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UCLA basketball: 5 best seasons in Bruins history, ranked

By Mike Phillips

21 Nov 2000: Former Coach John Wooden of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins watches the action during the game against the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) Matadors at the Pauley Pavillion in Westwood, California. The Matadors defeated the Bruins 78-74.Mandatory Credit: Jeff Gross /Allsport
21 Nov 2000: Former Coach John Wooden of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins watches the action during the game against the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) Matadors at the Pauley Pavillion in Westwood, California. The Matadors defeated the Bruins 78-74.Mandatory Credit: Jeff Gross /Allsport /
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Best UCLA basketball seasons ever
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

2. Alcindor leads 1967-68 UCLA Bruins to back-to-back titles

Abdul-Jabbar is back in the countdown as we take a look at the best UCLA team that he was a part of. The 1967-68 Bruins were coming off a national championship in his sophomore year, setting the stage for a big showing in his junior campaign.

The season featured one of the most highly-anticipated college basketball games ever when UCLA took on Houston at the Astrodome. The contest, which was billed as the Game of the Century and became the first college basketball game ever televised in primetime, saw the Bruins fall to Elvin Hayes and the Cougars 71-69 in a thriller.

That defeat served as motivation for the Bruins the rest of the way as they beat up on the rest of the sport. UCLA wouldn’t lose another game in the regular season, finishing 25-1 with a perfect 14-0 mark in Pac-8 play.

The Bruins struggled a bit with New Mexico State in their first game but got past them and Santa Clara to reach the Final Four. Awaiting them was a rematch with Hayes and the Cougars, but UCLA got the last laugh in a 101-69 blowout.

That contest was essentially a de facto championship game with UCLA taking care of business against North Carolina to claim John Wooden’s fourth national championship. Abdul-Jabbar’s Bruins would win it all in the following year too, ensuring he went a perfect 3-for-3 in championships he was eligible to play for.