UCLA Basketball: The 10 best games of the Steve Alford era

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 24: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 24, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4 of 10

SACRAMENTO, CA – MARCH 19: Gary Clark #11 of the Cincinnati Bearcats shoots over TJ Leaf #22 of the UCLA Bruins during the second round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 19, 2017 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

7. Mar 19, 2017 vs Cincinnati, 79-67 (NCAA Tournament, 2nd Round)

The Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf-led UCLA Bruins had several notable victories. There aught to be as they won 31 games that season. One of the most memorable came during the NCAA Tournament. This was not just a great game for Steve Alford because of his notable offense, but because UCLA played some defense.

It’s well-known that Steve Alford has not done a fantastic job developing UCLA’s defense, but every now and then, things come together and he works his magic to put forth a strong defensive effort.

We saw that in the game against Cincinnati in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Bearcats were one of the toughest defensive minded teams in the tournament yet it was UCLA who was able to put a hand in their face and slow down a team that was projected to be a bracket buster. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen as UCLA clamped down and stopped Cincinnati in their tracks on their way to their third Sweet 16 in the Steve Alford era