Sports Illustrated100 Greatest Moments in Sports HistoryAll 100 moments
Almost Perfect

46NCAA BBAlmost Perfect

Date

3/26/1973

Location

St. Louis Arena | St. Louis, Mo.

Moment

UCLA center Bill Walton was nearly perfect in the 1973 NCAA men's national championship game, scoring 44 points on 21-of-22 shooting as the Bruins topped Memphis State.

Impact

The win marked UCLA's seventh consecutive national championship, ninth in 10 years and coach John Wooden's second-to-last national title. Walton would eventually go No. 1 in the NBA draft, but his career was largely marred by injuries.

Original SI story