CARL KRAUSHAAR

Richard Dunn

You win some and lose some, but when it came time to decide his

collegiate basketball future after two years at Compton College, Carl

Kraushaar could not have made a better selection than UCLA under a

new coach named John Wooden.

“(Wooden) was a real pleasure to play for,” Kraushaar said. “He

was a wonderful coach and a wonderful person. Those were his first

two years at UCLA. I couldn’t have made a better choice for a coach.”

Kraushaar, a longtime Newport Beach resident, played as a 6-foot-5

center at Montebello High, Compton College and UCLA. His collegiate

career was interrupted for two years because of World War II, in

which Kraushaar served in the U.S. Navy in the Philippines.

Following an All-CIF Southern Section career at Montebello (circa

1944) and subsequent time in the service, Kraushaar played at

powerhouse Compton in 1946-47 and 1947-48, then became Wooden’s first

player to jump center at tip-off.

“When I talked to John Wooden (before committing to UCLA), I knew

he was the guy I wanted to play for,” Kraushaar said. “It was just

his coaching philosophy. Also, I liked to run and he taught the

running game, and he had some good ballplayers to work with, like

George Stanich.”

After playing as Wooden’s first center for two years in Westwood

(1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons), Kraushaar earned All-Pacific Coast

Conference honors in 1950 in what is now the Pac-10. Joining

Kraushaar on the All-Pacific Coast squad that season was Stanford’s

George Yardley, who grew up on Balboa Island and is a member of the

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

In both of Kraushaar’s seasons at UCLA, the Bruins won the

conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Later,

Kraushaar was selected in the 1950 NBA draft by Rochester in the

eighth round. Rochester also picked Stanich in the second round.

“I was drafted by a New York team, but I didn’t want to go back

there,” said Kraushaar, who turned down the opportunity to play

professional basketball and decided to get into teaching and

coaching, then later changed his career to administration.

Kraushaar returned to his alma mater, Montebello, to teach and

coach, then coached at Compton College and UCLA, before returning to

the high school level and becoming an assistant principal.

“I enjoyed coaching. It was a lot of fun,” said Kraushaar, the

latest honoree in the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame.

Kraushaar was married to his late wife, Frances, for 48 years. He

has four grown children -- twin sons Kurt and Karl, daughter Kandis

and son Kory -- and five grandchildren.