"How many of you remember who finished second?": When Gail Goodrich recalled coach John Wooden's speech ahead of national championship game vs Duke

John Wooden was one of the finest college basketball coaches to grace the NCAA. The former UCLA coach was also known for rallying up his players ahead of big games.

In March 2014, former Bruins star Gail Goodrich recalled a story about the legendary coach before UCLA played Duke in the national title game in 1964.

“I can recall his locker room speech to this day,” Goodrich said via NCAA.com 50 years after the championship game. “He (Wooden) comes and says we need to play the same way and do the same things that got us there. We press, we rebound, we get the ball out and we make this a 94-foot game.

“He asked us, 'How many of you remember who finished second last year?’ Now, I knew, but I didn’t raise my hand. He says, 'No one remembers who finishes second. Now go out there and play the way you’re capable of.’ And that was it.”

Goodrich went on to score 27 points in the final to help UCLA beat Duke 98-83. The Bruins also finished the season with an undefeated 30-0 record.

“There was no way anybody could have done that.” Goodrich said.

Goodrich went on to win another national title under Wooden in 1965. He declared for the NBA draft after winning his second championship.

Goodrich then played 14 seasons in the pro league. He won the NBA championship with the LA Lakers in 1972.

The Lakers retired Goodrich's No. 25 jersey in November 1996.

John Wooden won 10 national titles during his coaching career

Former UCLA HC John Wooden - Source: Getty

John Wooden won 10 national championships during his coaching career, all of which came during a 12-year spell at UCLA. He won seven of those national titles consecutively.

Wooden was hired by UCLA in 1948 and held his coaching role with the team until 1975. He posted a 620-147 record wth the Bruins.

Wooden previously coached at Indiana State for two years, where he posted a 44-15 record.

Wooden passed away on June 4, 2010.