University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Former UCLA Standout Morris Taft Passes Away
November 04, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Morris Taft, a three-year guard on the UCLA men's basketball teams from 1954-56, passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday, Oct. 30, after a prolonged illness. He was 84 years old.
A proud Bruin who greatly valued his experiences at UCLA, Taft excelled under the tutelage of head coach John Wooden. He helped lead the Bruins to a combined 61-18 record during his three years on the court, averaging in double figures during his final two seasons.
Taft arrived in Westwood after graduating from Los Angeles Polytechnic High School, where he secured Northern League Player of the Year honors and was a first-team all-city selection in 1952 along with UCLA's Willie Naulls.
Taft ranked second on UCLA's team in scoring as a senior, averaging 17.3 points during the Bruins' 1955-56 campaign. In addition, he registered 12.6 points per game as a junior (1954-55) and 5.6 points per game as a sophomore (1953-54). He was a two-year starter for the Bruins and a three-year letterwinner, securing first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference acclaim in 1956.
Taft's final two UCLA teams finished in first place in the Pacific Coast Conference. The Bruins secured an 11-1 record in the Southern Division in 1955 before posting a perfect 16-0 record in a unified Pacific Coast Conference in 1956.
As a senior in 1955-56, Taft played for a UCLA team that did not have a home court. In fact, the Bruins had to travel between the Pan-Pacific, Venice High School and Long Beach City College. The Pacific Coast Conference had reorganized into one division, meaning that UCLA had to compete with five northern schools and the other three southern schools for the conference title.
Playing alongside the talented Willie Naulls that season, Taft helped UCLA navigate through a rocky 2-4 start. Playing at the challenging ECAC Holiday Festival in New York, the Bruins cruised past St. John's and Duquesne before falling to Bill Russell's San Francisco Dons. After going 4-5 early in the season, UCLA cruised through its league slate and compiled an impressive 17-game winning streak.
At the conclusion of his senior season, Taft helped the Bruins land their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, a 94-70 victory against Seattle in a consolation game played in Corvallis, Ore.
During his sophomore season, his first year with the varsity squad, Taft guided UCLA to a win against the University of San Francisco, led by Bill Russell. That victory came in the Bruins' third regular-season game, by a 47-40 margin.
Taft was selected in the eighth round, as the No. 58 overall selection, in the 1956 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks (now Atlanta). The draft was territorial at the time, which likely hampered Taft's NBA ambitions.
After college, Taft was an insurance agent for Equitable Life Insurance, often selling life insurance to other athletes and professionals. He owned a boat and was an avid deep-sea fisherman. Morris "Morrie" Taft is survived by his three children – Paula, Monisa and Morris, Jr. – and his two grandchildren – Krista and Jeffrey.
