Games May Be Over, but Lavin Season Isn’t

Last Saturday, a fan defended Steve Lavin and sarcastically wrote, “Maybe the coach should have put himself in the game and hit a couple of threes.”

Even if possible, this wouldn’t be a good idea because the team hasn’t been taught any plays to get him open.

Albert Canedo

Lake Arrowhead

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The future of UCLA basketball in Westwood looks bright, with a run to the Sweet 16 and several promising freshmen on the team. This all, of course, is contingent on Steve Lavin’s taking the job at DePaul.

John Boyte

Newhall

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I am by no means a UCLA basketball fan, but consider these scenarios: Under Steve Lavin, the Bruins will typically have an uneven, uninspired regular season, then peak for the late- or postseason. Last year and so far this year, the Lakers under Phil Jackson have had uneven and uninspiring regular seasons and peaked in 2001, and will hopefully peak in 2002, for the postseason. Jackson escapes criticism and remains celebrated and amusing. Lavin is mocked and criticized.

I understand that Jackson has a run of titles whereas Lavin’s run is to the Sweet 16. But Jackson had the league’s best player on his first tour of duty and has possibly the league’s two best players this run. Despite raves about recruiting each year, Lavin does not have Final Four talent.

I am not comparing the abilities of these two coaches, only the perceptions we have of them that are widely divergent despite some shared tendencies.

While I’m on local coaches, I wonder if it is a coincidence that the week all the heartwarming Henry Bibby stories came out, rather than the stern taskmaster ones, the Trojans tanked their tournament game.

Rick Van Kirk

Irvine