Assistant coach Jerry Norman convinced a reluctant Wooden to use the zone press, which the team had never utilized before.

[2][3][4] The press quickened the pace of the game and was influential in the first two national titles won by the Bruins, who were undersized.

[2][5] In the national title game, the Bruins defeated Duke, coached by Vic Bubas, by the score of 98–83.

It was the team's 30th consecutive win, played before 10,684 fans in Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, March 21, 1964.

In the semi-final game, Erickson and Hazzard scored 28 and 19 points respectively to help UCLA to defeat Kansas State 90–84 on March 20.