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

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LAS VEGAS, NV – March 15: Norman Powell #4 of the UCLA Bruins cuts down a net after defeating the Arizona Wildcats 75-71 in the championship game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 15, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

2. March 15, 2014 vs #4 Arizona 75-71 (Pac-12 Tournament Championship)

The thing about the 2013-14 season is that aside from it being Steve Alford’s first year with UCLA, there were still a lot of players from the Ben Howland era. The lot of them were gritty, methodical players that were once in tuned to playing heavy defense, were now expected to play more up-tempo style of basketball. It worked as UCLA went 28-9 that season.

The best thing about that game was that not only did UCLA once again beat Arizona, but they beat them in one of the most dramatic Pac-12 Conference Tournament Championships in recent memory.

This was a dogfight. Alford wanted to make a statement in his first year and so far he was impressing it is for season. Although Sean Miller had been there a little longer and with the success he brought to Arizona, he was not about to relinquish it from some conference new comer.

This battle was back and worth and the Las Vegas crowd full of Pac-12 fans was on the edge of their seats. The game was essentially decided when Jordan Adams hit a crucial three with 45 seconds left in the game. It also ended with Norman Powell and David Wear knocking down game-sealing free throws in the last five seconds.

It was the first and only time Alford has won hardware in the five years he has been the coach of the Bruins.