Bruins hoist 11th championship banner
Standing-room-only crowd of students honors hoops team
as it raises the first NCAA championship banner in Pauley
Pavilion in over two decades
By Scott Yamaguchi
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
With a collective tug on three long wires suspended from the
Pauley Pavilion scoreboard, the UCLA men’s basketball team opened a
new era Wednesday when it unraveled the 1995 NCAA Championship
banner at an on-campus rally.
It signified the eleventh time that the Bruins have won a
national title, but only the first in the last 20 years.
"I just want to tell you," senior center George Zidek addressed
the standing-room-only crowd of students, "all of our guys and
everybody on the basketball staff, we are proud to bring the banner
back to where it belongs  to Pauley Pavilion."
More than 12,000 students, some of whom began lining up at 7:30
a.m., showed up to express their gratitude for the team’s 31-2
season, and the feeling of appreciation was mutual.
"Today is very special because it’s for students only," UCLA
head coach Jim Harrick said. "Our players like you better than
anybody else, and we appreciate you being here and your
support."
The seventh-year head coach had been brought to the stage at
center court after listening to praise from UCLA Chancellor Charles
Young, Athletic Director Peter Dalis and Los Angeles Mayor Richard
Riordan.
"On April 12, 1988, I made a phone call at 6:30 a.m. to Jim
Harrick," Dalis said. "And I said, ‘Jim, are you prepared to take
on one of the toughest basketball jobs in America?’ And he said,
‘I’m there, Pete.’
"It’s been a long, laborious travel to get here, and Jim’s
brought together a group of student-athletes and a group of coaches
that need our recognition."
Harrick was called up to accept the Sears/National Association
of Basketball Coaches Trophy, given every year to the team that
finishes atop the USA Today/CNN coaches’ poll. He was also given a
commemorative trophy from Robinson’s/May, and he then introduced
his team managers, trainers, assistant coaches and players.
Zidek, Tyus Edney and Ed O’Bannon  the team’s only three
seniors  were all given a chance to speak to the fans, and
all three shared similar thoughts.
"My four years here have been great, and that’s all owed to you
guys who supported me all the way through," Edney said. "It’s been
a dream of mine to have a rally like this where we can hang our own
banner for our own spot in history."
Edney, along with freshman Kris Johnson, then entertained the
crowd with a rap song, after which emcee Chris Roberts  an
XTRA Sports broadcaster  gave the cue for the team to unroll
the banner.
* * *
The Bruins will be honored Friday by the Los Angeles City
Council, which will present the team with an official proclamation
declaring UCLA Day in the City of Los Angeles. The session begins
at 10 a.m.
* * *
Also Friday, the Los Angeles Athletic Club will host the 19th
annual John R. Wooden Awards, where O’Bannon is a finalist in the
Player of the Year category.
* * *
Sometime during the confusion after Wednesday’s rally, a bag
belonging to Pasadena Star News sports reporter Rob Miech was taken
from the press tables at courtside.
The black bag, a souvenir from the "Final Four," held
microcassette tapes, notebooks and a laptop computer, all of which
contained notes and quotes that Miech had accumulated throughout
the entire UCLA basketball season.
If possible, Miech requested that the bag and its contents be
returned to the UCLA Sports Information department in the Morgan
Center or the Daily Bruin Sports office in Kerckhoff Hall.
If nothing else, Miech would be satisfied with the tapes,
notebooks and information on the computer (on a floppy disk). No
questions will be asked.