UCLA Basketball: Bryce Alford is Leading By Example and Shooting Lights Out

1 of 2

Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford (right) talks with guard Bryce Alford (20) during an NCAA basketball game against Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cagjuns at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 89-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

After taking a lot of criticism in his first three years, UCLA Basketball senior guard Bryce Alford has become an example of veteran leadership as he is helping his team return to the NCAA Tournament.

What a career Bryce Alford has had with UCLA Basketball. In his first season he played behind current NBA pro Kyle Anderson as the Bruins won the only Pac-12 Championship in his dad’s, Head Coach Steve Alford’s, tenure by winning the Pac-12 Tournament. That was capped off with a return to the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA Tournament.

With Anderson jumping to the NBA, Bryce took over at point guard. His second year proved to be a lot tougher as the Bruins went from a 28-win team to a 22-win team.

The Bruins were not a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but squeaked in and returned to the Sweet Sixteen, only to get manhandled by Gonzaga.

Then their was last season, Alford’s junior year. If you are a Bruin fan, you know it was not good and if you are not familiar with what UCLA did last season, it was not good. The Bruins started the season with a 9-4 non-conference record which included a win over #1 Kentucky. It was all smoke and mirrors. Things were different when conference season rolled around.

December 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Bryce Alford (20) reacts after a scoring play against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Bruins went 6-12 in the Pac-12 and sank to 10th place. They were kicked out of the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament by USC and were nowhere near consideration for either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT Tournament.

Needless to say, all hell broke loose among the Bruin faithful.

Steve and Bryce Alford took a lot of flack for the team’s performance. Bryce was particularly targeted for his shoot-first mentality, which might not be the best thing as a point guard when your main job should be to distribute. Either way, things changed that summer and it was the start of a, dare I say, “revolution”.

With the addition of Lonzo Ball, Bryce had moved over to the shooting guard position. He did not pout about it, he just did it because it was best for the team. With Ball running an uptempo offense, it seemed that Steve Alford finally had the players to run his ideal offense.

Not only did this benefit the team, it benefitted Bryce. Last season, Alford appeared overworked with both shooting and distribution duties. Often he would force contested shots or get double-teamed, leading to errant shot selections. This season, it is a completely different story.