UCLA logo inside Pauley Pavilion
Photo Credit: Mike Regalado
3. Willie Naulls 1953-56
Before John Wooden was the “Wizard of Westwood”, he was just another college basketball coach battling for conference championships. On his path to greatness he coached many players, but the first one that was a “superstar” was Willie Naulls.
Naulls stood at 6’6″ and was one of the more athletic players Wooden had coached at the time in his tenure at UCLA. Naulls was long and agile and had a knack for controlling a game.
In his 2nd and 3rd year, Naulls led UCLA to Pacific Coast Conference Championship, with the Bruins making it to the regional semifinal of the NCAA Tournament in 1956. That year, Naulls was also selected as an All-American.
At his graduation, Naulls was the Bruin’s leader in scoring and rebounds. Though those records have been shattered, Naulls still holds the UCLA single game record for rebounds with 28.
Naulls went on to play ten years in the NBA.
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