This story, by Dwight Chapin, appeared in the April 18, 1972, issue of The Sporting News.
LOS ANGELES — The Walton Gang had finished its successful ride through college basketball — 30 straight wins and UCLA's sixth straight national championship.
But the leader of the gang, Bill Walton, the redheaded sophomore center, spoke as if the Bruins had been shot down at the Sports Arena by tall, quick, strong-shooting Florida State.
Just after UCLA's 81-76 win over the Seminoles — which brought the Bruins their eighth NCAA title in the last nine years — a rather morose Walton met newsmen and said:
"I'm not that elated because we didn't play that well. Florida is an excellent team, but we didn't dominate the game the way I know we can. If we had played our game, it would have been different. No excuses, but I don't like to back into things. I like to win convincingly."
Then he added: "I felt like we lost it."
7-Point Deficit
The Bruins did appear in danger of that for a while, trailing by seven points in the first half after some blistering outside shooting by Florida State.
MORE: Looking back at UCLA's perfect 1972 season
It was UCLA's toughest challenge of what had been an incredibly easy season, the Bruins' third perfect year.
UCLA went to a slowdown tempo in the last four minutes to protect its lead. Florida State didn't help itself, committing three key turnovers over the same span.
But it was a tense and competitive game nearly all the way, even when the Seminoles trailed by 16 in the second half.
"I don't think we played as poorly as some of our players do," said UCLA Coach John Wooden. "Very few championship games we've been in — or I've seen — have been exceptionally well played. There's so much emotion, so much at stake.
Bruins Kept Poise
"I'm pleased we kept our patience when we got behind in the first half. We didn't get particularly wild, like we could have. The reason we were behind was Florida State's excellent outside shooting. But outside shooting, even though it can hurt you, seldom beats you. I knew we'd be okay if we didn't rush and hurry."
As usual in the Wooden years, UCLA kept its poise when it had to have it.
There was some question for a while, particularly after Walton was forced to the bench at the 11 1/2-minute mark of the second half with four fouls. The Bruin lead was 67-54 when Walton sat down. In the next six minutes, the Seminoles outscored UCLA, 14-10, most of them high-arching jump shots from the corners by Don King (who had 27 points) and inside muscle shots by 6-11 center Lawrence McCray against Walton's replacement, Swen Nater.
Three times, Florida State cut the lead to seven points.
Turnovers Costly
But Walton came back and UCLA tucked the ball away, much as it had in a six-point win in the finals at Houston last season against Villanova.
The turnovers removed whatever chance the Seminoles had left.
"You just can't do that in championship play," said Florida State Coach Hugh Durham.
Three men — Walton, senior guard Henry Bibby and sophomore forward Keith Wilkes — hurt the Seminoles the most. Walton had 24 points (and 20 rebounds), Bibby 18 and Wilkes 23, most of them on unguarded jump shots from around the key.
TSN ARCHIVES: Walton wins Player of the Year
Florida State gambled, pulling 6-10 Reggie Royals away from Wilkes to give McCray help on Walton. It didn't work
"Keith is a remarkable young man," said Wooden, "He won't be 19 until late May, you know, I might have been surprised if any other sophomore had played as well as he did in a situation like this, but not Keith."
Durham didn't downgrade Wilkes, but he did say:
"With the help you have to give to stop Walton inside, Wilkes gets more easy shots just standing around than most players do working for them."
Bibby Wasn't Worried
Even with aid, McCray couldn't handle Walton inside, and sat out much of the first half with three fouls as UCLA built a 50-39 lead ... after storming back from a 21-14 deficit.
"I was never worried at any time during the game that we'd lose," said Bibby. "When we trailed, it was awfully early in the game."
UCLA beat Louisville and Coach Denny Crum, a Wooden assistant the last three years, rather easily in the semifinals, 96-77. Florida State, the choice of most people to finish fourth in the tournament, forged a 23-point lead over North Carolina and then survived a furious Tar Heel rally to win, 79-75.
The Seminoles had trouble from another front before they met UCLA, however.
Wall Speaks Out
Bill Wall of MacMurray (Ill.) College, the National Association of Basketball Coaches' president, said the day before the final — in obvious reference to Florida State — ''I resent the fact that they're here. I do, and a lot of other coaches do, too. Our coaches are amazed, disgusted and disillusioned at this. Their coach was caught with his fingers in the till, not once but twice."
The remarks referred to the recruiting violations that had barred the Seminoles from the NCAA tournament for the last three seasons.
Durham responded mildly, saying Wall was misinformed.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Durham said.
The NCAA — through spokesman Warren Brown — said as far as it was concerned, Florida State was off probation, and had every right to be in the tournament.
Dr. Stanley Marshall, Florida State University president, said in a press conference before the Seminole-Bruin game that Wall's remarks were "very damaging — inaccurate and totally untrue." He added the school and Durham were considering legal action against Wall.
Despite the events that swirled around the Seminoles off the basketball court, Durham said he thought his team's mind was on the game.
"I don't think we were affected one way or the other by the charges," he said. "I copy a lot from Coach Wooden's philosophy. You just have to play your best on the floor. If you need something extra to get yourself fired up for a game, then you're not doing the job."
Royals agreed with his coach.
"We didn't think too much about the remarks," he said. "We only thought about our own game. We're used to comments like that."
Royals called the Bruins "No. 1, but if we played them again, I think we could beat them."
Walton Called Crybaby
Al Vilcheck, the Louisville center who played against Walton in the semifinals, charged that the officials protect him.
"Walton is strong," said Vilcheck, "but you can't touch him. He cries a lot. A man of his ability shouldn't cry so much."
McCray agreed — to an extent — with Vilcheck.
"Well, they do call them real close on the players guarding him," said the Seminoles' sophomore center. "Only one of the three calls against me in the first half was justified. I think the officials were more excited than the players."
The UCLA players didn't appear overly excited at any time, however, even when they were behind. And their victory celebration was much less demonstrative than the one after the win over Long Beach State in the western regionals.
One of the happiest Bruins was guard Tommy Curtis, who came off the bench to make an important contribution (and eight points) in relief of Greg Lee. Curtis is from Tallahassee, Fla., and was strongly recruited by Florida State.
An ‘Integrated' Team
"Now I've got a nice gold championship watch to wear where they (the Florida State players) live,'' Curtis said.
The other Bruins were more reserved.
Walton, asked what made this year's Bruins' team so invincible (some called it the best in UCLA history), deferred to Lee.
"You're the word man, Greg," he said. "You tell them."
"We're integrated," said Lee, dryly.
Bibby, who played on three national championship teams at Westwood, smiled when he said it, but he did say, "It gets to be old after a while."
He was asked to compare this team with the Sidney Wicks-Curtis Rowe-Steve Patterson units of the last two years.
"Neither of those teams went undefeated," he said. "This one did. You take it from there."
Wooden Admits Error
Wooden wouldn't call this his best team, but he did say he'd been wrong about it.
He thought it would lose twice to Washington and USC on the road — rather than go unbeaten.
Then he was asked if this were his most satisfying title.
"Every one has been satisfying," he said. "Because each team has had its own identity. But no championship surpasses the first one. That's always best."
Wooden said he will coach next season and if Walton doesn't turn professional the dynasty appears as unshakeable as it has been for nearly a decade,
As one fan said when the UCLA players were getting the watches and trophies they seem to get every year about this time:
"There are some things in this world that never change. And this has to be one of them."
Will it ever end?