John R. Wooden Classic [+] December 9, 2006 at Honda Center in Anaheim

A look back at Wooden Classic action from the past.

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994

2008 JOHN R. WOODEN CLASSIC RECAP

GAME 1

vs.

Final

For the second straight year, St. Mary's opened the John R. Wooden Classic with a close victory over San Diego State.

St. Mary's kicked off the 15th annual John R. Wooden Classic with a 67-64 victory over San Diego State.

Leading by as much as 12 in the first half, the Gaels prevailed for a 67-64 in a what became a tight battle in the final minutes at Honda Center. After San Diego State briefly took a one-point lead with more than two minutes remaining, St. Mary's closed out the game on a 6-2 run for the win.

"It was down to a two-minute game and each possession was valuable," said St. Mary's head coach Randy Bennett, whose team beat San Diego State 69-64 to open last year's Wooden Classic. "Our guys have been in a lot of big game and close games. I wasn't worried."

Down 62-61 with 1:54 remaining, Gaels leading scorer and reigning West Conference Player of the Week Patrick Mills hit a jumper from the top of the key to put his team on top for good. Senior Diamon Simpson and junior Omar Samhan each followed with buckets to push the lead to five with 24 seconds to go.

The Aztecs still had some fight left, as freshman Tim Shelton converted a layup and got fouled with 11 seconds left. Shelton, who had a team-high 17 points - 12 of which came in the second half- missed his attempt from the charity stripe, but San Diego State was able to reclaim possession. With time winding down, Lorenzo Wade's try at a game-tying three pointer came up short, as did the ensuing putback attempts by the Aztecs.

"We had great fight in the second half," San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher said. "I'm proud of our effort, but effort alone doesn't get you a victory. It was another one that could have been. Hopefully this will be a growing experience for our team."

Senior Diamon Simpson had a game-high 20 points and 15 rebounds for St. Mary's, who improved to 7-1 in the early season."Basically, I just focus on rebounding," Simpson said. "There were a few possessions where they left me and I got rebounds."

Mills, a sophomore who played for the Australian Olympic team in the summer, played the entire 40 minutes for the Gaels, scoring 15 points. His continued presence on the court throughout gave his teammates confidence they could pull out the win.

"It's nice because he is so confident and relaxed out there," Gaels sophomore Mickey McConnell said. "He lives for games like this where he can come out, play well and play against a great team."

While the defeat was San Diego State's second straight and dropped their overall season record to 8-3, there was many positives they took away from the 15th annual John R. Wooden Classic Presented by Toyo Tires.

Along with clawing back into the game and making it interesting in the final minutes, the Aztecs also played extremely efficient, only turning the ball over four times in the game.

"That usually will put you in the winner’s circle," Fisher said. "We talk about turnovers, rebounding and free throws. We were great on the one, pretty good on the other and awful on the third (4-for-12 as a team from the free throw line) Against a good team, that was the difference."

Above all, the experience of playing in an event with Coach Wooden's name was something both players and coaches from both sides were privileged to be part of.

"John Wooden has made history," Aztecs senior Kyle Spain said. Everyone respects for what he’s done in the past. It’s an honor to be in this Classic."

Said Bennett, "Coming down here is a great event for our guys. As much as 20-year-old guys can grasp how impressive a person Coach Wooden is, I think they do. We’re thankful for the chance to do that."

GAME 2

vs.

Behind their trademark defense that stifled DePaul for much of the game, No. 14 UCLA cruised to a 72-54 victory in the 15th annual John R. Wooden Classic.

Coach John R. Wooden joined UCLA on the floor at Honda Center after their 72-54 victory over DePaul.

With the exception of an early 4-3 advantage for DePaul, the Bruins held the lead the rest of the game and improved to 6-2 on the early season. The win was also the fourth straight for UCLA in the event that carries the name of their legendary former coach.

"No. 1 I’m really glad we won," UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. "To come out of finals and have to play a talented team like DePaul, I was worried about this game. We did a good job getting stops. Our defense was very good in the first half in particular."

UCLA put the clamps on DePaul's offense right out of the gate, holding the Blue Demons to just 38 percent shooting from the field and 19 points in the first half. Scoring 35 points on their side of the floor, the Bruins built a lead that proved to be insurmountable.

"As I told our kids, they play defense as well as any team we’ll play this season," DePaul head coach Jerry Wainwright said. "UCLA has a great program, great team and are very well coached. I think that was great opportunity for us to move forward as a young program and hopefully grow from this game."

Wainwright noted the play of UCLA's three senior leaders - Josh Shipp, Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya - as critical components to the Bruins' effort in the game. "They have three seniors that are really battle-tested," said Wainwright of the class that has been to the Final Four each of the last three season. "They really stand out in my mind as steady players. They let the game come to them. I also think they really raise the level of their younger players."

One of UCLA's best young players, highly-touted freshman Jrue Holliday, enjoyed one of his best games yet in a Bruins uniform with a game-high 14 points (along with Shipp) and six assists.

