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UCLA Basketball: The 25 Greatest Bruins of all time

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 21: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to fans as he arrive to attend the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats college basketball game at Pauley Pavilion on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Abdul-Jabbar was honored at half-time after recently receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 21: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to fans as he arrive to attend the UCLA Bruins and Arizona Wildcats college basketball game at Pauley Pavilion on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Abdul-Jabbar was honored at half-time after recently receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Barack Obama. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

21. Kiki Vandeweghe, F (1976-80)

Why Vandeweghe is on this list:

Vandeweghe played for the UCLA basketball team when they were in a period of major transition. The German national started his career in Westwood just two seasons after the great John Wooden hung up his whistle. In his first season, Vandeweghe played under Wooden’s replacement Gene Bartlow and helped the Bruins to a Pac-10 Championship and a return to the Elite Eight.

In the next three years, the forward had to play under two other coaches, Gary Cunningham, and Larry Brown. Although the Bruins missed out on a Pac-10 title in his final season, Vandeweghe led the Bruins back to the NCAA Championship Game in 1980 but fell short of the school’s 11th title as they lost to Louisville.

UCLA Career Stats

  • FG%: .570
  • FT%: .776
  • Rebs/gm: 5.0
  • Total Rebs: 569
  • Pts/gm: 12.2
  • Total Pts: 1380

Key Accomplishments

  • Pac-12 Champs: 1977, 1978, 1979
  • All-Pac-10: 1979
  • UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Member: 1994

After that season, Vandeweghe was selected 11th overall in the 1980 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, though he was not keen on playing for them and demanded a trade which saw him start his career with the Denver Nuggets. He would go on and play for the Portland Trailblazers, New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Clippers before starting his career as a coach for Dallas in 1990. Currently, he is the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA,