College Basketball’s TitleTown USA

Once or twice a year ESPN does some wacky poll of some sort to find out who’s the best in this and that for sports. From greatest athlete to biggest bust.

Now the Worldwide Leader in Sports is seeking to find out which United States city is TitleTown USA.

All this month they are visiting places like Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Massillon, OH, Parkersburg, WV, and Valdosta, GA with entertaining and interesting stats ranging from some high school with a boatload of state championships to professional franchises with a long history of winning to justify them being named TitleTown USA.

Whatever!

When it comes to college basketball there’s only one TitleTown USA.

You guessed it - LOS ANGELES!

Just head north on the 405 freeway from L.A. International Airport, exit Wilshire Blvd. and you’re there.

UCLA!

With 11 national championships, 40 conference titles, a legendary coach, legendary players, dozens of players sent to the NBA and numerous hall of famers, there’s no question that Los Angeles and UCLA is TitleTown USA for college basketball.

John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor during his playing days with the Bruins), Bill Walton, Marcus Johnson, Gail Goodrich and Reggie Miller are some that have become household names in the world of college basketball.

UCLA continues to be a college basketball power with three consecutive final four appearance, and many believe (including yours truly) that a fourth appearance and another championship could happen next year.

I know many of you in places like North Carolina, Kentucky and especially Indiana are frowning and think you can make an argument for your town and school to be called TitleTown USA.

Go right ahead.

I would never disrespect other great college basketball programs such as North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas or Connecticut or the people who live and attend the schools there. I’m actually a big fan of some of those programs. I’m just stating a fact. No other school has had a greater impact on college basketball than UCLA.

Some of you will also try to make an argument that UCLA’s 1,642 wins doesn’t come close to Kentucky’s 1,966, North Carolina’s 1,950 and Kansas’ 1,943 on the all-time wins list.

But I’m not talking about wins. I’m talking about titles baby!

Kentucky is second behind UCLA in national titles with seven, Indiana has five, North Carolina has four and Kansas and Duke have three each.

Kentucky has seven titles overall. Hey, UCLA won seven straight from 1967-73! During that period the Bruins had an 88-game winning streak. They also have an NCAA record four undefeated seaons (1964, 67, 72 and 73).

We’ll have to wait until July 28 on ESPN’s SportsCenter to find out who will be named TitleTown USA (my bet is that it’ll be the small town with the boatload of high school state championship).

But college basketball’s TitleTown USA is in Los Angeles and UCLA!