Recently, Holiday said he was looking to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor and it showed early against DePaul. The 6-3 guard hit the first shot of the game (a three-pointer) and had nine of the team's 35 points at halftime.

"I felt that I started attacking early," Holiday said. "I was just trying to cut through the zone to get in the middle and distribute the ball, as well as look for my shot."

Also getting Holiday fired up early was his matchup against sophomore Dar Tucker, who entered the game leading DePaul with 20.3 points per game. Against the defensive pressure of Holiday and the Bruins, Holiday scored a season-low 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting.

"I think that is what motivated me and got my juices going, trying to take on the challenge of guarding a really good player," Holiday said.

After beginning the year 4-0, DePaul has now dropped their last four contests and stands at 4-4 on the season. Sophomore Mac Koshwal had a team-high 12 points (on a perfect five-for-five from the field and two-for-two from the free throw line) and eight rebounds for the Blue Demons in the loss.

Before joining the Bruins on the Honda Center floor at the conclusion of the game for a trophy presentation, Coach Wooden received a much-deserved standing ovation from the crowd of 14,163 with 2:48 left in the game. Shortly after, Wooden's great-grandson Tyler Trapani (a freshman guard for UCLA) was inserted into his first career game with the Bruins and had one shot attempt that missed.

"Any time you are in Coach Wooden’s presence, it’s a special thing," Shipp said. "This Classic is really good for us to be in. He’s the greatest coach ever and we just feel honored."

2007 JOHN R. WOODEN CLASSIC RECAP

GAME 1

vs.

Final

St. Mary's kicked off the 14th Annual John R. Wooden Classic presented by Toyo Tires with a 69-64 victory over San Diego State.

Tron Smith had a game-high 20 points for St. Mary's in their 69-64 win.

Led by senior guard Tron Smith, who scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, the Gaels erased a 29-24 halftime deficit to improve their undefeated record to 7-0 on the season. Gaels freshman guard Patrick Mills added 15 points while junior Diamon Simpson netted a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds in the game.

“To come in here and play a good team like San Diego State and come out on top feels great,” St. Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett said. “I told our guys this is like [the NCAA Tournament] a little bit. You play in an arena that’s this big. There was pressure there we haven’t felt so far this year.”

St. Mary’s struggled at Honda Center in the first half, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and going on a 5:58 scoreless stretch that began with 8:55 left in the half. The second half was a different story for the Gaels and a big part of that came from the play of Smith and Mills, who combined for 28 of the team’s 45 second half points.

“Tron Smith did a great job of coming out and being very aggressive in the second half,” said San Diego State junior forward Lorenzo Wade, who had 11 points in the game. “Mills did an excellent job of running his team.”

Smith did most of his damage from the free throw line, where he converted on 10-of-14 attempts.

“In the second half, everybody figured it out and picked their play up,” Smith said. “I just tried to calm everybody down, get good penetration and look for my teammates.”

Missed opportunities from the free throw line plagued San Diego State, as the Aztecs shot 8-of-18 from the charity stripe in the game.

“You’re not going to win if you don’t make free throws,” Fisher said. “When you get there, you have to be able to make them.”

Kelvin Davis paced the way for San Diego State in the game with a team-high 19 points and the junior guard said after the game that the team can use the loss as a positive the rest of the season.

“We take this as a loss but as a plus for us to learn,” Davis said. “It hurts a lot, but I’d rather have this loss right now than later in the season.”

GAME 2

vs.

Final

Not to be denied in the event that bears their former coach’s name, seventh-ranked UCLA fought back from an 18-point first half deficit to defeat Davidson 75-63 in the second game of the John R. Wooden Classic presented by Toyo Tires.

UCLA junior Josh Shipp netted 15 points in the win for the Bruins.

“It really was a great atmosphere today. It felt like an NCAA tournament game,” UCLA head coach Ben Howland said. “It’s always an honor to be in this tournament, first and foremost because it’s in Coach’s name. To be involved in anything that his hands are on is truly an honor for me and for our program. I just can’t emphasize that enough or express it any better. It’s incredible.”

Davidson (3-5) stormed out to a 32-14 lead with 6:17 remaining in the first half, but they were unable to sustain the momentum in the game, as UCLA (8-1) outscored the Wildcats 61-31 the rest of the way.

“We had the huge deficit. They came out and just hit three after three against us,” Howland said. “That’s two games in a row now that we’ve fallen behind by 16 and 18. We’d like to avoid that in the future. Overall, I’m pretty pleased the way we came back.”

Critical to the Bruins’ turnaround was the defensive effort by the team and in particular sophomore guard Russell Westbrook, who drew the difficult task of guarding Wildcats sophomore star Stephen Curry, who entered the game averaging 26 points per contest.

Curry found buckets harder to come by against the Bruins, as the 6-foot-3 guard shot 6-for-19 in the game with a team-high 15 points under the relenting pressure of Westbrook.

