NCAA at 75 - College Basketball
2. UCLA, 1972
Four decades before John Calipari won a national title by starting three first-year players, John Wooden accomplished the same feat. Freshmen weren't eligible to play in Division I back then, but with sophomores Greg Lee, Keith Wilkes (who later changed his name to Jamaal), and Bill Walton starting alongside senior Henry Bibby, the Bruins went 30-0 and won their eighth title in nine seasons. Wooden used a fast tempo (UCLA averaged 94 points a game) along with an aggressive zone press to overwhelm opponents. After Walton recorded a 33-21 double-double in a semifinal win over Louisville, UCLA beat Florida State for the title. The Seminoles scored a moral victory by losing 81-76, a margin of defeat 25 points smaller than average for Bruin opponents that season.
-- John Gasaway
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