The Power Of The Press

One coach described what happened as a tag-team match between "five matadors and five bulls," and when Strack refused to alter the character of the contest, he left himself open to some second-guessing. He never abandoned the bulls, even when it was obvious that they were being cut into hamburger while still on the hoof.

Poor ball handling and playmaking betrayed Michigan the most, and this was just as true the night before against Princeton. In that game, the Michigan power was more than sufficient compensation, however, and Princeton was routed on the boards, 56-34. Still, it was the only game of the weekend that was close—until Bill Bradley, in foul trouble for all of the second half, fouled out with five minutes to go. When Bradley picked up his fourth personal barely a minute into the second half, Princeton was forced to go into an unfamiliar zone defense to protect him. Michigan tore through it when Princeton threatened to close the gap, and the Tigers were never able to challenge seriously.

Bradley finished his career the next night with a marvelous performance against Wichita. The score, 118-82 for Princeton, set all kinds of records, and so did Bradley. He made 58 points (22 for 29 from the floor, 14 for 15 from the free-throw line) in as satisfying a climax as could be hoped for in a consolation game. Referee Bob Korte, who had called most of the fouls on Bradley both nights, visited the Princeton locker room after the game. He sought out Bradley and shook his hand. "I wanted to tell you," he said, "that that was the greatest exhibition I ever saw. It was a pleasure to watch, and I wanted to thank you."

The game that followed was, in its way, an even more superb team performance by UCLA. The Bruins, confident to the edge of cockiness, were as poised a team of collegians as ever has been assembled. Goodrich was even composed during the ritualistic cutting down of the nets once the game was over, as if UCLA had practiced that, too. At least part of the reason for such cool demeanor and calculating efficiency can be credited to the UCLA players' long association, individually and collectively, with victory. They find it more familiar than surprising. Goodrich, Goss, Washington and McIntosh all played on championship high school teams. Lynn, playing on three levels of competition in the last three years, has been with teams that lost only four games in this period.

Erickson is more of a Johnny-come-lately winner, but he is making up for it. Neither he nor his high school team was much of a basketball success, and in junior college at El Camino he played against the UCLA freshman with so little distinction that Goodrich had no recollection of Erickson when the latter showed up as a varsity teammate the following year. But Erickson is a volleyball ace, a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, and they play volleyball, with two-man teams, all up and down the Southern California beaches on weekends. Many of the teams always have the same players as partners, but Erickson switches around. And they say that the winning team, at San Diego or on up the coast, is usually the one with Erickson. Volleyball, like basketball, is a game of precision leaps and bounds.

Finally, there is Edgar Lacey, the sophomore who suddenly began to realize his great potential in the last few weeks. "I really wanted this one," he said, smiling and gratified but quite calm after the Michigan game. "The thing is I've always been a loser. In high school we blew the big game, the finals, two years in a row, and I didn't want that again. I stayed awake till 3 o'clock last night, not just thinking, but really worrying, worrying that somehow I'm going to blow it again. I'm glad I've got a big one now."

UCLA, Johnny Wooden and the others have two now. And one of the first things Assistant Coach Jerry Norman said to Wooden after all the players assembled back at the bench, net cut down and in hand, was: "Well, all we have to do now is get to the finals next year, and then just bring in Kenny Washington to see that we win a third one."