Men’s basketball addresses lack of communication after two straight losses
UCLA had just its third loss of the season against USC on Wednesday. The Bruins struggled with communication down the stretch in the tight contest. (Michael Zschornack/Assistant Photo editor)
By TuAnh Dam
Jan. 26, 2017 9:26 p.m.
The ball movement sputtered, the shots wouldn’t fall and then the team chemistry wilted.
Over the past week, everything that made the Bruins a title contender has disappeared.
Once a team in the conversation for a national championship, No. 8 UCLA (19-3, 6-3 Pac-12) is currently mired in a two-game losing streak after falling to then-No. 15 Arizona (18-2, 7-0) on Saturday and then losing to USC (18-4, 5-4) four days later.
[Related: UCLA men’s basketball falls to USC 84-76 in second straight loss]
A team meeting led by senior guards Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford followed Wednesday night’s loss, addressing the lack of communication on the floor.
Hamilton said in a post-game press conference that as frustration mounted and confidence plummeted, particularly after USC switched to the zone defense, everybody retreated into their own bubble.
“Sometimes, we might get into our little shells, from time to time, and nobody will really branch out to each individual,” Hamilton said. “As a ball club, we just have to talk and be more talkative.”
For freshman Lonzo Ball, turning the season around begins with his own play and leadership.
“We’ve got to come together, and I feel like we went apart,” Ball said. “It’s a team thing but starts with me. I put the loss on my back.”
The point guard and catalyst behind the Bruins’ offense this season had one of his worst games of the season. Ball had seven turnovers and just four assists to go along with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The freshman took the blame for just his fourth loss since his junior year of high school, but turning the team around in time for Washington next week will take more than just Ball.
The ball movement will need to come back – the Bruins had 17 turnovers to just 18 assists – after one of their worst offensive performances of the season against the Trojans.
Defense too.
The team gave up a season-high 96 points to Arizona and gave up 14 3-pointers to USC.
But without the chemistry that got it to a 19-1 record before Saturday, UCLA’s play will continue to spiral as it gets deeper into conference play.
[Related: UCLA’s upsetting loss to Arizona fuels defense heading into USC game]
“I think our bye week comes at the perfect time. We get a week to regroup and go get back to the style of play we want,” Alford said. “We fought back hard tonight, but we need to get back to the flow that we like.”
