UCLA Basketball - The 1995 Championship Team

The 1995 Championship Team

When Jim Harrick took over coaching the UCLA men's basketball team in 1988, they hadn't been to the Final Four since 1980, when they lost to Louisville in the championship game. By consistently good recruiting, Coach Harrick built teams that won 20 or more games all 7 years that he coached at UCLA.
The 1994-95 team was led by 3 seniors. At the point guard was Tyus Edney, a small but extremely effective point guard with great speed and court sense. Anchoring the center was Jiri (George) Zidek, a Czech player with a soft touch who nearly quit UCLA to go back home after his freshman season. The heart of the team was Ed O'Bannon, a forward who did everything: defense, three-pointers, posting-up, running the floor, and carrying the team when needed. Other major contributors were Charles O'Bannon (Ed's brother), Cameron Dollar (a sophomore backup point guard), and two talented freshmen, Toby Bailey and J.R. Henderson.

TOP (l to r): Tyus Edney, Marquis Burns, Charles O'Bannon, Kevin Dempsey, Ed O'Bannon, Ike Nwankwo, George Zidek, omm'A Givens, J.R. Henderson, Bob Myers, Toby Bailey, Kris Johnson, Cameron Dollar. MIDDLE: David Boyle, Steve Lavin, Mark Gottfried, Jim Harrick, Lorenzo Romar, Phil Frye, Tony Spino. BOTTOM: Tony Luftman, Richard Klinger, Greg Buonaccorsi (Manager), Brendan Jacobson, Andrew Pruter.

UCLA came into the 1995 NCAA Tournament ranked #1, but didn't get a lot of respect from the East-coast-biased media. Repeatedly during the tournament, commentators would question whether UCLA could run with Connecticut or bang with Arkansas. In each game, the Bruins proved themselves worthy of their ranking. In the championship game, they survived Arkansas' vaunted 90 feet of hell to win 89-78.
Ed O'Bannon won the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament (and later the Wooden Award as well), but it was Tyus Edney who had the biggest impact on the tournament. Tyus won the Missouri game with a 4.8 second baseline-to-baseline buzzer-beater that is now a tournament legend. He was named the Most Outstanding Player in the West region. He averaged 7.6 assists for the first 5 games, but injured his wrist against Oklahoma State and couldn't play effectively in the championship game. Cameron Dollar stepped in and the rest of the team stepped it up a notch to make up for the loss, and the Bruins held on to win it.

March 15: NCAA West Regional 1st round game at Boise, Idaho:

			UCLA 92		Florida International 56
	Scorers:		Henderson 16 Charles O'Bannon 14 Ed O'Bannon 10 Johnson 10 Zidek 8 Edney 8 Bailey 7 Nwankwo 6 Dollar 5 Myers 4 Dempsey 2 Givens 2		Mazyck 21 Dozier 8 Davis 7 Forbes 6 Tchir 5 Eason 4 L. Johnson 2 Allen 2 J. Johnson 1

March 20: NCAA West Regional 2nd round game at Boise, Idaho:

			UCLA 75		Missouri 74
	Scorers:		Ed O'Bannon 24 Edney 15 Henderson 11 Zidek 10 Bailey 9 Charles O'Bannon 6		O'Liney 23 Sutherland 15 Grimm 13 Winfield 8 Sa. Haley 3 Sim. Haley 2

March 20: NCAA West Regional semi-final at Oakland, CA:

			UCLA 86		Mississippi State 67
	Scorers:		Ed O'Bannon 21 Bailey 12 Zidek 11 Edney 10 Charles O'Bannon 9 Henderson 8 Johnson 5 Givens 4 Nwankwo 4 Dollar 2		D. Wilson 22 Dampier 11 Bullard 10 Walters 10 Honore 6 Price 6 Grant 2

March 14: NCAA West Regional final at Oakland, CA:

			UCLA 102		Connecticut 96
	Scorers:		Bailey 26 Edney 22 Henderson 18 Ed O'Bannon 15 Charles O'Bannon 10 Zidek 8 Dollar 2		Allen 36 Sheffer 24 Marshall 15 Knight 12 Fair 3 Ollie 2 Hayward 2 King 2

March 14: NCAA Championship semi-final at Seattle, WA:

			UCLA 74		Oklahoma State 61
	Scorers:		Edney 21 Charles O'Bannon 19 Ed O'Bannon 15 Dollar 9 Zidek 6 Bailey 2 Henderson 2		Reeves 25 Rutherford 15 Roberts 10 Collins 6 Owens 3 Pierce 2

