UCLA Basketball: The Wackiest Résumé in the Country
The UCLA Basketball team defeated the #7 Arizona Wildcats just after getting swept in Washington, after they beat Gonzaga on the road, which was after they beat #1 Kentucky, after losing their home opener to Monmouth.
Wacky. That is what this season is turning into for the UCLA Basketball team. Just days after two lackadaisical performances against Washington and Washington State, the UCLA Basketball team came back to Pauley Pavilion last Thursday and put up a fight against the Arizona Wildcats, beating the #7 team in the land.
Aside from blowing a 10-point lead late in the game, the Bruins were in control the majority of this contest. Sure they needed a late three-pointer to clinch the win, but it was a win nonetheless.
But in that sense, that encompasses exactly what the UCLA Basketball team is going through this season. To put it mildly, they are inconsistent. To put it extravagantly, they have the wackiest résumé in the country.
UCLA Bruins
You would not expect a team that has defeated three Top 25 teams half way through the season to be 11-6, especially when they were competitive in five of those six losses (at the very least through halftime).
The biggest shocker was taking down #1 Kentucky at Pauley Pavilion. If anything, this is the biggest win, not only in Head Coach Steve Alford‘s tenure, but of the season which will boost their résumé Coke tourney time.
UCLA also claimed their biggest road win in Alford’s three years as they went up to Gonzaga and took down the Bulldogs in one of the harshest environments they will see all season. UCLA got their revenge after last season when Gonzaga not only defeated the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in the non-conference, but smashed UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Great for their résumé, right? Yes, but other factors will weigh the Bruins down when it comes time to choosing teams for the Big Dance.
One of the biggest knocks on their achievements in the 2015-16 season came in the form of their season opener when they lost to Monmouth. Now, in hindsight, the Hawks are looking like a very good tournament-worthy team, so the loss does not appear as bad as it did back then, but UCLA has other losses that have created dents in the armor.
During the Maui Invitational, UCLA got demolished by Kansas and followed that up with a lackluster effort against Wake Forest, at least until the last five minutes of the game. A few weeks later, the Bruins were dismantled at a neutral site by the hands of North Carolina, so that is another black eye.
The worst two losses came from within the Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins opened up conference play just over a week ago to Washington and Washington State, two teams that have an RPI of 75 and 148. Disheartening does not fully describe their efforts.
Speaking of RPI, UCLA is currently at No. 46 in the nation. The Bruins, which dropped out of the Top 25 after losses to the Washington schools, is essentially hovering around that number in the AP Poll.
Right there, that tells you exactly where the Bruins have put themselves with their inconsistent play. Though it seems as if UCLA Basketball is on a path to return to the NCAA Tournament, they are not doing themselves any favors losing games they should be winning or failing to close out games that they had control in.
The point is, UCLA is once again riding a roller coaster that could derail their plans if they do not take control. They have the talent and experience to battle for the Pac-12 Championship and possibly a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but if they become complacent or do not play a full 40 minutes of basketball, then they are going to get the rug pulled out from under them.
Next: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team
At season’s end, beating Kentucky, Gonzaga and Arizona is not going to matter if they struggle through the rest of conference play and/or lose horribly in the Pac-12 Tournament. Just imagine what this UCLA Basketball team could do if they played to their potential every single game. Boom.