LOS ANGELES (AP) — Top-ranked UCLA is headed to Indiana this weekend for a pair of games where the undefeated women’s team will find reminders of Hall of Fame coach John Wooden in his home state.
Wooden, of course, led the Bruin men’s teams to a record 10 NCAA championships, including seven in a row. He was a frequent presence at both the men’s and women’s games at Pauley Pavilion before his death at age 99 in 2010.
Cori Close first met Wooden when she was an assistant on the UCLA women’s team before becoming head coach in 2011. Steve Lavin, then a men’s assistant in Westwood, encouraged her to visit Wooden and the two became close after Wooden noted that her first name was the same as one of his granddaughters.
“He’s just been such a huge part of what my philosophy is, what I want to be remembered for, what is my true legacy,” Close said. “My legacy is impacting people’s hearts the way that Coach Wooden impacted mine.”
Wooden’s granddaughter, Cathleen Trapani, recently attended a game at Pauley Pavilion, where a gold seat signifies Wooden’s long-time presence behind the UCLA bench.
Now Close is taking the Bruins (14-0, 3-0 Big Ten) on their first true Big Ten road trip of the season. They won their league debut last month at Washington, which joined UCLA in leaving the Pac-12 to make the Big Ten an 18-team league.
Fittingly, this two-game trip is where Wooden first made his mark as a high school player in a state where basketball — from grade school to the pros — is king.
“As we go back to, especially Purdue, I really want to engage our players with the history there and what we’re experiencing and how we go about our business stems from what Coach Wooden taught me,” Close said.
The Bruins visit Indiana (10-3, 2-0) on Saturday in a nationally televised game from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The 17,222-seat arena is known for its noise due to its unique design of steep sides.
It’s located 28 miles south of Martinsville, where Wooden led his high school team to a state tournament title in 1927 and was a three-time All-State player. The 5,200-seat gym was later named in his honor and his neat signature is displayed on the court.
“Growing up on the East Coast you know how big of a basketball state Indiana is,” guard Kiki Rice said. “I’m really excited for that opportunity.”
The Hoosiers are 7-1 at home and have won six in a row.
“I know Indiana is a big basketball school. Their gym is iconic. It’s going to be packed,” said forward Angela Dugalic, who is from suburban Chicago and will have family and friends in Bloomington. “As long as we stick to the scouting report and control what we can control then it’s going to be a good game for us.”
The reminders will be especially poignant at Purdue, Wooden’s alma mater where he was a three-time All-American from 1930-32.
The Bruins play the Boilermakers (7-3, 0-3) on Tuesday in Mackey Arena, which is located on John R. Wooden Drive in West Lafayette. The 14,876-seat circular building’s domed aluminum roof makes it one of the loudest venues in college basketball. The Boilermakers are averaging just 4,386 fans, but hosting the No. 1 team in the country figures to draw well.
“I like playing in those environments,” Rice said. “It’s really fun to play on the road when everyone is rooting against you. It just brings an extra little motivation.”
The Hoosiers are averaging 10,412 fans this season — more than double the Bruins’ home average of 5,051. Last year, Indiana was one of five Big Ten women’s teams to average over 10,000 in a single season.
“I expect there to be a sold out crowd at Indiana and we’re going to embrace it and feed off that energy,” Close said. “How great for our game and what a compliment to the state of Indiana that they not only love their basketball but they love their women’s basketball. Look at how they supported the Fever this last year. It’s one of the coolest states in the country to compete in women’s basketball.”
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
