RIVERSIDE - Jim Wooldridge knows a thing or two about turning around a basketball program.

He's been doing it for more than 20 years. So, as some look at the situation at UC Riverside as an almost no-win situation, he sees nothing but potential.

Hired on Wednesday, Wooldridge, the former Kansas State head coach and Chicago Bulls assistant coach, was formally introduced as UC Riverside's sixth head men's basketball coach at a press conference Thursday afternoon at University Village.

"I've been around enough to know when I see a program that have great possibilities and haven't reached them yet," Wooldridge said. "There is no secret formula of how it happens. There needs to be a commitment to excellence and commitment to winning. We've seen it happen with the women's program here, and we can do it with the men's program."

In his previous four head coaching stops, Wooldridge took teams coming off losing records and guided them to winning season.

Still, UC Riverside presents a challenge different to what Wooldridge saw at Central Missouri State, Texas State, Louisiana Tech and finally Kansas State. Wooldridge was fired at Kansas State in 2006 and replaced by Bob Huggins.

UCR has progressed little since making the leap to Division I seven years ago. The men's basketball program hasn't come close to a winning season, going 54-136 since, including 7-24 last season. There appears to be little interest in the program, and the team seems to be an afterthought in the crowded Southern California college scene.

Add the fact that recruiting season has already passed and Wooldridge has quite a challenge in making the Highlanders something other than the cellar-dwellers in the Big West Conference.

After booting long time coach John Masi three seasons ago and spending two lackluster seasons under David Spencer, the school was looking for someone with the knowledge and experience to establish the Highlanders on the NCAA Division I scene.

"His overall success is what made the difference," Professor Tony Norman, who headed the search committee, said. "He had been to a bunch of different places where he didn't know the campus culture, and he was able to fit it there and he was successful."

It also helped that Wooldridge got glowing reviews from coaching legend Bobby Knight and current USC coach Tim Floyd, who was a college teammate of Wooldridge's at Louisiana Tech and hired him as an assistant during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls.

Wooldridge, owner of a 312-237 head coaching record, might bring something familiar in the triangle offense.

Wooldridge learned the offense that brought nine NBA championships to the Bulls and the Lakers from its inventor, Tex Winter, while he was an assistant to Floyd with the Bulls.

"Maybe so. We'll look at it," Wooldridge said. "I need to study these guys more and find out if it is going to be a good format for them."

As for a style of play, Wooldridge says to expect for an emphasis on defense.

"You can't win without defense, and that is based on effort and commitment," Wooldridge said. "I want to win all the hustle stats. Defense, steals, rebounding."

The Oklahoma City native stopped short of putting specific goals for next season, but said he expects immediate improvement.

"I would never put a cap on any team I coach, so I will say that our team is going to play hard and as well as we can play," Wooldridge said. "I know where that will lead us. If we get our legs underneath us we can start to turn this thing around. I didn't make any specific promises when I got hired. I think we can win here. Now, it is time to prove it."