no particular order…
1. Gerald Madkins – never a big star, but on a team with the Big 3 M’s (Derek Martin, Don MacLean, and Tracey Murray) the 4th M just worked and worked and worked. I remember him throwing down in Brian Williams’ face near the end of a tight game in Pauley. Fearless.
2. Reggie Miller – seems to not get mentioned enough for how great a college and pro player he was. Some players have ice water in his veins – Reggie had liquid nitrogen. We’ve seen the NBA clips of him ripping the heart out of teams (esp the Knicks) with his last second miracles. But remember his senior year and his comeback against Notre Dame? Remember how his changed his role between his junior and senior years for the benefit of his team (and I’ll bet to his slight detriment in the draft). And he’s waaaaayyy better than his sister.
3. Alfred Aboya. How cool will it be he becomes president of Cameroon. Their national soccer team’s name is the Indomitible Lions. That’s sort of an understatement of this guy’s heart and hustle and attitude. What BlueReign said above…how he didn’t crush that WSU player is beyond me. Oh, by the way, he’ll be a graduate student this year, having finshed his degree in about a year and a half faster than I did. And I’m no slouch myself…
4. Ed O’Bannon. I remember exactly where I was when I heard that EddyO (and Shon Tarver) were coming to Westwood, being allowed to transfer after UNLV got written up for cheating (how’d that taste, Tark?!). Then he blows out a knee. Then he struggles to regain his form. And our team keeps losing in the first and second round of the NCAA. And then, in his senior year, it all comes together. And to see him celebrating that title with his brother – what a great moment – for so many reasons. The FanPost by brand0n underscores what a great guy he is.
5. Darren Collison. This guy has given everything and owes us nothing. He has killed himself on the floor for us. He plays D like it’s a single possession game for everything. He has sacrificed his own numbers to get others involved in the offense. He could have been a first round pick in the NBA this year. He knows what sort of players we have coming this year. Despite all this, he is going to stay in Westwood for his senior year, saying that he wants to win a championship at UCLA. That’s the kind of player and person I will be behind today, tomorrow, and forever.
greg in denver
Approximately chronological
until I reach 10… (which won’t take long). This will help augment the lists of younger Bruin fans who didn’t get to see these legends play. Honestly, it is difficult to stop listing players. Such a magical time this was…
Walt Hazzard For helping orchestrate Coach’s teachings and put UCLA indelibly on the basketball map.
Gail Goodrich For continuing Coach’s vision of team play, and leading the Bruins to a second title, despite the graduation of Hazzard. Oh, and for almost single-handedly taking vaunted Michigan apart in the title game.
Lucius Allen Smooth and electric, at the same time. He drove, penetrated, pulled up, laid it up, whatever was needed. He and Lew were outside and inside.
Lynn Shackleford Not particularly fast, not a particularly good jumper, but a consummate team player. And, possessor of the prettiest rainbow jumper, launched from somewhere below his ear, ever. If the three-point shot had been around then, LS would have set the initial records. Not normally known for D, Shack did a suffocating number on his man (Chaney?) against Houston in the regional. Also, Shack and several other Bruins practiced a teaching of Coach that you don’t see much anymore — using the glass. As pretty as a swishing jumper is, one that kisses off the glass before swishing is a wonder to behold.
Lew Alcindor – Kareem Opposing teams used to practice against his shot blocking by holding brooms vertical during practice. With the slam dunk outlawed, no doubt BECAUSE of Kareem, he responded with a sweet, sweet touch. A slam dunk is a hammer. A soft drop into the basket is a scalpel.
Mike Warren A field general on the court, an extension of Coach, Warren was also a damn fine basketball player.
Bill Walton Walton played the game with both fire and grace. He imprinted the outlook pass on the college basketball world. Basketball textbooks should just say “Do it like Walton did it.” His play in the 21-for-22 title game (Memphis St.?) was a finely tuned Ferrari, humming on all cylinders.
Sidney Wicks Without a big man to match up with Artis Gilmore (~7’ 4"), Sidney talked coach into letting him play behind Artis in the title game. “I can do it, Coach.” Somewhat reluctantly, Coach relented. Wicks had about 4 or 5 straight-up blocks of the big man in the title game. Athleticism and heart matched up with size, after all.
