88 and 1: UCLA, Notre Dame, and the Game That Ended the Longest Winning Streak in Men's College Basketball History

By: Timothy Bourret

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Synopsis: UCLA&’s 88-game winning streak between 1970 and 1974 is undoubtedly one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of college sports. It is 28 games longer than any other streak in college basketball history and the closest anyone has come in the almost 50 years since it was established is UNLV&’s 45-game streak between 1989–91. John Wooden&’s team was so dominant that it won 48 of the 88 games by at least 20 points and had just eight wins by five or less. The Bruins&’ personnel featured multiple national player of the year selections, All-Americans, and 13 different players who went on to play in the NBA, including Bill Walton, Jamaal Wilkes, and Marques Johnson. 88 and 1 documents this incredible run and the losses that bracketed the streak, victories by Notre Dame over #1 ranked UCLA teams in the same building that was just a few miles from Wooden&’s home in the 1930s when he was a high school coach in South Bend. Author Timothy Bourret goes in depth on games and events leading up to that epic game on January 19, 1974, details on the game itself, culminating in Dwight Clay&’s game-winning shot in the final 30 seconds, and the aftermath. It also examines careers of the coaching combatants Digger Phelps and John Wooden, two unique personalities whose rivalry made this game must-see television.