At no time did we feel as though any chamionship was ours for the taking. In fact, I wondered at the at the beginning of each season, "how can we possibly do this yet again?"

Each championship came as the result of exciting, often harrowing seasons and playoffs and a magical final win. If anything felt like it was our birthright, it was the sense of calm that came over you just before the championship game started.

It seemed that John Wooden prepared his teams so well and that all of the serious battles had been fought such that the final game was almost a dénouement -- especially Wicks and Row against Western Kentucky and Drollinger, Meyers, and Washington against Kentucky.

But none of us as fans ever felt entitled; it ws just something the MSM could write about when they ran out of ideas.

I was at Pauley for the legendary Frosh-Varsity game in November '65 and saw several frosh games that season (all were blowouts of Biblical proportions).

My freshman year was the '73-'74 season. My expectations were that the Bruins would win every game and the NCAA championship. Why not? They had won 7 straight titles at that time and there was no way Walton and Wilkes would not close their Bruin careers out with anything less than Banner #10.

Those of you who were either too young or not yet born in March 1974 cannot imagine the shock and disappointment of losing to NC State in the national semifinal. Not only did the Bruins lose the game, they blew a rather large lead late in regulation, something that was absolutely unheard of. It was a very, very bitter defeat.

I was lucky enough a year later to be in San Diego to witness the events of that unforgettable weekend. Fortune smiled on the Bruins in the semifinal vs. Louisville when Terry Howard, a reserve Lousville guard who, IIRC, was 10 for 10 on free throws for the season, stepped to the line for a 1 and 1 with the Cardinals up by 2 and seconds to play.

Oops..sorry for the digression.  

7982's post and those that followed remind me that we are one big family that spans generations. Our perspective on Bruin basketball is a product of when we joined the family. I feel for those who are too young to have been alive during the Wooden years. UCLA basketball was so dominant for so many years...it's really hard to describe.

But I'm not naive enough to realize that UCLA ruled college basketball before the sport blossomed. Those teams only had to win 4 games in the NCAA's in a field that was set at 16 teams before it expanded in later years. There was no Georgetown, Big East or mid-majors.

Fast forward...Howland's teams have allowed me to expect a victory every time out. My theory is that as long as they keep it close, they will find a way to win. The games against the Arizona teams at Pauley were vivid reminders of Wooden's team. Crisp execution leading to big early leads and never looking back.

But the landscape of college basketball today is so different from those heady days of the Wooden years. Getting to the Final Four is a monumental achievement.

In closing this rather long-winded post, I first want to thank BN for providing the kitchen table around which the Bruin family can sit around and talk about the things we love to talk about. Finally, no matter when you joined the family, remember WE ARE FAMILY and while families have their disagreements now and then, they will always stick together.

GO BRUINS!!!        

What the media failed to report is that Bartow brought a boring style of basketball to UCLA.  John Wooden emphasized up tempo, team play, with aggressive man-to-man defense.  Bartow relied on his star players (primarily Marques Johnson and Richard Washington).  There was no 2-2-1 zone press, no high post motion offense.  If Bartow could have been as successful as Wooden, even with his style of basketball, all would have been fine.  But coupling boring basketball and no National Championships (also the fact that he was an outsider to the program) was not a recipe for gaining the support of the UCLA faithful.  

If JD Morgan had done the right thing and hired Denny Crum when JW retired, I do not believe the failure to live up to Wooden's unique legacy would have been as pronounced.  If Denny Crum had duplicated Bartow's record, I feel the fans would not have been as critical and while NC banners would not be going up every year, the fan base would have been happy (or at least happier).  True UCLA fans do not have a sense of entitlement, but we do have expectations not just for success, but also style of play.  

BH has restored consistent success to the basketball program. His defensive philosophy brings an excitement to the game that rivals the precision of a John Wooden coached fast break or a turnover after turnover form his full court press.  In the words of Bill Walton, "Order has been restored to the universe."  That order has come without a National Championship.

Finally, it is interesting to note, that even Harrick's NC was only brief moment of success in the eyes of most fans.  It took Ben Howland (sans National Championships) to restore the basketball program to its traditional place at the top of college basketball elite.  BH has proven that true UCLA basketball fans do not require National Championships to fully support the team.  Yes, we want success, but we also want to support a team that is fun to watch and plays to its abilities.

I agree that the true Bruin fan doesn't feel a sense of entitlement (especially after some of the Coaches we have had for BB). We just want our teams to play to their potential and grow as players and people. I was proud of the '95 team for two reasons, the NC of course, but they also were very good academically.

I'm a Geezer tweener it seems, not as old as some, older than most others. Our common thread is we are all part of the UCLA family which as far as I am comcerned has no equal.