UCLA Basketball Top 20 Players of All Time: No. 10

This Bruin was an important piece of one of the most dominant runs in college basketball history.

Dec 3, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Big Ten Confernce B1G logo on the court at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Continuing with the ranking of the top 20 Bruins of all time, we have finally reached the top 10.

Today’s Bruin was part of one of the most dominant runs college basketball has ever seen and received a lot of hardware over the course of his time as a Bruin.

UCLA Basketball Top 20 Players of All Time: No. 10 Curtis Rowe

Mar 1971; Houston, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; UCLA Bruins forward Curtis Rowe (30) in action against Villanova in the 1971 NCAA basketball championship. UCLA beat Villanova 68-62. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Very few players can say they have won three National Championships at the college level, and Curtis Rowe is one of the few. Rowe played on three championship teams under John Wooden alongside other UCLA greats Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Henry Bibby, and Lynn Shackelford.

During Rowe’s three-year run with the Bruins, he started all three seasons and averaged 15.2 points and 8.8 rebounds, shooting 52.6% from the field over the course of his career. When people talk about dominant runs in sports history, this UCLA team should be at the forefront of every one of those conversations.

Mar 1971; Houston, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; UCLA Bruins head coach John Wooden with center Sidney Wicks (35) and forward Curtis Rowe (30) after winning the 1971 NCAA basketball championship. NCAA chairman Tom Scott present the trophy. UCLA beat Villanova 68-62. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

These were not just ordinary championship teams. In the 1968-69 season, the Bruins only lost one game. In 1969-70, they suffered two losses before ultimately bouncing back and finishing the 1970-71 season with one loss again. That’s a combined 86-4 record across three seasons.

Rowe wasn’t just a player on a dominant team; he was an influential part of one of the greatest, most dominant runs the sport has ever seen.

His Individual Production Was Elite

Mar 21, 1970; College Park, MD, USA; Ucla Bruins forward Curtis Rowe (30) in action against the Jacksonville Dolphins center Artis Gilmore (53) during the NCAA Final Four. UCLA beat Jacksonville 80-69 to win the title. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The team's success tends to overshadow Rowe’s individual accomplishments. In his first season with the team, Rowe averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and he improved each season. In 1969-70, he averaged 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds before ending his UCLA career averaging a double-double with 17.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

That trajectory throughout the course of his time at UCLA is certainly something to note. He became increasingly dominant as he grew older. Often, Rowe’s career flies under the radar because of the people he played with.

Mar 25 1971; Houston, TX, USA; FILE PHOTO; UCLA Bruins forward Curtis Rowe (30) grabs a rebound against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 1971 Final Four. UCLA beat Kansas 68-60. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With so many greats on that UCLA roster, the spotlight can only go on one at a time. If Rowe had played somewhere without so many legendary players, his individual stats would likely be even higher.

Overall, Rowe has one of the most accomplished résumés in all of college basketball history, giving him an easily deserved ranking inside the top-10. That UCLA run was absurdly dominant, and Rowe was a big part of it.