UCLA Basketball: The Talent is There, But What About the Coaching from Steve Alford?
UCLA Basketball has a lot of expectations going into the 2016-17 season, mostly because of the amount of talent on the team, but coaching is a question mark. Will Head Coach Steve Alford help the Bruins reach their potential or will the Bruins have a mediocre year?
There is a lot of hope and expectations for the UCLA Basketball team going into this new season, but the reality of the situation is unknown. That reality has to do with Head Coach Steve Alford and how he will perform as a coach this season.
Alford was not a popular man at the end of last season with the majority of the Bruin fan base calling for his termination.
Part of this has to do with UCLA’s regression since Alford’s first season. Their win totals in the last three years are 28, 22 and 15.
So when Alford lost his last five games of the 2015-16 season, including a 95-71 defeat to USC in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament (which was the third time they lost to the Trojans that season), that did not sit well with Bruin fans. Knowing the situation, Alford responded in a letter to the Bruin fan base in which he apologized for his performance, gave back the bonus he received after his first year on the job and stated that changes will be made.
This may have had a too-little-too-late vibe to it, but it shows that Alford recognizes a problem. He is not going to let it go unnoticed and wants to be active in turning this program around. While that is good motivation for the season, it does not mean that Alford will actually change.
The problems from last season were in his approach. Roster management, defense, development and game planning had all led to the downward spiral the Bruins faced at the end of last season.
So changes have to be made.
Roster Management
The addition of three talented freshmen will help the Bruins this season, but it does not guarantee improvement. Lonzo Ball, T.J. Leaf and Ike Anigbogu bring a lot of talent, but will they be used to their potential? So far, yes.
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UCLA Basketball fans were able to sample the Bruins during a 3-game tour of Australia. UCLA continued their uptempo style and had some notable improvements, especially with frosh Ball facilitating the offense.
The coach also made a good move by having Bryce Alford play on the wing. The senior guard was able to move around and create his shot without the added responsibility of ball handling.
Alford mixed and mached different lineups down under, which is fine for a exhibition games, but come the regular season, he is going to have to have a set lineup as well as accommodate for the depth.
He is also going to have to balance the roster until SG Prince Ali returns from a meniscus tear which could have him out until early December. Alford will have to balance four scholarship guards (three of which might start) with six big men. Occasionally they will need to go big. Will Alford still push the pace or does he have a plan to slow things down for the big men?
Defense?
Going back to the Australian tour, the flow of the offense was noticeable and will be good, but a glaring weakness was still the defense (or lack thereof). Most defensive plays were due to individual effort by the likes of Anigbogu, Aaron Holiday and Isaac Hamilton, and not due to a defensive overhaul.
The Bruins still played too far off the ball, hands were not up and no one seems to want to step in and draw a charge.
From what is projected, this is not going to be a defensive team, though they should improve. The unfortunate part is that with the offense they possess, these Bruins could dominate if Alford stresses tougher defense.
Development
And then there is development. Has Alford done enough in the off-season to improve the physical and mental aspect of the game for every one of his players?
Have the players been hitting the weight room, putting enough time into practice and reviewing film? Is Alford doing what it takes to put his players in the best possible position to succeed?
With whatever lineup he decides on, will he have his players understand their roles in the offense and defense? All yet to be seen, but hopefully their are positive answers to these questions.
Game Planning
But then there are other factors that need to be considered for the UCLA to improve, specifically with game adjustments. Does Alford have a contingency plan for momentum swinging scenarios? Can he put teams away? Will he have a plan to comeback in a game where the Bruins are down by ten points?
Alford has to continually put the team in position to be successful. UCLA has enough talent that Alford can have them on cruise control and beat half of the teams on their schedule.
But what happens when Alford comes up against teams with good coaches like Kentucky, Oregon and Arizona? Will he have the know-how to defeat them or will UCLA Basketball fans live through a series of “we almost beat them” moral victories? It could also be worse… the Bruins could be completely dominated.
Hopefully Alford is good on his word to make the proper adjustments. It is incredible knowing how much talent is on this team. If it is wasted, that would be a huge disservice to UCLA Basketball, the players and the fan base.
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