UCLA Basketball – The Not So Road Warriors
If you have not noticed, things are looking up for the UCLA basketball team. After a five-game losing streak, the Bruins changed things up all over the court and are riding a three-game win streak because of it. Though those three games all took place in Los Angeles, UCLA finally got a win in a true road game as they dismantled the USC Trojans 83-66.
UCLA Bruins
Okay, “true road game” might be stretching it as there were a lot of Bruins fans on hand to see the event. Still, it was a very important game for the Bruins as they regained their shooting touch and their confidence, just in time for an actual “true road game”
UCLA has not had a conference road sweep since January 10 and 12 in 2013 Against Utah and Colorado. It was the first 2-school conference road trip of the 2012-13 season, Ben Howland‘s last season, and even then it was the only one out of four.
Last year, in head coach Steve Alford‘s first season, the Bruins split every road trip. Though that is pretty good for any team, the way they split irked a lot of Bruin fans. They would have fantastic first games of the trip against Colorado, Oregon, Cal and Washington, and then come out completely flat in the second game of the trip against Utah, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State. It was enough to make you want to write an angry blog post.
This coming Thursday and Saturday, UCLA will head up to Oregon State and Oregon, respectively, for their second road trip of the conference season. Their first did not go so well as the Bruins lost a game that was in their reach at Colorado and was then smashed to bits in a 71-39 loss to Utah.
Nov 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins center Thomas Welsh (40) reacts to a basket during the first half against the Montana State Bobcats at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
But that was before the Bruins turned things around with better bench play and utilizing the front court.
Things are a lot different in conference this year for several reasons. In the last two season, UCLA has had the guys that were dependable to finish the job with Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams, they just didn’t. Not to say they were the reason for the loss, but for whatever reason it was, UCLA did not put certain teams away as they should have.
This season, UCLA does not have that go-to guy (or guys) that will put away a game. Norman Powell, Bryce Alford and Kevon Looney have showed that they can getting things done, but not consistently. That opens up a lot of questions in regards to the Bruins being able to not only finish a game, but to do it on the road.
Nov 16, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Norman Powell (4) and head coach Steve Alford in the second half of the game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 84-71. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Both Oregon State and Oregon will be trouble, but the big concern for the Bruins is if they can continue their recent success and work as a single unit to defeat two teams that are very much beatable. If that happens, we just might be witnessing one of the best mid-season turn-arounds in recent Bruin basketball history.