USC Vs UCLA Basketball – A Look At The Other Crosstown Showdown
It must be hard to be a USC Trojan fan right now. Not only is their traditionally dominant football team playing second-fiddle to the real team that runs L.A., the UCLA Bruins, but they have also had to watch their once grandiose basketball program play second-fiddle to, well, you know… the Bruins. Still, it does not demean the USC Vs UCLA rivalry one bit, in fact this game is one that both teams get up for and battle as if they were on the gridiron.
UCLA Bruins
Things were not always like this though. USC, at one time, actually had a great basketball team. Between 1932 and 1943, the Trojans did not lose once to the Bruins. Unfortunately, things changed in the coming years, especially in 1948 when a phone call and wintery storm had brought an Indiana basketball coach to Westwood. That was the first year John R. Wooden took over as head basketball coach. After that, things changed… a lot.
USC was still good in that time, but could not compete with the likes of the Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton-led UCLA championship squads. Before Wooden arrived, the Trojans had a 65-13 record on the Bruins. From 1948 to the present, the Bruins have a healthy 122-39 lead on their crosstown rivals.
Although it is unfortunate that USC has not invested in their basketball team as they used to, you will not see Bruin fans shed a tear for them anytime soon, because just like football, the basketball rivalry is just as heated. With that, we present a few key stats and fun facts for you to share with your Trojan counterparts.
Jan 12, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins championship banners prior to a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Arizona State 87-72. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports
All-time Record
UCLA leads 135-104
National Championships
USC 0, UCLA 11
Final Fours
USC 2, UCLA 18
Sweet Sixteens
USC 4, UCLA 32
Regular Season Conference Championships
USC 7, UCLA 37
Conference Tournament Championships
USC 1, UCLA 4
Hall Of Famers
USC: Bill Sharman, Sam Barry (coach)
UCLA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Gail Goodrich, Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks, Gene Bartlow (coach), Larry Brown (coach), John R. Wooden (coach)
FUN FACTS!
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First Ever Game: USC beat UCLA 45-35, February of 1928, yet UCLA won the next two to take the season series.
Post-Season Fun Fact: In 2008, UCLA and USC met for the first time in 225 post-season games during the conference semi-finals. UCLA won 57-54
Setting National Records: USC once held an NCAA record for longest win-streak over one opponent as they beat UCLA 41 times from 1932-1943. UCLA overtook that record in 1985 as they have a record 52 games (still standing) over Cal.
USC Caused The NCAA Tournament Expansion: In the 1970-71 season, USC was the #2 team in the country most of the year and ended with a 24-2 record. Those two losses came at the hands of UCLA. In the final game of the season, the Bruins beat the Trojans 72-63 to win the conference championship and book their ticket to the NCAA tourney. Because only conference champions went to the Big Dance, #2 USC, missed out, prompting an expansion to 32 teams to include those that were worthy of a bid and not just conference champions.
So when the tourney hits 100 teams, you can thank USC for once again messing up something beautiful.