“Westbrook contested a lot of shots and got my balance and footwork off,” Curry said. “He did a great job of chasing me all game and making it tough for me to get easy looks.”

Junior forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute led the way for the Bruins with a game-high 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting while also adding eight rebounds.

“My teammates did a good job of attacking them,” Mbah a Moute said. “I was focused on finishing under the basket. Also, I just had open shots and I knocked them down.”

While fighting through some early foul trouble, highly-touted freshman center Kevin Love chipped in with 12 points and 12 rebounds during 22 minutes of play for his fifth double-double of the season.

“I only played 22 minutes, but I felt I was productive,” Love said. “We played a great game and came out with a big win.”

With the win, the Bruins have now won their last three appearances in the Wooden Classic dating back to 2005.

“We knew that this was going to be a very difficult team to play,” Howland said. “I’m just really glad we came out of here with a win.”

2006 JOHN R. WOODEN CLASSIC RECAP

GAME 1

vs.

Boosted by 18 points from Josh Shipp and timely scores by Darren Collison, No. 1 UCLA held on to beat sixth-ranked Texas A&M in Game 1 of the John Wooden Classic. The Bruins ran their perfect record to 8-0, while the Aggies fell for the second straight game after winning the first seven of the season.

"That was a very hard-fought win," said UCLA head coach Ben Howland. "This was just two teams battling on the national stage. I feel really good that we were able to pull out the win. That was one of the most physical games that I can remember."

Josh Shipp had 18 points for UCLA.

The Bruins went into the locker room at halftime with plenty of momentum after Darren Collison nailed a three-pointer just before the buzzer to give UCLA a 33-27. "That was a very big basket," Shipp said. "I was right there and I hugged him." Collison had 15 points in the game

UCLA extended the lead to as much as nine points early in the second half, and never trailed the rest of the way. Although, Texas A&M got close, pulling to within 63-60 on a jumper by Acie Law with 44 seconds left. Collison stepped out of bounds near UCLA's bench on the ensuing possession, one of his six turnovers. But Aggies forward Joseph Jones missed what could have been a tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds to go.

Collison made two big free throws after that to give UCLA a five-point lead, and Law's layup with a second left was too little too late.

"We both had opportunities to make plays," Law said, "But they made plays when we didn't."

The senior point guard Law led the way for the Aggies, with 21 points on 10-of-20 shooting, while playing all 40 minutes. Although A&M outrebounded the Bruins, 34-23, they were plagued by 20 turnovers.

"Usually you're not going to win a lot of games when you get beat on the boards by 11," Howland said. "But I think the key to the game was we forced a lot of turnovers and shot the three-pointer better."

Said A&M head coach Billy Gillispie, "That's a great team. They're unbelievably well-coached and that's why they played for the title last year. They don't have too many weaknesses. I was real proud of the way our guys competed."

UCLA's Arron Afflalo had eight of his 13 points in the final nine minutes. Jones had 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

GAME 2

vs.

USC erased a 13-point halftime deficit and outscored George Washington by 22 in the second to roll to a 74-65 victory in Game 2 of the John Wooden Classic.

"I’m very pleased we got the win," said Trojans head coach Tim Floyd, "but I’m still not sure how we got it. The first half was about as ugly a half as I’ve ever been a part of. They created a lot of our anxiety and lack of poise with their defensive schemes and pressure."

Daniel Hackett had all of his
18 points in the second half.

USC went into the locker room at halftime trailing 29-16, thanks in part to 11 turnovers and a noticeable rebounding advantage for GW. During one stretch they went 9 minutes and 59 seconds without a point. "At halftime, I just asked them, ‘What offense to you want to run? Tell me because it really doesn’t matter if we’re going to throw it in the seats.’" His team responded by holding GW to just 36 percent shooting in the second half and nabbing 23 second-half rebounds.

"Coach gave us a great speech at halftime, a motivational speech," said guard Lodrick Stewart, who had 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting. "He just told us we’ve got to come out and play because it was embarrassing the way they were running over us and grabbing rebounds and outhustling us. We went and executed his game plan and it worked. It was our defense that won the game.”

Freshman Daniel Hackett was exemplary of USC's second half resuscitation. After going scoreless in the first half, Hackett had 18 in the second, making all three of his field goal attempts and all 11 of his free throws.

“Everybody was mad in the locker room at halftime, and we came back out with a lot of energy," Hackett said. " We just did what we had to do. The most important thing was taking care of the ball. We were just turning the ball over too much in the first half. The second half I think we only turned it over four times. That’s the key right there.”

Said GW head coach Karl Hobbs, "“I thought they did a good job of making adjustments in terms of handling our pressure. I thought the missed opportunities for us, in terms of layups, really changed the momentum of the game. In the last five minutes, it became a battle of wills. You have to give all the credit to USC. I think they’re a terrific basketball team."