Marques Johnson Marques was the Elgin Baylor of the Bruins. His body control and play around the rim was breath-taking. He was Dr. J before there was a Dr. J.
David Meyers DM would have been a prototypical Ben-baller. Think AA2 with more offense. A ferocious rebounder, if the ball hit his hands, it was his. I don’t remember the numbers, but, as with many others in this list, he had a break-out game in an NCAA final. Also famous for being Ann’s brother.
Others Keith Erickson, Greg Lee, John Vallely, Larry Hollyfield, Curtis Rowe, Edgar Lacy
Hard to leave out
Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes was a 3-time all-American (academic all-American, too, like Walton and Lee) and considered by many at the time to have been the best forward ever to play at Westwood.
Can’t do five. Two-plus at every position:
Mike Warren and Walt Hazzard at point, followed closely by BD, who only played a couple of years.
Gail Goodrich and Reggie Miller at shooting guard, though it’s hard to leave out Henry Bibby.
Wilkes and Sidney Wicks at small forward. Si even brought the ball down against the press and was a great outside shooter. Shackelford and Ed O’Bannon just behind.
Davey Myers and Marques Johnson at power forward, with Curtis Rowe right there.
Kareem and the redhead at center.
I’m probably being unfair to some of the players of the ‘90s and recent years (if Kevin Love had put in four years, he’d surely be there). And I bet I’m missing a lot of players who brought me a lot of thrills over the years.
Absolutely
Keith “Silk” Wilkes. Silly of me to omit Silk. I also unintentionally gave short shrift to Henry Bibby, Steve Patterson, Curtis Rowe, and, I’m sure, others.
One time, Coach was asked to describe the perfect basketball player. Coach started citing things like intelligence, quickness, and selflessness, but then just stopped and said “Oh, just take Keith Wilkes.”
Championship Banners ID the best
Picking the top 10 from UCLA is impossible as we have had a plethora of incredible players over the years. The team was 115-5 with 4 championships during my 1967-71 tour, and I was fortunate enough to see every home game during that time, including home loss to USC. In my view the list is longer than 10, but here’s my weigh in.
1. Alcindor
2. Walton
3. Goodrich
4. Hazzard
5. Allen
6. Wicks
7. Marques Johnson
8. Wilkes
9. Miller
10. Lee
Tough to leave Mike Warren off the list.
My favorite team didn’t have Alcindor or Walton. It was the tweener with Wicks, Rowe, Patterson, Bibby and Vallely. This was unbelievable team play with suffocating pressure D. Kenny Booker was the best off the bench.
Some other crowd pleasers during that time (including Walton years) were Shakleford, Kenny Heitz, Swen Nater (backed up Walton and second best center in the country), Tommy Curtis, and Farmer.
Miller
I realize Miller wasn’t from that era, but he can’t be left off of any list that is compiled.
Season Tickets
Season Tickets were $3.25. That’s $.25 per game. They were sold to students in strips of 13 home games at a quarter. Of course, that’s when a quarter was – still a lousy quarter!
Of all the things that we geezers say
that date us, a reference to prices has to be the topper.
Season tickets, SEASON tickets for goodness sake, for the price of a frappucino.
My Five
Bill Waltron
His game against Memphis was a clinic.
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
I was lucky to see him play (yes, I am that old)
Sidney Wicks
His game against Artis Gilmore is still a classic in my book
Ed O’Bannon
All class, all heart all the time. A true Bruin great
Tyus Edney
Can you say 4.7 seconds
There are about 10 more that are also my favorites. But these are my top 5.
My Top Ten
Ten is still not enough…
Just personal faves, no real rhyme nor reason:
1. Reggie Miller
2. Keith Wilkes
3. Ed O
4. Tyus
5. Baron
6 Marques Johnson
7. Rod Foster
8. Alcindor (The Cap!!!)
9. LUUUUUUC
10. Gail Goodrich/Brad Holland
Of course there are plenty of others (I loved the original Air Canada, Charles Rochelin, Darren Daye, Richard Washington…)
2 era's
Coach’s ERA
Walton
Goodrich
Alcindor
Marques Johnson
Wicks
Post Coach
Tyus
Ed
Reggie
Afflalo
Farmar
AA & Farmar because of their vision and wisdom and belief in Howland.
