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

By Mike Regalado

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)
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) /
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TUCSON, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats talks with Parker Jackson-Cartwright #0 and Kadeem Allen #5 during the second half of the college basketball game against the UCLA Bruins at McKale Center on February 25, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats 77-72. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats talks with Parker Jackson-Cartwright #0 and Kadeem Allen #5 during the second half of the college basketball game against the UCLA Bruins at McKale Center on February 25, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats 77-72. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

6. Feb 25, 2017 at #4 Arizona 77-72

Probably one of the most controversial games in Steve Alford’s tenure came when the #5 Bruins marched into the McKale Center and shut down the streaking Arizona Wildcats. UCLA and Arizona have the biggest rivalry in Pac-12 hoops and the reason for that is because they have had epic battles throughout the years and this match up in early 2017 was no different.

With the Pac-12 Conference on the line, but the Bruins and Wildcats brought their “A” game during this contest. UCLa had led for most of the first half in a close game and then Arizona led for the start of the second, but UCLA kept up the fight and took back the lead permanently with 12 minutes left in the game. Arizona kept it close, but they had no answer for the offensive minded Bruins.

The controversial part in all of this is when Steve Alford called time out with 2.0 seconds left, up 77-72. Alford said it was to get his players focused. Unfortunately, Arizona head coach Sean Miller didn’t see it that way. He saw it was disrespectful to stop the game when it looked like UCLA had the game well in hand. Miller retaliated a few weeks later the Pac-12 Tournament . With 0.9 seconds left, Miller called timeout, up 86-75. Classy.