An Upsetting Time for Lavin Bashers

After watching UCLA’s impressive victories over California and Stanford, I have come to the following inescapable, undeniable, irrefutable conclusion:

* The Bruin players have finally begun listening to Steve Lavin.

* The Bruin players have finally stopped listening to Steve Lavin.

Take your pick.

RONALD LEVINE

Van Nuys

*

To all you fair-weather UCLA fans who have castigated Steve Lavin all season (and me for defending him), do him a favor. Stay off the bandwagon. And get used to seeing him around for a long time.

STEVEN EPSTEIN

Los Angeles

*

Memo to all the Bruin basketball doubters. Steve Lavin has once again fired up the bandwagon and is yelling, “All aboard, we are headed to the tournament.”

MATT KERSTER

Redondo Beach

*

Apparently, the Bruin faithful were in too much of a Rush to fire Lavin.

GARY B. ROSS

Beverly Hills

*

Almost as enjoyable as watching UCLA beat Stanford Saturday was CBS commentator Billy Packer eating his words, saying “ballgame” and counting the Bruins out after committing a foul and down three with less than a minute remaining in overtime. Which part of the body does Billy speak from? It certainly isn’t his mouth.

MITCH ROSIN

Los Angeles

*

Too bad the Bruins have such a lousy coach, or they could have beaten the No. 1-ranked team in the country on the road.

STEVEN SHROYER

Redondo Beach

*

Rather than justification for retaining Steve Lavin as coach (as some of his supporters will no doubt contend), UCLA’s overtime victory over No. 1 Stanford merely demonstrated just how much UCLA’s basketball team has underachieved this year.

UCLA may even go on to win the national championship. What the heck, in a single-game elimination tournament anything can happen! Nevertheless, UCLA’s coaching and leadership are not commensurate with its athletic talent. UCLA fans can only hope that their team’s talent offsets Lavin’s inferior coaching and leadership.

JACK KIRBY DILBECK

Huntington Beach

*

I have been concerned about the sporadic and often lackluster play of the Bruins during this season, but the resiliency and determination the team showed against Stanford was inspiring. It was the Bruins’ gutsiest performance in recent memory, especially with all the foul trouble.

JaRon Rush’s performance in his first post-suspension game was nothing short of spectacular, but so many players stepped up. It was great to see the consummate team victory, with a mental toughness that had been lacking much of the season.

It is also reassuring to note, as March Madness unfolds, that things are back to normal. UCLA will be going to the big dance and USC struggles to make it to the NIT.

RON NAKAMURA

Duarte