UCLA Basketball: Steve Alford’s Success

February 27, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford watches game action against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

In his first year as UCLA’s head basketball coach, Steve Alford has made quite the impression in Westwood. Like the hiring of head football coach Jim Mora, fans thought athletic director Dan Guerrero was settling for the less than optimal coach — at least at first. Score Check? Guerrero: Two, Fans: Zero. Both Mora and Alford have shed their misconstrued molds coming into Westwood, and fans are loving it.

Alford has a record of 22-7 heading into the final two games of the season– but those wins have not come easy. With a fluid system of substitutions, it is clear that Alford is making the necessary adjustments to continue UCLA’s season well into March. Nonetheless, his regard for the young men on the team comes before wins and losses. Just prior to the UCLA Oregon game on Thursday evening, Alford suspended UCLA’s dynamic duo in Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson for undisclosed reasons — other than that they violated team rules. In doing so, Alford further demonstrated to the world of college basketball that he is an authoritative and fatherly figure to the team, at least in the sense of teaching lessons. Of course, for his sons Bryce and Kory, who both play on the team, he is actually their father, not just a fatherly figure.

On top of that, Mr. Alford also has UCLA hot at just the right time: approaching the NCAA Tournament. The reason for that, though, is more than the moral aspect of the game mentioned above. UCLA Basketball is also dominating the game statistically. Ranking among the top 10 nationally as it pertains to scoring and field goal percentage, in addition to a national fourth best 17.4 assists per game, UCLA is tough to take down — they also rank 22nd in the ESPN RPI Rankings, and 15th in the BPI. If the Bruins do get taken down, though,their flawed rebounding may be the reason; it comes in at lowly 121st nation-wide. Nonetheless, this should be solved come next season due to what is currently a stellar recruiting class that includes 7’0 center Thomas Welsh. And regardless, though that is a flaw, Coach Alford has managed 22 wins with two games left.

For UCLA’s new head coach to join such a distressed yet storied program and challenge the best of the PAC-12 in season one of his tenure is a feat to be applauded. While UCLA is not yet where they once were, and still strive to be, they are back on track to get there, and Steve Alford has a lot to do with it.