Coach class

In Jerry Crowe’s recent story regarding Coach Wooden and me [“This right-hand man could use a pat on back, “ March 19], he created a format that slanted to fit his preconceived perception of my relationship with Coach Wooden. Although we are not close friends, nothing was said by me or Coach Wooden to validate Mr. Crowe’s perception of our relationship.

I’m sure Coach Wooden is in agreement with me that we are both very pleased with the UCLA basketball program we created and Mr. Crowe just doesn’t get it as to the real story.

JERRY NORMAN

Los Angeles

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It never ceases to amaze me when a basketball coach loses a game in overtime that he would have won in regulation had he made one simple decision. Protecting a three-point lead with fewer than five seconds to play, why do coaches allow an opponent to shoot a game-tying three point basket? Failure to foul by Sean Miller of Xavier cost his team against Ohio State in this year’s NCAA tournament just as it did Washington’s Lorenzo Romar last year when facing Connecticut.

ROSS PORTER

Calabasas Park