The 1970–71 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team won the National Collegiate Championship on March 27, 1971, in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was UCLA's fifth consecutive national title, and seventh in eight years under head coach John Wooden. The Bruins defeated Villanova 68–62, but the Wildcats' runner-up finish was later vacated by the NCAA. Smith Barrier, executive sports editor at the Daily News and Record of Greensboro, North Carolina, wrote: "Mister John Wooden has a watch factory out in Los Angeles. It's a bit different from most Swiss works. They don't make watches, they win 'em."