UCLA Basketball: A Player Analysis In Their Victory Over Azusa Pacific

On this Halloween night, the UCLA basketball team could definitely be defined as “ghost-like”. The Bruins can be scary as hell or make it seem like they are not their at all. In their 80-53 win over Azusa Pacific the Bruins showed flashes of brilliance, but also showed they need to build their chemistry if they want to be an elite team this season. Let us breakdown the game by looking at how each player performed in their exhibition to start the year. Here is our player analysis of UCLA vs Azusa Pacific:

February 27, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Bryce Alford (20) and head coach Steve Alford react after a scoring play against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Alford – Alford still seems a bit rushed driving lane and had some questionable passes when trying to execute the offense, but for the most part did a decent job running the plays. When out on the wing, he had a few errant attempts, but also hit a few momentum-gaining shots, including going 3 for 4 from beyond the arc as he ended with 15 points.

Noah Allen – Allen was a nice surprise because we did not get a chance to see a lot of him last year. In this game, his work on the court was spent trying to get in a good position while trying to figure out the offense. He is very active but does need a little bit of time to mesh with this game plan.

Wanaah Bail – Not a lot was known about Bail from last season, but just like Allen, Bail he impressed in his first showing. By first glance he did a pretty darn good job. His rebounding was really impressive and at one point in the first half he grab the rebound about 4 inches above the rim. He is very active but looks a little stiff. Other than that, he should be a fun guy to watch this season.

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Gyorgy Goloman – Goloman did not play a lot of minutes but when he was on the floor, he was a big body that took up space down below. He was not as active as the other big man but at the same time he seem to have good positioning and knew where to be during rotations of the defense. He also has good rebounding skills, but needs to work on his strength as he was boxed out a few times.

Isaac Hamilton – He was not very explosive but was good with the ball. He seemed very aware individually, but needs more time to maneuver this offense. Hamilton needs to work on the accuracy of his passing, but had enough know-how to get the offense going. He finished with a game-high 6 assists.

Kevon Looney – Looney started out a little disorganized and did not exactly have a handle on the offense. That changed in the second half when he was all over the court on offense. Looney ended with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a fantastic effort. He may be a bit raw, but when he clicks with this offense he will be very dangerous. He ended with a double double, 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Tony Parker – Parker started off a little bit slow but like most of the Bruins kicked it into high gear in the second half. He also ended the night with a double-double that resulted in 16 points and 10 rebounds. Despite Azuza Pacific having a smaller lineup, Parker consistently had good positioning and blocked out well. Good news Bruin fans, Parker looks better than he did last year.

January 5, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Norman Powell (4) goes in for a basket against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Norman Powell – What we saw from Norman Powell was a lot of the same from last year year, only better. He was the same old athletic specimen we’ve known for the last three years, but in this game, was relied upon more in the offense. He took up a very active role in the offense that was not just highlight dunk after highlight dunk. He had several mid range jumper’s but was impressive at the line as he went 10 for 10 on free throws. Powell ended with a game-high 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

Thomas Welsh – Welsh is one tall basketball player and in a game full of�tall individuals, he stuck out not only because of his height, because of how he can get the ball at�the rim. There were a few times where he was easily blocked out, but for the most part found ways to get around players and go after the rebounds.

Game Analysis

To their credit, Azusa Pacific is a decent Division II team that played well against the Bruins. They played man-to-man very well and did a good job snagging rebounds against UCLA’s big men but their shooting was horrible. As for UCLA, overall they have the talent, they just need to find the players that work best together. Chemistry is going to be very important on this team because they do have a lot of skill guys, they just need to find a way to turn that into consistent basketball.

The offense was sluggish at times, but often hit good scoring stretches. The defense was equally inconsistent as they left guys open around the floor and allowed the smaller Azusa Pacific players to drive the lane, but rebounding looks improved. It was especially nice to see so many long arms grabbing for the ball after every missed shot attempt. This season, there will be rebounds.

The Bruin’s next game is the season opener which takes place on Friday, November 14 at 9 p.m against Montana State.