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UCLA Basketball: Is this Steve Alford’s last stand?

By Mike Regalado

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Head Coach Steve Alford of UCLA Men's Baskeball speaks to the media during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion on November 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Team members LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have been suspended from the team after allegedly shoplifting while on a school trip to China. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 15: Head Coach Steve Alford of UCLA Men's Baskeball speaks to the media during a press conference at Pauley Pavilion on November 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Team members LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have been suspended from the team after allegedly shoplifting while on a school trip to China. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images) /
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After five seasons in Westwood, UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford has not won anything significant. This year he has put together a roster that could be his deepest and most talented, which means that there should be absolutely no excuses for a lack of success.

UCLA basketball head coach Steve Alford was hired to replace Ben Howland, a coach that went to three straight Final Fours, win four regular-season Pac-10/12 Championships, and two Pac-10/12 Tournament Championships. Alford has won one Pac-12 Championship (with Howland’s players) and has not gotten past the Sweet Sixteen (though he was able to get that far in three separate occasions).

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At UCLA, more is expected. That is just the nature of the job. It may be unfair, but what is not unfair is the recognition and paycheck a coach gets for making UCLA successful. Though it might get exasperating, the impatience of the fanbase is warranted.

This is UCLA, the most successful program in college basketball history and they really have not lived up to that in the last five years. Though Alford has had some success and has been doing an increasingly impressive job on the recruiting trail, it has not translated to wins or hardware.

An Ultimatum?

During the offseason, Bruin Report Online had discussed on their BROCast the possibility of Alford having an ultimatum going into the 2018-19 season. Essentially, it was stated that Alford needs to win the Pac-12 regular season title or get to the Final Four because his job depended on it. Though he might be able to collect a solid number of wins, he needs to prove that he can win some hardware.

And why not? Ben Howland was fired after winning the Pac-12 regular season championship in his last year. Alford should be held to the same standard.

The Bruins might not win a national title, but they have the talent to do some damage this year in both the conference and the NCAA Tournament. There is no reason why he cannot attain success with the roster he has put together.

Out of Excuses

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Last season, UCLA was loaded heading into 2017-18. Unfortunately, the trip to China left them without three players, which included two prominent freshmen big men and that affected the roster and rotation, leaving them without some depth. UCLA finished the season 21-12 with a bad loss in the NCAA Tournament “play-in” game to St. Bonaventure. Alford alluded to the fact that the Bruins were short-handed all season long. Blaming uncontrollable circumstances might not work this year.

UCLA, though talented and deep, will be without four players to start the season due to injury. Two of them are out for the season (Shareef O’Neal – heart condition, Tyger Campbell – torn ACL) and two of them will back before conference play (Alex Olesinski – foot stress fracture, Cody Riley – jaw). Knowing Alford’s patterns, it seems as if this is something he will point to if things do not go the way they are supposed to by season’s end, but should that give him a pass if he doesn’t win any hardware?

Howland had to do without Jordan Adams due to a broken foot in the 2013 Pac-12 Tournament Championship Game after they had just defeated Arizona for the third time in the season. UCLA would go on to lose that next game against Oregon and then lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Howland was fired after that. If the standards are set so high for a coach that took UCLA to three straight Final Fours, what is the standard for a coach that has not?

Fight, Fight, Fight or Flight

It seems apparent that this is a make or break season for Alford. He needs to prove that he has the ability to coach this team to success and bring UCLA back to national prominence or it might be time to move on.

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Excuses or not, it is time for Alford to have some significant wins with the talent he has on his roster. Though he is down a few players, he has to work around that. Other coaches have done more with less and if Alford cannot get it done this year, someone else has to come in and get it done next year.