Men’s basketball’s high-scoring wins leave gaps on defense

Everyone knows by now this UCLA basketball team can put points up in a hurry.

After opening the season with a bang to the tune of 119 points behind a school-record 18 3s, No. 16 UCLA (2-0) showed signs of slowing down in the next game against Cal State Northridge. The Bruins mustered up just 40 points in the first half on 39.4 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from the 3-point line.

Then UCLA woke up and raced out to 62 second-half points, hitting the century mark again for 102 total points.

But when you run, run and run on the offensive end, the other team will also have its opportunity to score more with the increased pace.

“We had 92 possessions against CSUN, that was 12 more possessions than in any game we had last year,” said coach Steve Alford. “It’s not like we want to give up 87 points a game, but I’m not so worried about the points as much as how we’re getting scored on so we can develop those types of habits.”

In their first game, the Bruins held the Pacific Tigers to 42.4 percent shooting but gave up 14 offensive rebounds and 16 second-chance points. The next game, they allowed the Matadors to shoot an even 50 percent from the field, and UCLA’s 20 turnovers led to 22 points off giveaways.

“I think our transition defense was our biggest concern, but a lot of that has to do with turnovers,” Alford said. “We gave up more than 20 points because of our offensive mistakes, so it goes hand-in-hand. That puts a lot of pressure on our defense.”

The fast-paced, high-octane offense has to be controlled so that it doesn’t blow up in the Bruins’ face on the other end of the floor. But right now mistakes should be expected – it’s just two games into the season with a new read-heavy system, and UCLA is starting two freshmen.

Despite all the acclaim coming to UCLA, freshman guard Lonzo Ball will go through bumps along the way. He turned the ball over four times in the first half against CSUN while the Matadors pressured the ball, something the Bruins haven’t faced yet in the young season. However, adjustments were made at halftime and Ball only coughed it up one more time in the second half.

“We got to answer some questions on defense but offensively we’re pretty much set,” Ball said.

Another freshman who hasn’t seen time on the floor is forward/center Ike Anigbogu, who is recovering from knee surgery after a slight tear in his meniscus. He could bring a strong physical presence in the paint as the last line of defense. According to Alford, Anigbogu has started running this past weekend and can be expected back on the court as early as the Long Beach State game Nov. 20.

“He’s so strong and athletic. He can do a lot of things in the paint that many guys can’t do and with his wingspan of what, (7-foot-5), he really impacts the game in a lot of ways,” said freshman forward TJ Leaf. “I think he even gives us another aspect of running because when he’s in there, he can mop up a lot of those defensive rebounds and get it out quick, and we can even run a little bit more than we have – which is pretty crazy to think about.”