I'll limit my top 10 to those I've seen
Being only a quarter-century old (which makes me a 2005 grad), I’m going to limit myself to Bruins I’ve seen play (which means my list excludes the 1995 title team, as I was only 13 at the time and had yet to develop an attachment to college basketball).
But, I’m going to cheat and add Bruins I’ve seen play in the NBA.
That said, here we go:
1. Arron Afflalo
2. Jordan Farmar
3. Baron Davis
4. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
5. Lorenzo Mata-Real
6. Darren Collison
7. Kevin Love
8. Reggie Miller
9. Alfred Aboya
10. Josh Shipp
I'm keeping it short, but I love this topic
1) Arron Afflalo
2) Toby Bailey
3) Baron Davis
4) Darren Collison
5) Dijon Thompson
No love for Donnie Mac?!?!?!
The guy was money from the line and money from 18 feet in. Plus he holds the all-time UCLA scoring record.
How about 5 at each position?
C- Kareem, Walton—big honorary space after two greatest college players of all time—Nater, Zidek, Patterson. Honorary mention: Lorenzo!
F-Wicks, Marques Johnson, Wilkes, O’Bannon, MacLean
F2-CRowe, Dave Meyers, David Greenwood, Shackelford, KLove (finding him a spot)
SG-Hazzard, Allen, RMiller, Vallely, TBailey
PG-Goodrich, Edney, Warren, Bibby, Greg Lee
Collison in waiting (tough list to crack). Honorary mention to BDavis.
Can't believe
You have no love for JF and AA in your list! Afterall, they are the foundation for the success of our Ben Ball Warriors under CBH. ;)
Tough choices
Lots of love for JF and AA, but you realize two things when making up a list of All-Time Bruins: the old school guys get a huge advantage by 1)staying in school and playing for 3-4 years and as seniors and 2)winning national championships. If you know the players from the old era, it’s hard not to give them the nod.
In the end the best solution seems to be multiple lists: Wooden Era. Post-Wooden era. 90s/Howland.
As far as JF and AA go, they’re obviously great Bruins. But I might give Earl Watson the nod over them, because of the 4 years of strong, solid service. Baron Davis makes the list as a two-year player because he’s Baron Davis.
You have Hazzard and Goodrich backward
Goodrich was the shooter, Hazzard was the passer.
Good Point
You’re probably right. I was thinking about Hazzard as the prototypical “big guard”—a very big and strong guy, athletic, actually a little bit like Westbrook, which is why I put him in the SG category I think.
And Goodrich played a lot of PG in the NBA, famously alongside Jerry West. It’s funny, but there wasn’t the same clear distinction of PG and SG back in the day, although guys like Mike Warren and Greg Lee were clearly PGs, while Henry Bibby, for instance, wasn’t.
So it’s kind of a false distinction, just as PF and SF would be—and that’s why I used “F and F2,” which is meaningless.
And how did Kevin Love sneak in there?!
I agree with everybody's list,
but I do remember Goodrich against Michigan as a fantastic thrill. Oh, and I wanted to throw in Don Barksdale. Yes, I am that old.
Emphasis on favorites not all time best
1. Michael Holten
2. AA
3. Baron
4. Kiki
5. Goodrich
6. Honorable Mention: Donny Mac (but makes it as my all time favorite color man)
wheres earl watson!
if you can, watch (or rewatch) his tourney game against maryland where we smashed them by 30 something you’ll see why i’m such a huge fan of him.
He was great but if its based on the Maryland game then...
JaRon Rush also must be considered. Hah!
My top-10 favorites
Mine is a recent list too:
1. Arron Afflalo
2. Darren Collison
3. Jordan Farmar
4. Luc Richard M’Bah A Moute
5. Baron Davis
6. Kevin Love
7. Russell Westbrook
8. Lorenzo Mata-Real
9. Cedric Bozeman
10. Earl Watson
by UniversityofSecondChoice on Oct 7, 2008 9:24 AM PDT reply actions
Finally some love for Earl!
Definately gave his all for us. But can certainly understand why not on a lot of list…too many other good players!
Isn't it sort of nice that we don't have enough room for everyone?
We have had a lot of guys come through, and many of them were favorites for one reason or another. Here’s one for the Geezers. Remember Jon Ecker’s turn around jumper from the baseline to give us a win? I don’t remember the game, I just remember being behind by a point and wondering when Coach would press the button and have us win. And somehow it was Ecker.
