UCLA’s countdown of its top 20 players of all time has reached No. 8, and the spot goes to Walt Hazzard, a Bruin whose legacy is built less on sheer career totals than on the kind of peak that changes a program.
Hazzard’s numbers at UCLA were strong enough on their own. In three seasons, he averaged 16.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. But what separates him in this ranking is the way he helped power one of the most dominant teams college basketball has ever seen, and the role he played in setting the table for what became a dynasty.
His biggest season came in 1963-64, when he put up 18.6 points per game and helped guide UCLA to a perfect 30-0 record and the program’s first national championship. That run pushed him into the national spotlight.
He was named a consensus first-team All-American, the National Player of the Year, and the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. He also earned USBWA Player of the Year honors, along with spots on the NCAA All-Tournament Team and All-Region Team.
When the pressure rose, Hazzard delivered. In that unbeaten championship season, he averaged 19.8 points per game in the NCAA tournament. His best outing came against Kansas State in the national semifinal, when he finished with 19 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds.
His place on this list also reflects the bigger picture. Hazzard’s UCLA resume is impressive, but his overall body of work does not quite match the players ranked ahead of him.
His NBA career factors in as well. He played 10 seasons in the league, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers and ending with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1974, and he finished with averages of 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.
Even so, UCLA is where his name carries the most weight. Hazzard was one of John Wooden’s most important Bruins and a central figure in an undefeated season that helped launch one of the greatest dynasties in college basketball history.
In Other News...
Ta'Shawn James Just Gave UCLA A Defensive Building Block
TaShawn James gave UCLA a first-week defensive boost that went well beyond the box score. The Bruins defensive back was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after piling up eight tackles and picking off two passes in the season-opening win over Cal, a performance that immediately stood out in a game that already carried extra weight for a program adjusting to a new head coach.
Bob Chesney got his first win since taking over, and James helped make sure the finish belonged to UCLA. His interceptions came on consecutive snaps in the fourth quarter, a closing stretch that reflected the kind of defensive edge the Bruins can build around early in the season. For a team still setting its tone under Chesney, James just gave them a clear place to start. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Opener Created One Big Early Lineup Debate
UCLAs Week 1 win over Cal gave the Bruins plenty to like, but it also left one early lineup conversation hanging in the air. The 45-24 result showed a team that could lean on a balanced effort, with Anthony Woods doing damage on the ground and also showing up in the tackling column, while the passing game spread the ball around to multiple receivers in a way that suggested there are still roles to sort out.
On the other side of the ball, the opener was more revealing than comfortable in a few spots. Dante Lovett had a rough night against Cals passing attack, and with the tight ends making only a limited impact as receivers, UCLAs coaches came away with an opening-week picture that was encouraging overall but still pointed to a few spots where the depth chart may not be settled yet. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs New Offense Showed Something Bigger Than Just A Cal Win
The first look at Bob Chesneys UCLA offense was about more than just a season-opening win over Cal. In a 45-24 victory in the Bruins first game under their new head coach, UCLA leaned on a physical ground game and a balanced attack that produced 12 explosive plays, a sign that the offense may have more ways to stress defenses than it showed in the opener.
The defense offered its own evidence of a team still taking shape, adjusting its pass rush strategy as the game wore on and helping swing control back toward UCLA. For a program trying to establish a new identity right away, the opener hinted at something encouraging: the Bruins did not just beat Cal, they showed they could win with multiple paths, even if the most intriguing part of how that might evolve is still to come. [Read more 🡒]