Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jun 4, 2010 7:43:54 GMT -6
... and Merlot is on the verge as it looks like Wooden will call a time out at the buzzer.
Ex-UCLA Coach Wooden Reportedly Hospitalized in Grave Condition
John Wooden, the 99-year-old legendary former UCLA basketball coach, is in grave condition at UCLA Medical Center, according to media reports.
A UCLA spokesman said the school wouldn't comment on rumors about Mr. Wooden's health, out of respect for his family and at family members' request.
Mr. Wooden built a sports dynasty at UCLA in the 1960s and 1970s. His Bruins won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, featuring Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, two of the most dominating players in the history of the game. UCLA also had four 30-0 seasons under Mr. Wooden and won a record 88 consecutive games from 1971 to 1974.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in March, during the men's and women's college-basketball tournaments, Mr. Wooden spoke about how he still followed the game closely but that it had lost some enjoyment.
"I don't like to watch it as much as I used to," he said. "I think there's too much showmanship. There's too much individual play. The players are better now—individually, they're better players—but we used to have better teamwork."
Mr. Wooden, whose 100th birthday is Oct. 14, was born in Hall, Indiana, and attended nearby Purdue University, where he became a three-time All-American guard and led the team to the 1932 national title. After coaching in high school and at what is now Indiana State University, Mr. Wooden became known as the Wizard of Westwood (the Los Angeles neighborhood where UCLA is located) for his peerless 27-year career with the Bruins.
Upon arriving in 1948, Mr. Wooden immediately improved UCLA from a 12-13 record the previous season to 22-7. He was renowned for his emphasis on preparation and attentiveness to detail. He famously made a point of instructing his players how to properly put on their socks and shoes so as to avoid blisters.
Although the Bruins quickly improved, the championships didn't come for years. But after Mr. Wooden won his first in 1964, UCLA dominated college basketball like no team before or since, winning seven straight titles at one point from 1967 through 1973. After announcing his retirement during the 1975 college-basketball tournament, his Bruins won one more.
John Wooden, the 99-year-old legendary former UCLA basketball coach, is in grave condition at UCLA Medical Center, according to media reports.
A UCLA spokesman said the school wouldn't comment on rumors about Mr. Wooden's health, out of respect for his family and at family members' request.
Mr. Wooden built a sports dynasty at UCLA in the 1960s and 1970s. His Bruins won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, featuring Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Bill Walton, two of the most dominating players in the history of the game. UCLA also had four 30-0 seasons under Mr. Wooden and won a record 88 consecutive games from 1971 to 1974.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in March, during the men's and women's college-basketball tournaments, Mr. Wooden spoke about how he still followed the game closely but that it had lost some enjoyment.
"I don't like to watch it as much as I used to," he said. "I think there's too much showmanship. There's too much individual play. The players are better now—individually, they're better players—but we used to have better teamwork."
Mr. Wooden, whose 100th birthday is Oct. 14, was born in Hall, Indiana, and attended nearby Purdue University, where he became a three-time All-American guard and led the team to the 1932 national title. After coaching in high school and at what is now Indiana State University, Mr. Wooden became known as the Wizard of Westwood (the Los Angeles neighborhood where UCLA is located) for his peerless 27-year career with the Bruins.
Upon arriving in 1948, Mr. Wooden immediately improved UCLA from a 12-13 record the previous season to 22-7. He was renowned for his emphasis on preparation and attentiveness to detail. He famously made a point of instructing his players how to properly put on their socks and shoes so as to avoid blisters.
Although the Bruins quickly improved, the championships didn't come for years. But after Mr. Wooden won his first in 1964, UCLA dominated college basketball like no team before or since, winning seven straight titles at one point from 1967 through 1973. After announcing his retirement during the 1975 college-basketball tournament, his Bruins won one more.