Hawkeye Upend UCLA: Iowa Time Machine January 29, 1965

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 29, 1965, the Iowa Hawkeyes shocked the world by upsetting John Wooden’s reigning national champion UCLA Bruins by a score of 87-82 at Chicago Stadium. The first win over a number-one-ranked team in Hawkeye hoops history, the win reverberates through Iowa lore as one of the greatestin program history.

Iowa entered the doubleheader fresh off a 74-68 victory over fifth-ranked Indiana in Bloomington following a 10-day break. Ralph Miller, the new Hawkeyes coach who had built his reputation at Wichita State by pioneering full-court pressure defense, had inherited a program that won just eight games two seasons earlier. His Iowa team seemed an unlikely candidate to topple the kings of college basketball.

The UCLA Bruins, who arrived in Chicago that January, were not the towering teams of Lew Alcindor or Bill Walton that would later define the Wooden era. The 1964 championship squad featured players like Gail Goodrich, Walt Hazzard, Keith Erickson, Jack Hirsch, and Fred Slaughter, with no starter taller than 6 feet 5 inches. What they lacked in size, they made up for in suffocating pressure defense and breakneck offensive pace. After suffering a stunning 110-83 opening loss to Illinois on December 4, UCLA had reeled off 13 consecutive victories.

Chris Pervall led the Hawkeyes with 26 points and scored 10 quick points in the opening minutes, after which UCLA never led again. The teams battled to a 45-45 tie at halftime before Iowa seized control in the second half, building a 10-point lead. When center George Peeples, the team's best rebounder, left with an ankle injury with 6:43 remaining, Iowa had to hold off a furious Bruin comeback. Pervall proved crucial down the stretch, helping point guard Jimmy Rodgers navigate UCLA's famed pressure defense when the game hung in the balance. Miller's pressure system, refined during his years in Kansas under Phog Allen, matched perfectly against Wooden's approach. The Hawkeyes played with the poise of champions and the hunger of underdogs, a combination that proved unstoppable on this particular night. When the final buzzer sounded, Miller offered measured praise: "I would say this was our best game of the season, even a little bit better than we played in beating Indiana" #Iowa #OTD #Basketball #History #CollegeBasketball