UCLA Basketball: 3 Things We Learned From the Maui Invitational

Nov 25, 2015; Lahaina, HI, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard

(10) drives to the basket against UCLA Bruins guard

Aaron Holiday

(3) during the Maui Jim Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Defense

There wasn’t any. This UCLA Basketball team can be very effective if they stepped it up on defense. In all three games we saw the Bruins play very loose. They would play 5 feet off the ball on the outisde, continually allows lanes to be created and would not box out. These are just a few examples of things that could be shored up.

What was even more concerning was how flustered the Bruins looked when opponents would pass the ball around and switch off. UCLA looked late to react, appeared confused on rotations and had very little effect on what all three of their Maui Invitational opponents were doing defensively.

There could be an advantage to playing a looser type of defense like limiting fouls and increasing opportunities for the fast break, but as we saw in the Kansas game, when the Bruins go up against an elite team, that team will attack the Bruin’s D relentlessly, which could create fouls against the Bruins and limit fast breaks. So there is that.

Next: A Talented Team