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 Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. 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 UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , might be 96, but that hasn't kept him from attending UCLA home games, speaking engagements and a plethora plethora /pleth·o·ra/ (pleth´ah-rah) 1. an excess of blood. 2. by extension, a red florid complexion.pletho´ric pleth·o·ra n. 1. 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 REMATCH Cardiology Clinical trials–Randomized Evaluation of Mechanical Assistance Therapy as an alternative in Congestive Heart failure–related to use of a portable, electric left ventricular-assist system–LVAS–eg, HeartMate® 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 Payback The length of time it takes to recover the initial cost of a project, without regard to the time value of money. , you know. And they're probably thinking, 'We beat them once. We can beat them again.' " UCLA has been impeccable im·pec·ca·ble adj. 1. Having no flaws; perfect. See Synonyms at perfect. 2. Incapable of sin or wrongdoing. [Latin impecc 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 NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
"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." |
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