SPORTS WATCH : Already a Winner

In 27 years as coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team, John Wooden built a dynasty akin to what the old New York Yankees were in major league baseball. His teams won 10 National Collegiate Athletic Assn. championships, including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973 and another in 1975, his final year as coach.

But for the last 15 years--since a UCLA men’s basketball team last made it to the Final Four of the NCAA championship tournament--the Wizard of Westwood’s great legacy has also been a great burden. Despite winning seasons and other accomplishments most teams would be proud of, the Bruins never seemed to meet the high expectations of fans and alumni.

But even the accomplishments of a sports legend must be kept in perspective. When Wooden built his dynasty, some key rules in college basketball--not to mention the pressure of its championship tournament--were very different. There are many more good teams today, much more travel and many other distractions. So we want to take the time now--before the Bruins travel to Seattle for next weekend’s Final Four--to congratulate current head coach Jim Harrick and his exciting team, especially seniors Ed O’Bannon, Tyus Edney and George Zidek, on a job well done.

We’ll be rooting for the Bruins to win an 11th national title. But, win or lose, they have already done Los Angeles proud. Let others argue that they have restored the luster of the Wooden era. We think they have added a sheen of their own to a luster that never really faded.