March 14: NCAA Championship final at Seattle, WA:

			UCLA 89		Arkansas 78
	Scorers:		Ed O'Bannon 30 Bailey 26 Zidek 14 Charles O'Bannon 11 Dollar 6 Henderson 2		McDaniel 15 Williamson 12 Stewart 12 Beck 11 Wilson 7 Dillard 6 Thurman 5 Robinson 4 Martin 3 Rimac 2

March 15: NCAA West Regional 1st round game at Boise, Idaho:

UCLA 92

Florida International 56

Scorers:

Henderson 16Charles O'Bannon 14Ed O'Bannon 10 Johnson 10Zidek 8Edney 8Bailey 7Nwankwo 6 Dollar 5Myers 4Dempsey 2Givens 2

Mazyck 21Dozier 8Davis 7Forbes 6Tchir 5 Eason 4L. Johnson 2Allen 2J. Johnson 1

March 20: NCAA West Regional 2nd round game at Boise, Idaho:

UCLA 75

Missouri 74

Scorers:

Ed O'Bannon 24Edney 15Henderson 11Zidek 10 Bailey 9Charles O'Bannon 6

O'Liney 23Sutherland 15Grimm 13Winfield 8 Sa. Haley 3Sim. Haley 2

March 20: NCAA West Regional semi-final at Oakland, CA:

UCLA 86

Mississippi State 67

Scorers:

Ed O'Bannon 21Bailey 12Zidek 11Edney 10 Charles O'Bannon 9Henderson 8Johnson 5Givens 4 Nwankwo 4Dollar 2

D. Wilson 22Dampier 11Bullard 10 Walters 10Honore 6Price 6Grant 2

March 14: NCAA West Regional final at Oakland, CA:

UCLA 102

Connecticut 96

Scorers:

Bailey 26Edney 22Henderson 18Ed O'Bannon 15 Charles O'Bannon 10Zidek 8Dollar 2

Allen 36Sheffer 24Marshall 15Knight 12 Fair 3Ollie 2Hayward 2King 2

March 14: NCAA Championship semi-final at Seattle, WA:

UCLA 74

Oklahoma State 61

Scorers:

Edney 21Charles O'Bannon 19Ed O'Bannon 15 Dollar 9Zidek 6Bailey 2Henderson 2

Reeves 25Rutherford 15Roberts 10Collins 6 Owens 3Pierce 2

March 14: NCAA Championship final at Seattle, WA:

UCLA 89

Arkansas 78

Scorers:

Ed O'Bannon 30Bailey 26Zidek 14 Charles O'Bannon 11Dollar 6Henderson 2

McDaniel 15Williamson 12Stewart 12Beck 11Wilson 7 Dillard 6Thurman 5Robinson 4Martin 3Rimac 2

Henderson 16
Charles O'Bannon 14
Ed O'Bannon 10
Johnson 10
Zidek 8
Edney 8
Bailey 7
Nwankwo 6
Dollar 5
Myers 4
Dempsey 2
Givens 2

Mazyck 21
Dozier 8
Davis 7
Forbes 6
Tchir 5
Eason 4
L. Johnson 2
Allen 2
J. Johnson 1

Ed O'Bannon 24
Edney 15
Henderson 11
Zidek 10
Bailey 9
Charles O'Bannon 6

O'Liney 23
Sutherland 15
Grimm 13
Winfield 8
Sa. Haley 3
Sim. Haley 2

Ed O'Bannon 21
Bailey 12
Zidek 11
Edney 10
Charles O'Bannon 9
Henderson 8
Johnson 5
Givens 4
Nwankwo 4
Dollar 2

D. Wilson 22
Dampier 11
Bullard 10
Walters 10
Honore 6
Price 6
Grant 2

Bailey 26
Edney 22
Henderson 18
Ed O'Bannon 15
Charles O'Bannon 10
Zidek 8
Dollar 2

Allen 36
Sheffer 24
Marshall 15
Knight 12
Fair 3
Ollie 2
Hayward 2
King 2

Edney 21
Charles O'Bannon 19
Ed O'Bannon 15
Dollar 9
Zidek 6
Bailey 2
Henderson 2

Reeves 25
Rutherford 15
Roberts 10
Collins 6
Owens 3
Pierce 2

Ed O'Bannon 30
Bailey 26
Zidek 14
Charles O'Bannon 11
Dollar 6
Henderson 2

McDaniel 15
Williamson 12
Stewart 12
Beck 11
Wilson 7
Dillard 6
Thurman 5
Robinson 4
Martin 3
Rimac 2