Scouting Report: UCLA vs. Alabama

It feels like a century ago when Mick Cronin and Nate Oats were both hot names on the coaching carousel. Two years later, the two are heading things up for No. 11 seed UCLA men’s basketball (20-9, 13-6 Pac-12) and No. 2 seed Alabama (26-6, 16-2 SEC), respectively, and will face off with an Elite Eight spot on the line Sunday. A 3-point-focused Crimson Tide squad runs a far different tempo than the possession-based Bruins, so a battle of philosophies will be on display in Indiana when the two tip off.

Here’s a look at how UCLA is set to match up with its opponent from the Southeast, courtesy of Daily Bruin senior staffer Sam Connon.

Alabama Crimson Tide
BPI Ranking: 8
NET Ranking: 7
KenPom Ranking: 8
Record: 26-6 overall, 16-2 SEC, 12-1 Home, 7-3 Away, 7-2 Neutral
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 113.0 points per 100 possessions, 26th in D1
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 87.2 points allowed per 100 possessions, 3rd in D1
Adjusted Tempo: 73.3 possessions per 40 minutes, 11th in D1
Key Player: Guard Jaden Shackelford
X-Factor: Forward/guard Herbert Jones

Nobody in the country took or made more 3-pointers than the Crimson Tide this year, and no teams left in the field boast a more efficient defense.

That kind of modern 3-and-D playstyle is unlike anything the Bruins have seen all year, and it’s only fitting they’ll have to step up and face it in an elimination game on a national stage.

Alabama has scored 40.1% of its points from beyond the arc this season, much greater than UCLA’s 27.9% share and over 5% more than the next most 3-point-dependent team the Bruins have faced this year. All of that is despite middling efficiency – the Crimson Tide’s 35.5% shooting from distance barely cracks the country’s top 100 – but the sheer volume of attempts from deep negates that.

There are five Alabama players averaging at least 3.7 3-point attempts per game this season, four of whom have taken more 3s than 2s. On the UCLA side, only two bench players achieved the latter feat.

Guard John Petty Jr. took and made the most triples on the team en route to a First Team All-SEC selection, while guard Jahvon Quinerly boasts a team-high 44.2% 3-point percentage. Quinerly is also the Crimson Tide’s second-leading assister and scorer in points per game despite primarily coming off the bench, but he still manages to average 24.7 minutes per game in his reserve role.

The lead guard in the starting lineup is Shackelford, who leads his team with 14.3 points per game. Shackelford has scored over 20 points in six games this season, and Alabama is a perfect 12-0 when he scores more than 16 points.

Even though his team is a less impressive 8-4 when Shackelford scores 12 points or fewer, the Crimson Tide still managed to win the SEC tournament semifinal with the guard scoring two points in 25 minutes.

But even with all the shooting Alabama gets out of its three lead guards, its key to success comes from elsewhere.

Jones shoots the second-fewest 3-pointers per 40 minutes in the Crimson Tide’s 10-man rotation at 2.5, standing somewhat counter to Oats’ 3-point-heavy offense. The forward makes up for that by leading his team in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals, all while still averaging 11.3 points per game and hitting 37.0% of the triples he does take.

Jones’ do-it-all style earned him both the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards. At 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, it will be interesting to see how he matches up with sophomore guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has 10 pounds on Jones packed into a frame that’s nearly two inches shorter and similarly leads his team in rebounds, blocks and steals.

Looking at the minutes played for Alabama’s biggest stars also draws a sharp contrast to the way Cronin runs things for UCLA. Shackelford, Quinerly and Jones all average fewer than 30 minutes per game, while Jaquez, sophomore guard Johnny Juzang and redshirt sophomore guard Tyger Campbell all average over that threshold.

Oats has a very flexible rotation and isn’t afraid to rely on his bench, a far cry from what Cronin has been forced to do with senior guard Chris Smith and redshirt junior forward/center Jalen Hill out. Against No. 10 seed Maryland in the Round of 32, Oats ran Jones out at the five when the Terrapins started four guards and a 6-foot-7 forward, but started 6-foot-10 forward Jordan Bruner the prior game against No. 15 seed Iona when the Gaels started more of a true big man.

This isn’t a case of a team still scrambling to discover its best lineups in March, rather a squad that’s so deep and versatile that it can roll out championship-level personnel no matter its opponent – even with its smaller lineup against Maryland, Alabama reeled in 15 offensive rebounds and converted them into 23 second-chance points.

And while their 69.5 points allowed per game ranks just 155th in the country and looks worse than the Bruins’ 67.9 mark on paper, it doesn’t account for the pace of play in the Crimson Tide’s games. Alabama likes to run a quick offense, pushing the ball and creating shots early in the shot clock, which in turn leads to more possessions for its opponents.

Their defensive rating of 93.1 points allowed per 100 possessions, which ranks 25th in the nation, is a better display of their talent on that side of the floor, as is its third-ranked mark of 87.2 when adjusted for opponents.

UCLA averages 64.1 possessions per 40 minutes adjusted for opponent, good for 337th in the country and fewest by any team still dancing. If the Bruins can stay true to what’s gotten them this far – slow, possession-based offense and limiting transition opportunities – they can hope to take control of the game and dominate in the half-court.

But if the Crimson Tide get going fast and force them to play keep-up, the Bruins’ road could end in the Sweet 16 yet again.