Sport: John Wooden's Simple Strategy

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"We are easy to scout but tough to play against." That is John Wooden's way of saying that U.C.L.A.'S court tactics are textbook-simple on paper yet devastatingly effective on the court. "With Bill Walton in our lineup, our strategy is simple," Wooden explains. "You go to him until the opposing team stops it. Then you go to others. If you don't go to Walton, it's like using Babe Ruth in your lineup to bunt."

The Wooden approach is, of course, more sophisticated than that; the Bruins always play within a well-rehearsed plan. On offense, Wooden's first love is the fast break, with Walton firing lead passes to his teammates streaking down the court to score before the opposition's defense can set up.

For more patterned play, Wooden deploys four men near the basket—three forwards and the center—leaving only one guard to bring the ball up court and start the play. In this "low-post" system, Guard Tommy Curtis' priority is to pass the ball to Walton, positioned on the left side of the court close to the basket. If Walton is well covered, Curtis tries to hit Keith Wilkes, roving near the foul line. As a last resort, he can also pass to Marques Johnson or Dave Meyers, who play up front on opposite sides of Walton.

A spread-out offense like that—in theory—discourages defenders from peeling off the player they are covering to double-team Walton. The moment that happens, a U.C.L.A. player is left wide open. Another play designed to produce an open man stacks Meyers and Wilkes together to the right of the basket. This bunches the defense, setting up a "breakout" for Wilkes or Meyers, who can spring down the foul lane and take a pass from Curtis or Walton to score on a layup. Other favorite U.C.L.A. plays bring Walton out to a "high-post" position (near the foul line), opening up the middle for passes to Wilkes, Meyers or Johnson.

When opponents first get the ball in their own backcourt, the Bruins use a 2-2-1 zone press—harassing the man with the ball all the way to midcourt.

Continually working hard merely to get the ball down the court fatigues many poorly conditioned teams. Once the ball is across midcourt, U.C.L.A. falls into man-to-man defense, sagging off players to converge on the man with the ball. With Walton to clog up the middle and intimidate anyone considering a layup, this defense forces play to the outside, where most college shooters are least effective.

After three years of playing together, the Walton gang is a little set in its ways. In one recent game, the Bruins simply ignored Wooden's instructions to start using a full-court press. "They listen but don't hear," says the coach. Wooden has another, more unlikely problem. "I tell my kids to play as if Walton wasn't playing," he laments, "but I think subconsciously they have the attitude 'Bill will do it.' " Other coaches dream about having troubles like that.