Letters: Bruins need to change their style

News flash. A Ben Howland-coached team will never beat a Billy Donovan-coached team or any other coach who knows how to use his athletes. The difference is that while premier coaches find the balance between unleashing their athletes and playing controlled, fundamental basketball, Howland recruits blue chip athletes and constrains them in a very staid, conservative system.

It’s no wonder that athletic, skilled players who excel in high school explode in the NBA after taking a detour at UCLA.

Jerry Leibowitz

Culver City

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While the Bruins may have fallen short of our collective hopes, they succeeded where the three teams that went to the Final Four (and were packed with future NBA stars) didn’t: They played a game that we could be proud of.

Saturday afternoon’s game against Florida is the reason that I love Ben Howland, whether we win or lose. When fans complain about the team’s record, Howland talks about improvement. When they complain about scoring or offense, Howland talks about effort. And when they gripe about losing, Howland talks about learning. Reminds me of another Bruin basketball coach.

Mike Murashige

Pasadena

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Early basketball tournament exits don’t bother Bruins fans. We’re a football school. Oh wait....

Wesley V. Wellman

Santa Monica

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In last week’s letters, the following quotes were printed about USC’s loss in the NCAA tournament: “against crummy Virginia Commonwealth�; “hang a First Four banner�; “tell Coach Kevin O’Neill that his services will no longer be needed.�

First, Virginia Commonwealth moved ahead and beat Georgetown and Purdue after USC, and might be playing in a regional final this weekend. Second, Coach O’Neill took over a program two years ago that was on NCAA probation and led them into the tournament. Not many coaches will accept such a position, let alone get the team into postseason play. Coach O’Neill was needed, and his services might still be.

Wayne Muramatsu

Cerritos

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All University of Arizona basketball fans should personally thank ex-USC athletic director Mike Garrett for his move in throwing Tim Floyd under the bus. Because of his decision (which was totally unwarranted), Arizona’s top three players (including Derrick Williams) were able to back out of their commitment to play for the Trojans and thus lead the Wildcats to a possible Final Four appearance.

Richard Whorton

Valley Village

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With their bloated Big East selections, congratulations to the NCAA tournament selection committee for accomplishing what was previously an unthinkable. They made the BCS system look highly effective.

Bruce Kahn

Claremont

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When will college athletic administrators learn to offer contracts to coaches that do not include buy-out policies when coaches are fired for good cause? Bruce Pearl lied to NCAA officials in September after knowingly cheating as to the NCAA rules. Then, just this month, his staff committed more violations. Tennessee will pay him $948,728 worth of salary and benefits as part of his dismissal agreement. Some punishment....almost a million dollars for being a lying cheat.

It is no wonder athletes are caught breaking laws, NCAA rules, and accepting unallowable benefits.

Jane Hilgendorf

Corona del Mar

Flagrant smell

Watching Andrew Bynum flatten Michael Beasley, I would have suspended him for even longer, and for those players that think that their teammate earns “stripes� for this play, I am disappointed in that attitude. Bet if somebody did to Kobe, while driving to the lane, what Bynum did to Beasley, the reaction would be somewhat different.

Barry Levy

Hawthorne

Not good

It should come as no surprise that attendance at Camelback Ranch is down over 42% from a year ago. Why head east for a spring training game when you’ll be able to see the same no-names all summer long right here in L.A.

I only hope the marketing whizzes come up with things like Frank and Jamie Night (50-50 raffle), Guess How Many Noodles on Lasorda’s Plate, and other minor league type promotions off the field, since the Dodgers will look like an AAA team on the field.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

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Take heart, all baseball players! Even if you wash out of MLB, wash out of Japan, then finally wash out of South Korea, you can still start for the Dodgers.

Charles Gillespie

Oxnard

Royal pain

After reading Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait’s comment that “the good news is that we are continuing to move closer to bringing a professional basketball team to Anaheim,� I had to hope he was referring to UCLA’s Bruins. Bluntly, the Sacramento Kings currently sport the third worst record in the NBA. At least they can’t get much worse. What has thus far escaped media attention is how this move will impact the Ducks. Understandably, there are likely more basketball fans than hockey fans, and the Ducks, despite a competitive team who have also been to the Stanley Cup finals twice in eight years and won once, currently play most nights to at least 4,000 empty seats.

I am blessed to own both Ducks and Angels season tickets, but cannot afford basketball as well. I question how many fans in Orange County and surrounding areas really can afford to support three franchises, the third being the Angels. Bottom line, I fear whatever the Kings/Royals may gain, the Ducks will lose.

Bob Kargenian

Yorba Linda

Break it up

Sorry to disagree with Eric Sondheimer, but, I am in favor of “the nuclear option� for high school sports — having separate playoffs.

There’s absolutely no other fair way to deal with the growing disparity between public and private schools when it comes to athletics. I don’t care how many City titles a Taft or Westchester win, there’s no way they can compete with a Mater Dei, which puts on an annual tournament in its own gym, with teams from across the country and this year featured a game that was broadcast on one of ESPN’s channels.

And, that’s not a knock at Coach Gary McKnight and his program or school; it’s just the truth.

Charles L. Freeman

Baldwin Hills

Firing offense

We all like Elgin Baylor. However, for him to suggest that merit had nothing to do with his firing is incomprehensible on levels previously unknown. Sterling should have been committed to a mental institution long ago for keeping Baylor around for all of those years.

Craig P. Fagan

San Diego

A real hero

I read Bill Plaschke’s great article about 90-year-old employee John Shear at Santa Anita track who shoved a 6-year-old girl aside and saved her just before a galloping loose horse would have hit her. Shear was hit and wound up in the hospital. Santa Anita should honor Shear with a gold medal or some kind of reward or better yet name a champion horse after him.

Ken Larson

Los Angeles

Glove story

What does T.J. Simers expect Marcus Thames to say? (March 22)

“Well, T.J., I’m a marginal ballplayer with just enough talent to have stayed in the big leagues for 10 seasons. And yes, despite endless hours of practice, I’m just not as good in the outfield as, say, a Torii Hunter.�

There are 25 guys on a big league roster and everyone knows the 25th guy isn’t as talented as the guys who start everyday. Come on, T.J. Stop bullying the little guy, and go after the Kemps and Ethiers who under-produce.

David H. Crocker

Placentia

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After reading T.J. Simers’ piece on Marcus Thames, I realize how frustrating it must be for Thames that he can hit lefties but not sportswriters.

Rob Matheson

Los Angeles

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