2005 John R. Wooden Classic Recap

Washington 81 - New Mexico 71
No. 17 Washington took a 17-point lead at halftime and never looked back in defeating New Mexico, 81-71, in the first game of the John Wooden Classic at Honda Center.

New Mexico did get within five points at 71-66 after a three-pointer by Mark Walters with 6:52 to go in the game, but that was as close as the Lobos would get the rest of the way.

Huskies forward Jamaal Williams, who transferred to Washington from New Mexico, led all scorers with 22 points on 10-16 shooting, and added six rebounds. Guard Brandon Roy added 18 points and made six of seven free throws.

"It was a great outcome and we were able to come out on top," said Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar. "But prior to that final horn going off, we made a lot of mistakes. They took a lot of our strengths away today and did a good job. We tried to force it a bit too much and allowed them to get back in the game."

Walters contributed to New Mexico's effort with 21 points, including a Wooden Classic record-tying five three-pointers. But he also committed five of New Mexico's 22 turnovers.

"I think a little of it had to do with their pressure," Walters said. "They forced turnovers and we were kind of throwing the ball all over the court. We've played against teams just as good as Washington or better and hung in there. We just dug ourselves too deep a hole."

Washington improved to 8-0 on the season.

UCLA 67 - Nevada 56
Jordan Farmar had 24 points to lead No. 16 UCLA to a 67-56 victory over No. 17 Nevada in the second game of the John R. Wooden Classic at Honda Center. Farmer's 10-13 from the field (including 3-3 from three-point territory) keyed a hot shooting night for the Bruins, who hit 52 percent of their attempts. They also held Nevada to 37 percent shooting for the game.

"It was an outstanding win for our team because we beat a really good team," said UCLA head coach Ben Howland. "Any team that has 14 straight wins on the road, dating back to last year, is just outstanding. They really have a chance to advance far in the NCAA Tournament, so it's really a quality win."

Said Farmar, "Coach called a couple of plays for me and I just knocked the shots down. I was just looking to be aggressive and I had a lot of opportunities."

Arron Afflalo chipped in with 18 points while also making an impressive defensive effort in his 37 minutes on the floor.

Nevada's Nick Fazekas tied Farmer for game high with 24 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds. "UCLA is the best team we've played so far this year," Fazekas said. "It might be the best team we see all year."

The loss was the first of the season for Nevada (6-1), while UCLA improved to 7-1.

"UCLA outplayed us in a lot of ways," said Nevada head coach Mark Fox. "Certainly we're disappointed with the loss. UCLA has an excellent basketball team and they played very well. They deserve credit for the victory."

2004 John R. Wooden Classic Recap
Once again, the power and prestige of the Wooden Classic came to Honda Center (formerly the Arrowhead Pond), as the event celebrated its 11th anniversary. The 2004 field brought four of the nation’s premier men’s college basketball teams together on Sunday, December 5. The UCLA Bruins faced the Boston College Eagles and the Arizona Wildcats battled the Mississippi State Bulldogs. It was the first appearance for both Boston College and Mississippi State.

Arizona 68 - Mississippi St. 64
Arizona and Mississippi State went head to head in the first of two games at the Wooden Classic. Arizona defeated the Bulldogs 68-64, led by Channing Frye’s 18 points, despite being held scoreless for more than six minutes toward the end of the game. Frye also set a Wooden Classic record with 16 rebounds. Five players previously held the record of 13 including another Arizona stand-out, Luke Walton.

“We have great quickness,” said Arizona coach Lute Olson. “We make it difficult for teams to score.”

Boston College 74 - UCLA 64
Back for their eighth Wooden Classic appearance, the UCLA Bruins put up a fight, but fell short to the Boston College Eagles, 74-64. This was the Bruins first real test of the basketball season. Craig Smith’s 20 team high points, along with a 13-0 run early into the second half gave the Eagles the led for and clinched the victory.

Freshman Jordan Farmar was the high scorer for the Bruins with 14 points

“We are a young team and it shows,” said UCLA Coach Ben Howland. “But that was a good basketball team that beat us today. They went to the NCAA Tournament last year and they’ll go again this year.”

2003 John R. Wooden Classic Recap
An exciting day of basketball was front and center at the Honda Center with the 10^th Anniversary John R. Wooden Classic presented by Intel. This year’s field brought back three of the four teams from the inaugural Classic in 1994 UCLA, Kentucky and Kansas.

Stanford 64, Kansas 58
Stanford took its first step towards an unbelievable season after defeating the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks 64-58 at the Honda Center.

Matt Lottich led the No. 17 Cardinal with 18 points and made five of 10 three-point shots in the victory. With Stanford’s standout player, Josh Childress, on the bench with an injured left foot, the Cardinal showed just how complete their team is this season.

The Jayhawks were led by Aaron Miles with 11 points, followed by Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, both with 10 points a piece.

