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UCLA Basketball: Bruins relying on outside shooting, but will it work in the long run?

By Mike Regalado

SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts against the Kent State Golden Flashes during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 17: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts against the Kent State Golden Flashes during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 21: Aaron Holiday
KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 21: Aaron Holiday /

Bruins relying on outside shooting (cont.)

This season, the Bruins are shooting the ball from outside a lot more. In 2016-17, UCLA averaged 23.5 three-point attempts per game while so far this season, they are putting up 25.6. The interesting thing is that Bruins are not doing as well individually from behind the arc.

UCLA’s 3-point shooting percentage leaders (minimum 40 shots taken)

  1. Prince Ali, .455 (20/44)
  2. Thomas Welsh, .419 (18/43)
  3. Jaylen Hands, .414 (24/58)
  4. Aaron Holiday, .379 (33/87)
  5. Kris Wilkes, .333 (22/66)

As you can see, only one player is matching the effort of last season’s three-point shooting leaders and making more than 41% of their shots as Ali is making 45.5% of his threes.

This is cause for concern and might have a coach pull the reins back on the shots from downtown, but head coach Steve Alford seems to be going in the opposite direction and letting his players fire away from the arc, especially since Pac-12 play has started. During the non-conference season, the Bruins took 21.9 three-pointers per game. In their first four conference games, the Bruins have put up 26.3.

If UCLA is going to assume an identity similar to the Golden State Warriors and shoot the lights out, so be it, but they need to be cautious of bad shooting games

The good news is that it seems to be working. On the season, UCLA is making 37.3% of their outside shots. Since Pac-12 play started, they are making 41.9%.

This past weekend against Cal, the Bruins had a shooting game for the ages as they attempted 30 three-pointers and made 17 (56.7%). It was the second time this season UCLA shot more three-pointers than two-pointers (their previous effort had them shooting 29 threes in a loss to Cincinnati, only making 37.9%).

If UCLA is going to assume an identity similar to the Golden State Warriors and shoot the lights out, so be it, but they need to be cautious of bad shooting games (because they are not the Golden State Warriors), especially with the decrease in individual three-point shooting percentages from last season.

When the Bruins are on, they are on, but that has been a rarity. UCLA has only shot better than 40.0% from downtown five times this season, all of which were victories. There were five games in which they shot worse than 30.0%, three of which were losses.