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UCLA Basketball Has Problems – Defense, Free Throws And Distribution Need Fixing Quick!

By Mike Regalado

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UCLA basketball is only six games in and there are a few things that already stand out as problematic for the Bruins. In their second round loss in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, those problems were amplified as UCLA got smashed by the North Carolina Tar Heels, 78-56. Two of these that I will point out have been evident since game one, but since the Bruins were playing lesser opponents, it seems their high-powered offense covered those up with scoring. The third problem has only come to light in the last two games. And what are these problems, you might ask? Free Throws, defense and the ability to distribute the ball against quality opponents.

Free Throws

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    • 64.2%. That is what UCLA is shooting from the free throw line. FREE THROWS! The Bruins have been doing well getting to the line as they have made 179 attempts so far this season, but of all that, they only made 115. Astounding. We will allow you this time to scratch your head. Go on, I’ll wait…

    The only two players shooting better than 85% are Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford. Hamilton has only made a few so far but is nearly perfect going 6-for-7. Alford is even more impressive going 24-for-26 (92.3%). Unfotunately, the rest of the team has gone 85-for-146 (58.s%). That hurts. Or at least it will late in the season when missed free throws could mean the difference between a close win and a painful loss, full well knowing free throws could have made a difference.

    Defense

    Nov 26, 2014; Paradise Island, BAHAMAS; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) celebrates with teammates in front of UCLA Bruins guard Norman Powell (4) during the game at Atlantis Resort Imperial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

    Well it is not like they were a great defensive team to start with. Nobody said anything close to that in the preseason and now we know why. The only effective presence on D is Norman Powell. He is not a lock down defender, but he will get in the face of his opponents and disrupt their game. Beyond that, their really is no one else.

    UCLA is improving with their rebounding, but those occur after opponents have attempted shots. What UCLA is having trouble with is stopping those shots and limiting their opponent’s chances. The Bruins are allowing 61.0 shots to be taken per game, that is the 36th worst in the nation. Now that may be due to UCLA playing primarily in the 2-3 zone, but it also has to do with aggressiveness. There is none. One of the things a zone does is clog up the middle, but unfortunately, the Bruins allow way too many opponents to drive the lane and get easy buckets. Please, feel free to once again scratch your head.

    UCLA has also tried to play man-to-man defense, but because of the lack of ability from the majority of the players to cover in man, the defense does not do much better with this style either.

    Distribution… Or Lack There Of

    Nov 27, 2014; Paradise Island, BAHAMAS; UCLA Bruins guard Bryce Alford (20) looks to pass as North Carolina Tar Heels forward J.P. Tokoto (13) defends during the first half at Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

    In the first four games, Bryce Alford seemed to be the point guard UCLA did not have as he was averaging 9.8 assists. In those games, which were against teams with lesser talent, he seemed to have control of the game. Alford had the ability to get the ball to the open man, make fancy behind the back passes and generally knew where his teammates were on the court at all times.

    The same could be said about Isaac Hamilton who is UCLA’s second point guard option. Though he was not as proficient in his role as Alford (Hamilton only notched 2.5 assists in the first four games), he was finding his own rhythm and started to assimilate into the Bruin’s system.

    That changed once the Bruins hit the Bahamas for this tournament. Alford’s assists were limited to 2.5 in the first two games while Hamilton only had a total of two in both contests. To make things worse, in the first four games, Alford only had two turnovers. In this tournament, he has 8. Hamilton had six in his first four games, but in the Battle 4 Atlantis, he has 11, with 7 coming against North Carolina. The problem… UCLA’s point guards lose it under pressure.

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    The Bruins have clearly faced tougher opponents with better defense in their last two games. When Alford had no one guarding him, he was able to move freely around the court. When there is a defender trying to shut Alford down, the opposition was fairly successful at doing so. The same goes for Hamilton. It is unfortunate that he does not have a better handle on the offense, though improving, but he also showed that a little bit of defense can severely limit him.

    The problem is that both of these players are shooting guards trying to take on a role they are not suited for. It is unfortunately that the Bruins do not have a true point guard, so for now they handle distribution duty and unfortunately, it is not working against quality teams. It is great that UCLA has two point guards coming to Westwood in the next two seasons, but in the interim, the Bruins are stuck.