The finishing blow came from Lottich, when he connected with his fifth three-pointer of the night with 2:26 left on the clock. The basket gave Stanford some breathing room and was the beginning of the end for Kansas. “My stroke felt well all game,” Lottich said. “So yeah, every time I got open, I was going to shoot it.” The outcome was then sealed when Stanford went on an 8-0 run and knocked off the top-ranked Jayhawks.

Kentucky 52, UCLA 50
In the lowest scoring affair in John R. Wooden Classic history the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats defeated the UCLA Bruins by a final score of 52-50. Two solid defenses and rare spurts of offense for both teams provided a good low scoring match-up. Kentucky shot a mere 27 percent from the floor, while UCLA only shot 34 percent.

“Typically, when you hold a team to 27 percent shooting, you’re going to win those games,” UCLA Head Coach Ben Howland said.

Kentucky never trailed in the game, leading by as much as 17 points. They were led in scoring by Erik Daniels with 14 points. Cliff Hawkins also added 12 points to the Wildcat win. Chuck Hayes finished the game with 13 rebounds, tying him for the Wooden Classic rebound record with such standouts as: Mark Madsen and Luke Walton.

Dijon Thompson ended the game with 14 points, leading the Bruins, while Cedric Bozeman finished with 12 points. UCLA only had scoring from three of its players in the first half (Thompson, Bozeman and Ryan Hollins). The 50 point total was the Bruins’ lowest scoring game since December 11, 1999, in a 59-43 loss to Gonzaga. This game also gave Howland his first loss with UCLA.

The closest UCLA came was after Gerald Fitch missed a free throw with 29.7 seconds left and the score was 49-46, but Antwain Barbour popped the ball out of the hands of Michael Fey to give Kentucky the ball. Hawkins then made two free throws, four seconds later to make the score 51-46.

2002 Recap
Georgia vs. Cal Recap | Georgia 78 - Cal 73 OT
Cal and Georgia went head to head at the 9^th annual John R. Wooden Classic. It was the first Wooden Classic appearance for Cal and the second appearance for Georgia since 1994. Both teams pulled off solid performances throughout regulation.

During the last 6 ½ minutes of regulation Cal went on a 12-7 run, but that wasn’t enough as Georgia’s Jarvis Hayes put on the pressure and scored a key basket with 27.4 seconds left in regulation giving Georgia a one-point lead and the battle for the W continued.

With 14 seconds left in regulation, 6-4 Missouri guard Ezra Williams, fouled Cal’s Brian Wethers bringing Wethers to the line for a one-and-one opportunity to take the lead. Wethers made the first, tying the game, but missed the second and Cal grabbed the rebound, but was stolen by Georgia, who attempted to shoot the buzzer-beater, but instead the game went into overtime.

In overtime Georgia prevailed, stopping Cal’s 6-11 sophomore guard Amit Tamir from scoring in overtime, who had 27 points and a career-high 11 rebounds during regulation and held leading scorer Joe Shipp to only 12 points.

“We were a little sluggish, but made the big shots when we needed to,” said Georgia coach Jim Harrick.

Missouri vs. USC Recap | Missouri 78 - USC 72
78 seemed to be the number of points needed to win at the John Wooden Classic this year as Missouri pulled off a win against USC.

But it wasn’t an easy one for Missouri, as USC had the lead at the half 39-34 with the help of Desmond Farmer coming off the bench to score a team high 16 points for the night.

Throughout the game USC played tough defense, switching between a 1-3-1 zone, a zone trap, and man-to-man. It was a frustrating first half for Missouri, as Wooden Award candidate Rickey Paulding had to sit on the bench because of drawing two fouls in less than two minutes into the game.

But Missouri’s offense prevailed in the second half, going 6 of 14 beyond the arc. Two of them coming from freshman guard Jimmy McKinney, who had a total of 12 points. But it was Missouri’s 11-3 run in the remaining 4:14 that sealed the deal for them.

“This was a great win for us,” said Missouri coach Quin Snyder.

2001 Recap

Arizona triumphs over Purdue at 2001 Wooden Classic
Anaheim - Arizona's Luke Walton had 17 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and six assists to lead No. 7 Arizona to a 79-66 victory over Purdue in the opener of the 8th annual Wooden Classic.

Walton's stellar performance was in front of this father, NBA Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American, Bill Walton who is now a television color commentator.

Rick Anderson had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Jason Gardner added 14 points and five assists for the Wildcats
(5-1), who took control early in avenging a loss to the Boilermakers last season at the Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis.

Walton made three straight baskets to give Arizona a 12-6 lead, and the Wildcats led the rest of the way. Purdue hit only 10 of 33 shots in the opening half, while Wildcats made 22 of 39 shots in coasting to a 49-30 halftime lead.

In the second half, Purdue outscored Arizona 21-8 to draw within 10 points, but Walton scored five points in an 11-0 Arizona run, making it 75-54. Arizona made 35 of 65 from the field to Purdue's 23 of 63.

