It’s No Longer an Upset When Irvine Beats UCLA

Tracy Dodds’ article on the UCLA-UC Irvine NIT game leads with: “After his team upset defending champion UCLA . . . “ That game was no upset. When are UCLA fans and the L.A. media going to realize that the Pac-10 in general and UCLA in particular are no longer powers in basketball?

Of the 96 schools invited to the NCAA and NIT, the Pac-10 was represented by four schools, the PCAA by two, the WAC by five and the WCAC by two. After the first round of both tournaments, the PCAA was 2-0, the WCAC was 1-1, the WAC was 2-3 and the Pac-10 was 0-4.

Irvine finished second in the toughest basketball conference on the West Coast. UCLA finished in the middle of the weakest conference in the West. It’s time to face reality, Bruin fans. The better team from the better conference won.

KEN ABLES

San Diego