Color This UCLA Season Prouder Blue

UCLA fans should be proud of this team, and appreciate the great journey this year, which sadly ended in defeat. This team is a great bunch of kids who played their hearts out. They handled themselves with class every step of the way, including in defeat. No showboating and no egos, just team, team, team and hard work.

They were gracious, win or lose. They gave full credit to the job Florida did in the final. Ben Howland is lucky to have them and I’m sure John Wooden smiles with satisfaction at the kind of young men they are.

HELEN FREEMAN

Anaheim

*

With expectations low, excitement rose with each hard-fought UCLA victory, from a conference championship sweep to an improbable Final Four run. When teams come of age and mature from also-rans to contenders, that’s the exciting part. Next year, though, I’ll probably lose the exuberance and return to being jaded, expectant rather than hopeful, and satisfied only by a championship.

MARK HERSBERGER

Bakersfield

*

Any UCLA basketball fan who is content with finishing second in the country must be a whole lot younger than I.

HERSHEL REMER

Los Angeles

*

After a miracle victory over Gonzaga, Ryan Hollins and Arron Afflalo interrupted their celebration to console a defeated Adam Morrison at midcourt.

During the title game, Florida’s Joakim Noah displayed his version of sportsmanship and respect by blowing kisses to UCLA’s cheerleaders and forgoing the traditional postgame handshakes by basking in his own glory at midcourt.

What I will remember most about this NCAA tournament is that Florida had the better team, but UCLA had the better men.

JERRY LEIBOWITZ

Culver City

*

This should show everyone why NCAA football should never agree to a playoff system.

In the NCAA basketball second season, four teams that dogged it during the regular season hacked their way into the Final Four while the elite teams were forced to sit and watch. What a sham.

In the BCS, we watch great bowl games almost every year, while in the basketball fiasco, we watch junk year after year.

JOHN PALMIERI

Woodland Hills

*

No big deal. USC lost in the last 19 seconds and UCLA lost in the first 19 seconds. They’ll be back. Fight on, USC, and go Bruins!

ART LEAHY

Santa Ana