Reserve Willie Deane led Purdue (5-3) with 19 points, while Joe Marshall and Darmetreis Kilgore added 11 each for the Boilermakers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

This was the second appearance for both Arizona and Purdue in the Wooden Classic. Arizona defeated Utah in 1996, while Purdue lost to Villanova in 1995.

Kapono leads UCLA to Victory Over Alabama
Jason Kapono's 22 points led No. 20 UCLA over 16th-ranked Alabama 79-57 in game two of the 8th annual Wooden Classic.

The Bruins trailed once in the first half, but put together a 21-5 run to take a 40-25 halftime lead. Alabama cut its
double-digit deficit to 56-50 on a 3-pointer by Terrence Meade with 8:23 remaining before UCLA dominated the rest of the game, closing with a 23-7 run over the final 7:45.

The Crimson Tide (6-2) had its four-game winning streak snapped in its first appearance in the annual doubleheader. Alabama never got going offensively, shooting only 30 percent. Meade scored 16 points and Rod Grizzard added 14, including 3 three pointers in the second half.

UCLA center Dan Gadzuric had 11 points and nine rebounds and Billy Knight also had 11 points. Matt Barnes had his best performance of the season with 15 points, scoring seven of their first nine points.

The game matched up two former UCLA assistants, Steve Lavin and Alabama's Mark Gottfried, six years after they worked under Jim Harrick on UCLA's national championship team in 1995.

UCLA (4-2) improved to 5-1 in the Wooden Classic.

2000 Recap
Trojans Hold Off Utah at 2000 Wooden Classic
ANAHEIM - When Coach Wooden speaks, you listen, and what he says, you take to heart.

At least that's what USC's Brian Scalabrine did.

The senior forward listened to what Coach Wooden had to say a day earlier, then went out and applied what he had heard in leading the 15th ranked Trojans to an impressive 65-60 win over the 18th ranked Utah Utes on Saturday, in the Exp@Nets John R. Wooden Classic at the Honda Center. Georgia Tech beat UCLA 72-67 in the first-game of the annual doubleheader.

"I was inspired and it carried over to today," said Scalabrine, who finished with a team-high 18 points and 5 rebounds. "Our team is playing hard. It was a good effort from the first to the 15th man."

That it was. Scalabrine got plenty of help from his teammates, especially David Bluthenthal, who scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Bluthenthal combined with Scalabrine to score 16 consecutive points for the Trojans during one stretch of the second half.

Utah assistant coach Dick Hunsacker, subbing for head coach Rick Majerus while he rehabilitates from knee surgery, felt Bluthenthal was the key in crunch time.

"David got away from us in the end. It seemed like we were chasing them the whole game," said Hunsaker. "When they needed a rebound or a shot, they got it."

USC seemingly had the game in hand with about 4 minutes to go, but some sloppy play down the stretch and four missed free throws in the final minute and a half allowed Utah to climb back into it. Britton Johnsen's three-pointer cut the Trojans' lead to 3 with 20 seconds to go, but Brandon Granville canned two free throws with 18.8 left on the clock to seal the win.

"I'm happy with wins, but we have to get better," said USC coach Henry Bibby, who played on NCAA championship teams while playing for Wooden at UCLA. "When you're in the top 25, every game is a big game, so we have to be ready with our game."

Phil Cullen led the Utes with 18 points, and Johnsen added 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Ugly is the Word as Bruins Fall
ANAHEIM - As far as basketball games go, it was an ugly one.

But such is life these days for Steve Lavin and his UCLA Bruins, who put on a horrible shooting display in a 72-67 loss to the unranked Georgia Tech YellowJackets in the first game of the annual Exp@Nets John R Wooden Classic. The loss dropped the Bruins to 2-3 on the season, and added fuel to fire for those who think Lavin isn't getting the job done.

"Right now, we're not very good," guard Earl Watson said. "Critics have every right to speak and talk. We open up the opportunity for them to say what they say. We can't complain about anything."

The nightmare started early for the Bruins, who managed to miss their first 14 shots of the game and 45 of 63 (29%) in all. Watson, playing with a torn tendon in his right pinkie, amassed 8 of UCLA's 19 turnovers, and also missed a potential game-tying shot in the final seconds.

"I just missed a layup. I lost the game," Watson said. "I'll put the last 30 seconds on me."

Watson wasn't alone, though, in his struggles, and the fact that the Bruins were even in the game at the end was a testament to his ability to lead his team. The YellowJackets also helped, going the final four minutes without a field goal to allow UCLA to climb back into the game.

But then Watson missed his lay-up, and the Bruins were finally finished.

"We just missed a shot. That's bound to happen," said Jason Kapono, who led the Bruins with 18 points. "It's what happened before that killed us."

Point guard Tony Akins was high-man for Georgia Tech with 28 points.

1999 Classic
GAME ONE - STANFORD CAGES AUBURN, 67-58
Auburn coach Cliff Ellis knew Stanford's freshmen were talented before the Tigers played them. The youngsters proved just how good when they took over with the pressure on.

