Three for Four

Robyn Norwood takes the easy way out when she writes that if UCLA does not win the title in its third consecutive trip to the Final Four, Ben Howland will be the coach who cannot win the big one.

Rosters turn over to some degree each year in college sports. Coaches have to rebuild and reload each year. Comparing Howland to Jim Boeheim, Lute Olson and Roy Williams is a disconnect, as they had all been at their programs for many years before winning the title. On the other hand, UCLA was coming off one of its worst years in team history when Howland took over. Three years later he was in the Final Four.

We all want to win the championship, but even if UCLA does not, what Howland has accomplished in such a short time is amazing.

Tony Siracusa

San Gabriel

Whew! It was good to see that UCLA’s soft nonconference schedule that those omniscient USC fans pointed out earlier in the season didn’t cost them another trip to the Final Four. Although it was hard not to notice that a few of those creampuffs (Texas and Davidson) actually lucked their way into the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, USC, exhausted from its grueling preseason, gets to rest in their living rooms to watch the tournament while UCLA, fresh from coasting all year, has to trek to San Antonio for its third consecutive Final Four. I guess Ben Howland knows what he’s doing after all.

William David Stone

Beverly Hills

I want to thank all the coaches, writers and analysts who were telling us all season that the Pac-10 was the strongest basketball conference in the country. Your influence totally messed up our brackets.

J.J. Volpe

Long Beach