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The Pacers will honor the great John Wooden at Monday's Hickory Night game. Wooden was an Indiana native and enjoyed a tremendous playing career at Martinsville, Purdue, and with one of Indianapolis' first professional teams, but is best known for his legendary coaching career at UCLA, where he won 10 national championships in a 12-year span.

While Wooden did not coach any eventual Pacers players while at UCLA, a number of current and former Pacers players came through the UCLA program and were influenced by Wooden.

In fact, the current Pacers roster features three former Bruins, more UCLA players than any other NBA roster. Veteran point guard Darren Collison starred at UCLA from 2005-09, helping lead the Bruins to three straight Final Four appearances. Rookie big men TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu both were a part of the UCLA team that reached the Sweet Sixteen last spring as freshmen.

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Of course, the Pacers' connection to the UCLA program dates back much further than that. In 1987, the franchise took a skinny shooting guard out of UCLA named Reggie Miller with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Miller, of course, would spend his entire 18-year Hall of Fame career with the Pacers, setting numerous franchise records and leading the team to six Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals appearance.

Other players who played both for UCLA and the Pacers include Pooh Richardson (played with the Pacers from 1992-94), Earl Watson (2009-10), and Tyus Edney (2000-01), who hit an iconic buzzer-beating shot against Missouri in the 1995 NCAA Tournament during the Bruins' run to their lone national title since Wooden's retirement.

While Wooden did not coach any of those players, he made a lasting impact on all of their careers. Wooden retired from coaching in 1975, but remained involved with the program until his death at the age of 99 in 2010. Almost every player who has come through UCLA speaks glowingly of the atmosphere Wooden created around the program, a foundation that has lasted through the decades, even after his retirement.

"It's one big family," Miller told the New York Times. "It's a brotherhood."

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Collison was a part of some of the last UCLA teams that Wooden saw play and was fortunate enough to meet him on several occasions. Wooden would watch UCLA practices and always attended the Wooden Classic, an annual college basketball doubleheader in Anaheim that almost always featured the Bruins.

"He still was intelligent, even at his age," Collison remembered. "He got a chance to talk to the group. He said some pretty interesting things...The thing that I remember about him was all the wisdom that he had when he was talking."

Even though Wooden was not around when Leaf and Anigbogu attended UCLA, they still felt his impact during their time on campus. Leaf, whose coach at UCLA was another Indiana high school and college star in Steve Alford, had the chance to talk with several UCLA alums who either played for or met Wooden.

"Being at UCLA, something you didn't realize going in was how big of an impact he had with his players off the court," Leaf said. "...He turned so many players into great people, great men. A lot of the stories that I heard from his past players, that's what they talked about the most."

One of Wooden's greatest legacies is his "Pyramid of Success," a chart of the attributes most important to achieving greatness. The pyramid, which Wooden created while coaching at Indiana State and then implemented throughout his time at UCLA, is still used as a helpful guide to success in both the sports and business worlds.

"It's not just the basketball team, the whole UCLA athletic program uses the Pyramid of Success every day," Leaf said. "Everyone talks about it and it's a really big part of UCLA athletics."

When you think about it, it's kind of a remarkable story. A former Indiana basketball star moves to the West Coast and becomes a legendary coach, building a program that will later send a number of its biggest stars back to his home state to play in the NBA. Even today, John Wooden's impact is still being felt across the basketball world, both at UCLA and with the Pacers.

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Pacers Connections with UCLA, Wooden Run Deep

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In a packed Barclays Center on Thursday night, the loudest cheer of the night came when the Philadelphia 76ers selected Markelle Fultz number one overall, with Philly fans hailing what they hope is the completion of a years-long process.

The Pacers meanwhile, were getting started on a process of their own, upgrading their roster with a high-level shooter and a high-ceiling forward, both one-and-done products of UCLA. With the 18th pick, Indiana selected UCLA power forward TJ Leaf, giving the Pacers a young and versatile player capable of getting NBA minutes from the start. At 47th, Indiana was able to snag Ike Anigbogu out of UCLA, another player with the ability to grow into a serious weapon in the modern NBA, but one who will need more time before becoming a regular contributor.

To cap off the night, Indiana made a deal to nab guard Edmond Sumner out of Xavier, netting them a total of three players.

Leaf, who just recently turned 20, is already well versed in what it takes to have an NBA-style offense, having helped lead UCLA to a 31-5 record alongside the number two overall pick Lonzo Ball.

When asked how he might fit alongside Turner, whose 3-point shot is starting to develop, Leaf was quick to mention that he too can create space: "I just think my ability to stretch the floor and pass, I think will be a really good complement to Myles in the post."

In his one season with the Bruins, Leaf proved to be a ruthlessly efficient scorer, shooting 61.7 percent from the field, which included hitting on 46 percent of his 3-point shots.

In addition, Leaf displayed good hands on the glass, hauling in 8.2 rebounds per game.

While Leaf is likely ready for NBA action on Day 1, he will have a chance to ease into the NBA waters, since Thaddeus Young projects to be the starting power forward going into next season.

Young shot 38 percent from 3-point distance last year (and was even more accurate before an injury to his shooting wrist), which means Indiana's first power forward off the bench in the 2017-18 season will also be a weapon from deep.

In addition to being a good fit on the court, Leaf already fits off the court, with connections that run deep in Indiana.

"Most of my family is from the Indiana area," Leaf explained. "I spent a lot of time in the summers and whatnot. My Dad was from Indianapolis and my Mom was from Evansville."

Having grown up with Indiana as a second home, Leaf is eager to make it his first home, expressing excitement about getting to work with his new set of teammates.

The selection of Leaf with other highly touted prospects on the board, such as Wake Forest's John Collins, might signal part of a grander plan from the Pacers, grabbing a player with the potential to be an elite shooter at the forward position.

With four forwards on the roster capable of lighting it up from deep at a high level (Young, Leaf, Niang, and Turner), Indiana's guards should have more freedom than ever when it comes to driving the lane, with opposing defenses needing to stay home on Indiana's bigs.

"It's pretty much what this league is going to, bigs who can shoot the ball," explained Pacers head coach Nate McMillan following their selection of Leaf.

Whether or not Anigbogu can shoot the ball remains an unknown, since the 6-foot, 9-inch 18-year-old didn't play big minutes for the Bruins last season. While his averages from his sole year in school — 13 minutes, 4.7 points, and four rebounds — may seem uninspiring, it was Anigbogu's measurements that had some scouts speculating that he may go as high as a lottery pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Anigbogu measured a wingspan of 7-feet, 6-inches.

But, much to the Pacers' fortunes, Anigbogu slid down the draft board, falling all the way into Indiana's lap at 47th overall.

"I wasn't trying to think about where I was going to be picked," said Anigbogu of his draft night. "It's just the right program, had a great workout with (the Pacers), and I have TJ, so basically, this is the number one pick in my heart."

Following his selection and shaking hands on stage with the NBA's deputy commissioner Mark A. Tatum, Anigbogu walked into the main concourse of the Barclays Center, with his family and friends giving him a roaring applause as him and Leaf shared a hug.

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