Pauley to have John Wooden statue

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When Pauley Pavilion reopens next year, it will include a statue of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero announced Tuesday in his weekly blog.

The statue will be sculpted by Blair Buswell, the head sculptor at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It will sit on the north side of Pauley along Bruin Walk. The statue is being financed by UCLA boosters.

"I can not wait until we unveil the final product," Guerrero wrote.

Guerrero also said the school is seeking a corporate sponsor for the arena when it re-opens next fall, with any revenue generated by such a deal to go into paying off the debt on the renovations. He said the affiliation "will be tastefully done" and has the blessing of the family of Edwin Pauley, whose name is on the building.

Wooden, who died in June 2010 at 99, led the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships, including an unmatched streak of seven in a row from 1967 to 1973.

Over 27 years, he won 620 games, including 88 straight during one historic stretch, and coached many of the game's greatest players such as Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor -- later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Wooden is the only person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.

Peter Yoon covers UCLA for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Peter Yoon

ESPNLosAngeles.com

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• Has covered sports in Southern California for 15 years
• Previously a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times from 1995-2008.
• Covers UCLA for ESPNLosAngeles.com