Freshman Curtis Borchardt hit a 3-pointer to snap a tie with 1:35 remaining and No. 9 Stanford hung on to beat second-ranked Auburn 67-58 Saturday in the Wooden Classic.

Borchardt and freshman Jarron Collins combined for 13 of Stanford's final 15 points. Borchardt led the Cardinal with 15 points and Jarron Collins added 13 points as Stanford (5-0) beat a ranked opponent for the third time this month. Four of the Cardinal's games have been on the road.

"Sure, you're surprised to be 5-0 with the caliber of competition we've played," Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. "But as long as you defend and board, you can win games."

After Auburn's Doc Robinson tied the game at 56 on a 3-pointer, the 6-foot-11 Borchardt answered with a 3 from the top of the key to give Stanford the lead for good.

"I missed one earlier in the second half and I told myself if I was open, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot again," Borchardt said. "I don't think when I shoot and that was the key."

Stanford's final eight points came from the free-throw line as the Tigers (2-1) repeatedly missed 3-point attempts and had to foul in the final 1:19.

"Our ability to stay with them on the boards was critical," Montgomery said. "Handling their pressure was critical. We did both very well."

The Cardinal was better on the boards, out-rebounding Auburn 46-29, led by Jason Collins, Jarron's twin brother, with 10. The Tigers shot just 30 percent for the game.

"They annihilated us on the boards," Ellis said. "They took it to us in the paint. That was the game. When we play games against physical teams, we have to hold our ground. Stanford made some big shots."

Scott Pohlman led the Tigers with 21 points, including 10 straight when Auburn regained control on a series of fouls that nearly cost Stanford the game.

The Cardinal opened the second half with a 20-12 run to take its largest lead, 49-40, with 9:33 remaining.

Jason Collins, playing in just his 13th college game after two years of injuries, had six points in the spurt when Auburn's Chris Porter, Mamadou N'diaye and Mack McGadney all picked up their fourth fouls.

Porter and N'Diaye came into the game averaging a combined 31 points, but together scored just 11 points. Daymeon Fishback, N'diaye and McGadney eventually fouled out.

"It was very physical inside. I wasn't physical enough," Porter said. "I had open looks, but shots just wouldn't fall for me."

The momentum turned when Stanford's David Moseley knocked Pohlman to the floor and was calledfor a flagrant foul. Pohlman made one of two free throws in what would turn out to be a 10-0 scoring run for the junior.

Montgomery was whistled for a technical and Pohlman was fouled on a drive to the basket.

"I made a stupid play," Montgomery said. "It was a turnaround, but the kids had enough guts and courage to come back."

Pohlman converted all four free throws, then hit a 3-pointer and another basket to give Auburn its first lead since the start of the second half. Robinson added a basket to cap Auburn's run of 12 straight points for a 52-49 lead with 6:37 remaining.

"He and Doc hit some big shots to give us a lift," Ellis said.

Robinson's 3-pointer gave Auburn its last lead with 2:35 remaining before Stanford's freshmen dominated the final minute

GAME TWO - DUKE ROLLS OVER USC, 81-68
Chris Carrawell, the only senior on the Duke roster, scored 24 points Saturday as the 16th-ranked Blue Devils rolled to an 81-68 victory over Southern California in the sixth annual Wooden Classic.

The youthful Blue Devils (3-2) received significant contributions from three freshmen and took advantage of USC's depth problems in winning their third straight after season-opening losses to Stanford and Connecticut.
Nate James had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and freshmen Mike Dunleavy and Jason Williams each scored 13 points for Duke. Dunleavy, whose father Mike coaches the Portland Trail Blazers, also had five assists and four steals.

Sam Clancy led USC (2-3) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Brian Scalabrine added 17 points, and Jeff Trepagnier had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Blue Devils led at halftime 45-38, and extended their advantage to 65-50 before a three-point play by Clancy and a pair of flying dunks by Trepagnier drew the Trojans within eight points with nearly eight minutes left.

However, Dunleavy made back-to-back 3-point shots and assisted on a dunk by Carrawell to make it 73-57 with 6:22 to play, and the Trojans weren't closer than 11 points after that. USC didn't help its cause by missing five straight foul shots while holding the Blue Devils scoreless. By the time the Trojans managed to score again, the outcome was decided.

The Trojans finished 5-of-12 from the foul line while Duke was 12-of-16. Duke went ahead for good by scoring seven straight points on dunks by Carlos Boozer and Carrawell sandwiched around a 3-point shot by Dunleavy, making it 30-24 with 6:55 left before halftime.

USC point guard Brandon Granville, who had eight of his nine assists in the first half, picked up his fourth foul one minute into the second half, further crippling the Trojans' hopes. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Scalabrine was a handful for the Blue Devils in the early going, scoring 13 points as the Trojans took a 24-23 lead.

However, he was held in check by Battier after that, and didn't score again until making a pair of meaningless shots in the final 1:10.

