UCLA Basketball Needs More Support From Fans

One wonders what Walt Hazzard could do to satisfy the short-sighted idiots like David Selkirk. In three years at UCLA, Hazzard is 61-33 with a .649 winning percentage. Last season, his team was 25-7 and brought the Pacific 10 championship back to Pauley Pavilion.

Yet, Selkirk is not satisfied. He wrote, “Hazzard can’t coach, and he can’t recruit.” Trevor Wilson, Kevin Walker and Gerald Madkins prove that Selkirk obviously isn’t paying attention. Given the five coaching changes in recent years, it is remarkable that UCLA is even competitive at all. One must remember that it took John Wooden 18 years to bring a national championship to Westwood.

The fact that small crowds have been the rule at Pauley is not Hazzard’s fault, but rather the shame of UCLA fans. In three seasons at Westwood, Hazzard has won more than 20 games twice. That record deserves sell-out crowds and rabid support. Only in a warped place like Los Angeles would such a record be criticized.

Perhaps the Selkirks of Los Angeles could do all Bruins a big favor by becoming USC football fans.

GREGORY E. BAKER

UCLA ’87

Los Angeles