Limiting to guys that I've watched live/on TV...
Favorites:
1. Ed O’Bannon
2. Tyus
3. LRMAM
4. Reggie Miller
5. Baron Davis
6. Collison
7. George Zidek
8. Earl Watson
9. Cedric Bozeman
10. Don MacLean
by Westwood Wizard on Oct 7, 2008 10:54 AM PDT reply actions
NEW LIST
My favorite UCLA basketball players were all those who showed up and wore the jersey and played their hearts out.
So in that vein…can we have a top-5 least favorite UCLA basketball players? This is a tough one…maybe not very Bruin-like…but how about I start with…Michael Fey…
No question...Stuart Gray
There was also a McDonalds all american from Colorado about that time who definately didn’t pan out.
Oh, I can do that...
…but it’s all Lavin guys (except one):
1. Michael Fey (dude was 7’0", 270 lbs and he played soft, as if he was 6’3" and 175 lbs . . . oh, and he couldn’t hold on to the ball to save his freakin’ life)
2. Jon Crispin (waste of a roster spot)
3. Ike Williams (while entertaining, his antics on the bench made us look like some sloppy ass junior college team . . . not befitting someone wearing the UCLA jersey)
4. Ryan Walcott (had no business being anywhere close to a Pac-10 roster)
5. Henry Bibby (he coached for U$C . . . to me, that makes him a traitor)
I Tried To Pick Five Favorites...
…and I can’t—there are too many great, inspirational players to choose. from So, if I go with more “recent,” and go with popopapa’s idea of “favorites,” not necessarily “the best”….(no particular order)
Ed O’Bannon
Arron Afflalo
Jordan Farmar
Reggie Miller
Lorenzo Mata-Real
Tyrus Edney
Russell Westbrook
Darren Collison
Baron Davis
Cedric Bozeman
(…okay, that’s ten…See, I can’t do it.)
Love My Bruins
Favorites are favorites
Fun topic, but IMO, any post that starts out with something like “I can’t believe you left Houdini McSkyhook off the list” is missing the point.
Fact is, our favorites are our favorites. Probably, our favorites are those with whom we grew up, or those who made initial impressions on us, or those who spoke to us that day, or those who shares a love of avocados.
If you’re going for most meritorious in some way, then it’s wise to consider rational factors, such as zhiv’s point about length of service. But, when it comes to personal favorites, anything goes. This is one “survey” where it really is all good.
Umm, can we get Houdini McSkyhook on the roster?
Because with a name like that, I’m willing to bet that boy can score. ;)
Favorites who I have watched play (in no particular order)
Jason Kapono
Earl Watson
Darren Collison
Kevin Love
Luc-Richard Mbah a Moute
Cool thread...
Only limited to those I have seen (since the late ’80’s) and also maybe not the best players, but the ones that are my favorites.
In no particular order:
- Tyus: Mizzou, I’d still take him over JKidd and Stoudamire as a college PG in the mid-90’s.
- Ed O’Bannon: The kiss of Center Court, the Championship game.
- Lorenzo Mata-Real: gotta love a guy who is more excited about his B in History than the Gonzaga win.
- Arron Afflalo: love that guy
- Earl Watson: tough
Okay, I can’t stop. 5 more
- Baron Davis
- Reggie Miller: best shooter ever
- Mitchell Butler
- Gerald Madkins
- Kris Johnson: sweet game, if he was only 4 inches taller…
Gerald Madkins
Great to see the love—here and there—for Gerald. I thought he always gave his all and he seemed like a good guy, too.
I remember that he was in a really, really difficult Psychology class that I took. Upper level, pretty complex, which makes me question why I was in the class in the first place. I give him extra bonus points for that, too.
least favorite
easy – kenny fields. loser. reminds me of sidney today with the same type of dad/
Top 5
Since I wasn’t around for the Wooden years, I will keep my list to players I have actually seen play at Pauley.
1. Darren Collison—no player personifies Howland’s character and determination than DC.
2. Baron Davis—still my favorite player and happy to have him back in town.
3. Arron Afflalo—Same as DC, except 1 less year.
4. Jason Kapono—nothing was funner than watching him jack up 25 footers and then play matador defense.
5. Toby Bailey—one of my first memories of basketball was watching One Shining Moment and there being a still picture of Toby throwing down a reverse dunk, simply AWESOME!!!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
