NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME / UCLA 89, ARKANSAS 78 : SPOTLIGHT : WOODEN STAYS IN THE BACKGROUND

Attending his first NCAA tournament championship game since one played here 11 years ago, John Wooden, the coach of UCLA’s glorious past, was among the Bruins’ fans at Monday night’s 89-78 triumph over Arkansas.

Wooden, 84, did not address the team before the game, despite Coach Jim Harrick’s invitation to do so, saying in his opinion it would not be appropriate.

“I would rather stay in the background and not take anything away from the team,” Wooden said. “They have had a tremendous season and I didn’t want to take any attention away from them.”

Harrick is the only UCLA coach to win a championship other than Wooden, who won 10.

Wooden said before the opening tipoff: “When UCLA got into the championship game, I definitely decided I would come. I told myself I wouldn’t unless they got to the final.”

Although the man hailed as “The Wizard of Westwood” did travel to a Final Four tournament in his native Indiana a few years ago, he was not a spectator at the final game. “And that was the only one I’ve been to without my wife,” Wooden said.

Asked what he thought was going through Harrick’s mind entering the game, Wooden said: “I think he is more concerned with his guard’s (Tyus Edney) health than anything else. I’m sure he’s not thinking about the past, or my teams at UCLA. He’s concentrating on this game tonight.”

Wooden was low key after the game as well.

“I’m very proud,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t think they could win it without Edney. He makes that team run. But (Toby) Bailey and (Cameron) Dollar played wonderfully. Dollar didn’t score many points, but his defense was superb.”

Wooden didn’t go to the locker room to congratulate the Bruins.

“This is their moment,” he said. “I don’t want to get in the way.”