Emotional Day for Goodrich

Gail Goodrich’s No. 25 UCLA jersey was retired Saturday in an emotional halftime ceremony.

With John Wooden, his 94-year-old former coach, at his side, Goodrich spoke passionately of a UCLA career in which he led the Bruins to back-to-back national championships, the first for both the school and Wooden.

“My days at UCLA were probably the most enjoyable days I had in basketball,” Goodrich said. “I had a great passion for the game, and I could not wait until 3 o’clock in the afternoon to get to practice.”

Wooden noted that Goodrich’s high school and NBA numbers had already been retired. “It’s about time he had his UCLA number retired,” Wooden said.

Nine players from the undefeated 1964 national title team -- Chuck Darrow, Kent Graham, Walt Hazzard, Jack Hirsch, Mike Huggins, Fred Slaughter, Kim Stewart, Keith Erickson and Kenny Washington -- as well as Wooden and assistant coach Jerry Norman came to celebrate Goodrich.

The most poignant moment came after the ceremony when Goodrich and his backcourt mate Hazzard walked slowly off the court, arm in arm. Hazzard, who suffered a stroke eight years ago, needs a cane for balance and can’t speak. But when Hazzard was asked if he thought he and Goodrich were the best-ever pair of college guards, he nodded yes and gave a thumbs-up.

Goodrich said it hadn’t bothered him that, although he was the leading scorer on two national championship teams, six other Bruins including Hazzard had already had numbers retired.

“I’ve always said the award belongs to the giver,” he said. “The recipient is not entitled to the award.”

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Though Coach Ben Howland said he thought Dijon Thompson would have the stitches removed from the cut on his right hand Saturday night, Thompson said he preferred that they stay in until after Tuesday’s game at Michigan State.

Thompson had reopened a cut he originally suffered in practice two weeks ago. Doctors needed 13 stitches to close the wound. “I’m leaving them in,” Thompson said. “I don’t feel ready to have them come out.”

Though Thompson came off the bench Saturday after missing one game with the injury, Howland said that beginning Tuesday he would start Thompson at power forward, Michael Fey at center and three freshman wing players -- Josh Shipp, Arron Afflalo and Jordan Farmar. Odd man out is junior Ryan Hollins, who played only 17 minutes Saturday and had only two rebounds.

Thompson has played the wing forward spot for three years, but Howland said from now on Thompson would play the power forward position.

“It helps us offensively,” Howland said.