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UCLA Basketball Has No Identity

By Mike Regalado

Jan 3, 2016; Pullman, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford looks on against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Pullman, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford looks on against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /
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After three years under the control of Head Coach Steve Alford, the UCLA Basketball program is lost and has no identity.

This current UCLA Basketball team has no identity. Try to define them… you can’t. It is easy to say what they do not do, but that does not define a team (and believe me, there is a lot of stuff they do not do).

RELATED: UCLA Basketball Gets Embarassed By USC

So what is it that this UCLA Basketball team is? Not much, especially after finishing 15-17.

When trying to define a team, you look at what it is that they can hang their hat on.

Ben Howland hung his hat on defense. Andy Enfild hangs his hat on having a big, running team. Steve Alford has done not much which has  given no identity to this team.

UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins /

UCLA Bruins

Jacking up 60-70 shots a game and hoping half of them go in is not an identity. It is the equivalent of cramming for a final the night before.

You procrastinate because you did not put the time in and now you are making a mad scramble to fill in bubbles on a scantron you HOPE are the correct answers.

UCLA Basketball does not have an identity, just excuses for not putting in effort.

After losing to USC 95-71 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Torunament, Alford said in his post-game presser, “This league season was totally unacceptable and I take full responsibility for that.”

That is fine taking responsibility, but it is time for results. All season Alford has said they need to find a way to play defense and every game there is none. It is a cycle that is not going to be broken.

And the sad thing, especially for UCLA Basketball fans, is that it will continue.

For those that want to retain Alford because of a recruiting class, hoping that the four young men coming in will save the program, need to understand that despite their talent, the overall state of the program will not change and that is because Alford will not change.

Next: UCLA Basketball and March Sadness

If in fact the UCLA Athletic Department does choose to release Alford, then there is a chance the next coach can start improving the team as early as this summer. If not, things will remain and UCLA Basketball will continue to have no identity.