The 1979–80 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

in the

1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season The 1979–80 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 17, 1979, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1980 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on Mar ...

. Larry Brown began his first year as head coach. The Bruins started the season ranked 8th in the nation (AP Poll). The Bruins started the season 3-0 and climbed to 7th after starting 3–0. UCLA's team finished 4th in the

Pac-10 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level for all sports, and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl ...

regular season, failing to finish atop the conference for the first time since 1965–66. UCLA participated the NCAA tournament going 5–0 before losing to the

Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Co ...

in the

championship game A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...

. The Bruins' five NCAA tournament wins and championship game appearance were later vacated after the NCAA had determined UCLA committed nine violations. The Bruins fell out the rankings in the poll released on January 14, 1980, ending what currently stands as the second most consecutive weeks ranked in the AP poll with 221. The streak began at the beginning of the Bruins 1966–67 season.

Starting lineup

Roster

Schedule

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Notes

* Adding in the NCAA Tournament opponents, UCLA played eleven teams ranked in the AP Top-20 (at the time). This was over one-third of all opponents (11 of 32). * UCLA beat #1 Depaul in the NCAA Tournament. This was the second consecutive year that UCLA had beaten a #1 team (either during the season or in the tournament). * All 5 UCLA victories in the tournament and the championship loss were vacated by the NCAA for 9 infractions. They were also placed on two years' probation, which included a one-year NCAA tournament ban and an order to vacate its 1980 NCAA tournament appearance.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1979-80 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team UCLA Bruins men's basketball seasons

Ucla The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four seasons

1979 in sports in California

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...