Walt (Mahdi Abdul-Rahman) Hazzard (1984) - Hall of Fame

Walt (Mahdi Abdul-Rahman) Hazzard

Induction:
1984

Walt Hazzard, one of the great play-making guards in college basketball, helped lead UCLA to its first national championship in 1964, when he earned his second All-America selection and was named college basketball's player of the year. He was selected as a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Tokyo, Japan. A territorial draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers that year, he went on to become an all-star guard in his 10 seasons in the NBA, averaging 12.6 points per game and 4.9 assists per game. Hazzard was the head basketball coach at Compton College for 2 years (1981-1982), going 53-9 in that span. He then became head coach at Chapman College for another 2 years (1983-1984) and went 43-14. He returned to UCLA as the head basketball coach for the 1984-1985 season and compiled a record of 77-47 in four years. His 1985 team, featuring Reggie Miller, won the NIT title. Later, he became a scout and special assistant for the Lakers.

Hazzard was a charter member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.