WOODEN WILL WATCH FROM AFAR LEGENDARY COACH TO SEE BRUINS ON TV.

Byline: JILL PAINTER

Staff Writer

John Wooden won't be in Atlanta for the Final Four, but he's not about to miss UCLA's games.

He'll be in Los Angeles and probably will watch on television with some of his former players.

"No, I don't think I'll be up to it," Wooden said Monday of attending the Final Four. "A lot of people are trying to persuade me to do that, but I am 96."

Wooden had a previous obligation to attend the McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game, for which he serves as advisory committee chairman, in Kentucky this week. He'll leave for Louisville today and will return to Los Angeles when the tournament is done.

Wooden, who won 10 national championships at UCLA, might be 96, but that hasn't kept him from attending UCLA home games, speaking engagements and a plethora of other activities. He loves the charity aspect of the annual McDonald's game, which he has attended on a regular basis. Last year, $100,000 was donated to charity in his name.

He will be back in time to watch UCLA's semifinal game against Florida -- a rematch of last year's national championship game -- on Saturday.

"That wouldn't happen often," Wooden said of the rematch. "I was hoping we'd be on opposite sides (of the bracket), so that we could meet for the championship again. I think it's great and should be interesting for both teams. We'd like to have a little payback, you know. And they're probably thinking, 'We beat them once. We can beat them again.' "

UCLA has been impeccable on defense, even better than last year. Wooden has most been impressed with Bruin coach Ben Howland's defense and has told him as much. Howland regularly calls Wooden, including after each of the past two weekends of the NCAA Tournament.

"I respect the defense," Wooden said. "I think they're playing the finest defense of any UCLA team I've seen play for a long time. It's not good; It's outstanding. That can keep you in the game when the offense is not clicking well. That's happened a number of times. ...

"If we do win (the championship), I think it will be our defense that wins. I'm not knocking our offense, it's just that the emphasis is on defense. In any sport, whether it's football or baseball, defense wins championships. Good pitching almost always overcomes good hitting."