1998 Classic
Kansas 62, Pepperdine 55
Kenny Gregory scored 13 points and Ryan Robertson had 10 of his 12 in the second half Saturday as the seventh-ranked Jayhawks defeated the stubborn Waves 62-55.

Jelani Gardner led Pepperdine with 16 points and Kelvin Gibbs added 15.

Kansas was ahead by just three points with 1:35 remaining, but Eric Chenowith (10 points) made a short jumper to put the game away.

Former Jayhawks Paul Pierce and Raef LaFrentz, both Wooden Classic alums, were in attendance at the Pond along with former Kansas star Danny Manning and Coach Wooden himself.

UCLA 69, Oklahoma State 66
Youth, speed and a timely block allowed UCLA to overcome the experience of Oklahoma State and win its fourth Wooden Classic game in as many tries.

Sophomore Baron Davis got a hand on a three-point attempt by Joe Adkins with about eight seconds remaining as the 18th-ranked Bruins held on to upset the 11th-ranked Cowboys 69-66.

Adrian Peterson led OSU with 22 points and Adkins added 18, including four shots from beyond the arc.

The Cowboys started one senior and four juniors against the second youngest lineup in the country, but UCLA sophomore Earl Watson (14 points) and freshman Jerome Moiso (13 points) paced a balanced attack for the Bruins.

UCLA never trailed in the contest, which was highlighted by Davis’ length-of-the-court drive that put the Bruins up 69-63 in the last minute of play.

1997 Classic
UCLA 69, New Mexico 58
J.R. Henderson, playing in his third and final Wooden Classic game, got his third victory by scoring 24 points to lead the Bruins. Toby Bailey added 18 points and 7 assists for UCLA, while the Lobos were led by the 20 points of Clayton Shields.

UCLA coach Steve Lavin employed an aggressive defense to force New Mexico into 23 turnovers and a 9-for-28 second half shooting performance.

Stanford 76, Georgia 74
Mark Madsen, who would later go on to play a major role in Stanford’s Final Four tournament run, scored 23 points including the game-winning tip-in during the final seconds as the Cardinal defeated a tough Georgia squad.

Freshman Jumaine Jones had 15 points to lead the Bulldogs, but were never able to handle the Stanford’s inside game.

Center Tim Young paced the Cardinal with seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

1996 Classic
Arizona 69, Utah 61
The third-ranked Utes, led by All-American Keith Van Horn (15 points), weren't strong enough to defuse the eventual National Champions in a game that showcased Arizona’s up-tempo style of play.

Led by guards Jason Terry (19 points) and Mike Bibby (16 points), the Wildcats went on a 25-6 run in the second half to put away coach Rick Majerus’ team.

Louisville 93, LSU 87 (OT)
In the highest scoring game in Wooden Classic history, coach Denny Crum’s Cardinals proved too strong for the Tigers. Louisville was led by the dynamic guard duo of DeJuan Wheat and B.J. Flynn, who poured in a combined 47 points.

LSU was led by Rogers Washington’s 33 points, which tied the Wooden Classic record, but his effort wasn’t enough as the Cardinals made 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

1995 Classic
Villanova 67, Purdue 50
Led by Kerry Kittles’ 19 points, second-ranked Villanova showed its class by giving the Boilermakers a sound thrashing.

Purdue was held to 18 of 65 shooting for the game (27.7 percent) and was never a factor despite 13 points by Porter Roberts.

UCLA 73, Maryland 63
Freshman Jelani McCoy’s triple-double (15 points, 10 rebounds, 11 blocked shots) led a stifling Bruin defense in UCLA’s second Wooden Classic victory.

The Terrapins shot just 24.7 percent from the field (19-of-77) as McCoy and Henderson dominated in the paint.

Charles O’Bannon added 17 points for Jim Harrick’s squad.

Duane Simkins was Maryland’s only bright spot, scoring a game-high 21 points.

1994 Classic
Kansas 81, Massachusetts 75
The first John R. Wooden Classic set the tone for the event’s history as seventh-ranked Kansas dethroned No. 1 Massachusetts.

Despite 33 points from Lou Roe (a Wooden Classic record that still stands), the Minutemen were unable to contain Raef LaFrentz (18 points) of the Jayhawks and Jacque Vaughn (14 points, 11 assists).

UCLA 82, Kentucky 81
The fifth-ranked Bruins defeated the third-ranked Wildcats in a game that had the Pond rocking!

Rick Pitino’s Kentucky squad took a 38-33 halftime lead, but were unable to contain UCLA’s Ed O’Bannon (26 points) and George Zidek (16 points, 10 rebounds).

Freshman J.R. Henderson calmly sank two free-throws with just six-tenths of a second remaining in the game to seal the nationally televised victory.

The win proved to be an impetus to the Bruins NCAA title run as they were crowned National Champions later that season.

It was the Bruins first NCAA title since Coach Wooden’s final game victory over Kentucky in 1975.