What A Wiz Of A Win It Was

Everybody knew of the emotion inherent in former UCLA Assistant Crum's face-off with his old school in the other semifinal. Everybody was aware that Pete Trgovich and Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman had played on the same East Chicago team that had won the Indiana state prep championship, and that the Bruins' skinny guard would be checking the Cards' versatile leaper. But only a few close friends realized the feelings that churned inside Wooden during this final week of his 40-year coaching career.

There had been hints of his departure. Last month Washington State Coach George Raveling reported that this would be Wooden's last tournament. Another Pac-8 coach said Wooden had told him that he was stepping aside.

Though appearing to be in fine health, The Wizard has not been sleeping well, and he has been starting his long morning walks as early as five a.m. A doctor advised him against agreeing to become the coach of the 1976 Olympic team.

Perceptive Bruin players were alerted before UCLA's final contest at Pauley Pavilion when Wooden told his team it would be the last home game "for a few people in this room."

Rumors continued last week. And signs. At a small dinner party the night before the semifinals the Bruin coach watched as a hobbling 73-year-old Rupp entered and had to be helped to his table. At that moment an unmistakable haunted look crossed Wooden's face.

"Hello, Johnny," said Rupp.

The next morning the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner played the story of Wooden's leave-taking all over the front page of its sports section. During the Kentucky-Syracuse game the UCLA coach read the articles about his own retirement. He decided right then he had to clear the air.

Even news of Wooden's departure, however, could not diminish the drama of UCLA's 75-74 victory over Louisville.

This war of attrition was not won in the trenches but in the territory high on the backboards. That is where UCLA's Johnson went to contribute two brilliant defensive plays that saved the game in regulation time and where Washington arrived to score the last two of his 26 points and the winning basket with two seconds left in overtime.

It had been a struggle of savage intensity from the very beginning. Fleet Louisville four times held early nine-point leads as the result of 18 points from Bridgeman and Allen Murphy. But Murphy calmed down a little and Bridgeman, hounded by Trgovich, turned off. Ulysses did not score a basket in the final 37 minutes of the game.