Men’s basketball’s wins in Washington due to improved defense
Freshman guard Lonzo Ball still leads all of the Pac-12 in assists, but it’s the defensive side of the ball the Bruins have been focusing on ever since their losses to Arizona and USC. (Jintak Han/Assistant Photo editor)
By TuAnh Dam
Feb. 8, 2017 12:12 a.m.
After a buzzer-beating loss to Oregon, handily falling to Arizona at home and a thrashing by USC, No. 10 UCLA gets it – it’s time to play defense.
The Bruins’ offense, which is ranked first nationally in offensive efficiency per Ken Pomeroy, has flowed all season, averaging 92.9 points and 20.1 assists a game.
The team won its first 13 games, 11 of them by double digits, even without a consistent defense.
“Early in the season, putting up 100, you’re giving up 80 and the guys are like ‘We’re winning by double figures, do we really care if they’re getting 80 or 70?'” said coach Steve Alford.
But after back-to-back losses against Arizona and USC, where they gave up an average of 80.5 points, UCLA was able to come up with a road sweep against Washington and Washington State that primarily came on the strength of their defense.
[Related: UCLA men’s basketball tops Washington 107-66.]
Against the Huskies, the Bruins had a 41 to 29 rebounding edge while forcing the home team into 20 turnovers.
UCLA rose to 117th nationally in adjusted defense after their performance in Washington, but still sit outside of the efficiency range of Final Four teams over the last 10 years.
“We’ve had a little more of a roller coaster effect, but I do think it’s encouraging that the last two games have been a step in the right direction,” Alford said. “We’re a work in progress. Our goal’s 94, 95 and we just haven’t been able to hit that mark a lot.”
Both games this February though, the Bruins have hit that mark thanks to a shift in the defensive approach.
[Related: Offense fueled by improved defense drives UCLA to victory over Washington.]
Alford moved freshman point guard Lonzo Ball from the wing to the top of their zone defense, utilizing the freshman’s height to pressure the ball handler.
“Just different looks,” Ball said. “Aaron (Holiday)’s 5’10” and I’m 6’6″, so it’s different. If Aaron’s at the top, I can go up there and change it up.”
The recovery and progression of the bigs – freshman forwards T.J. Leaf, Ike Anigbogu and junior Gyorgy Goloman, as well as junior center Thomas Welsh – have also factored into UCLA’s recent improvement on the pick-and-roll coverages.
“We’ve been able to get much more aggressive on our pick-and-roll coverages,” Alford said. “The more aggressive you can get, that helps guards and you’re not just stringing them out there 35 feet from the basket. That’s gonna be our staple in the end, getting more stops. Our guys are starting to understand that getting those stops, we’ll be better offensively.”
