MR___SLAVE t1_j96ogm0 wrote on February 19, 2023 at 5:47 PM

Reply to comment by phreakzilla85 in [OC] - Most Successful College Basketball Programs (in the NCAA tournament) by jonesjeffum

The Wooden Era

michael_bgood t1_j990xjb wrote on February 20, 2023 at 4:21 AM

Amazing visual of what a single, exceptional human can influence

gordo65 t1_j99hb1h wrote on February 20, 2023 at 7:20 AM

Wooden invented the fast break and the full court zone press. He was the first college coach to recognize that a well conditioned team could win by keeping up the game tempo and exhausting the other team. Also the first to recognize that building strength and endurance in the gym was as important as working on skills.

michael_bgood t1_j99up04 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 10:26 AM

That is so awesome thanks for sharing that

BoilsofWar t1_j9prhxd wrote on February 23, 2023 at 6:25 PM

If only he had taught Purdue the press and how to break it when he played there, we'd be perennial contenders....

gordo65 t1_j99gwgu wrote on February 20, 2023 at 7:15 AM

So named because the coach gave the program such a big woody.

Seriously, though, when Wooden first arrived at UCLA, basketball wasn’t even a varsity sport. His first challenge was convincing the athletic department to take it on as a varsity sport, with full scholarships for all team members.