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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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RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 17: Head coach Andy Enfield of the USC Trojans shouts in the first half against the Providence Friars during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PNC Arena on March 17, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 17: Head coach Andy Enfield of the USC Trojans shouts in the first half against the Providence Friars during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PNC Arena on March 17, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

5. Jan 5, 2014 vs USC 107-73

Remember back in the fall of 2013, just before the initial seasons for both Andy Enfield and Steve Alford at USC and UCLA, respectively? Do you remember how Enfield fired a shot that October? What was it he said? “If you want to play slow, go to UCLA.” Yeah, that’s it.

Well UCLA didn’t exactly take kindly to that. When the two teams met for the first time during the 2013-14 season, they were both starting out their Pac-12 schedules and this one was booked for Pauley Pavilion. In that game, Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams led all scores with 23 and 21 points, respectively. The team as a whole took it right to the Trojans, blasting them out of the water with a 107-73 victory.

UCLA played like Cobra Kai, “strike first, strike card, no mercy.“ The Bruins absolutely tore apart their up-and-coming in-city rivals, sending a message that if they want to take L.A., UCLA is going to have something to do with it.

It also served as a reminder to Enfield to maybe tone down the shot calling.