Coach Ben Howland knows exactly what’s wrong with the Bruins.
Defense.
Currently, No. 22 UCLA (20-7, 9-5 Pac-10) is ranked eighth in the Pac-10 in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot 45.1 percent from the floor. That makes them No. 262 out of 330 teams in the country.
“I’ve always believed that you win first with defense and rebounding,” Howland said. “And that’s where we’re falling short right now.”
The past three seasons, when UCLA has made the Final Four, the Bruins held opponents to shooting percentages of less than 42.5, which were always in the top half of the conference.
This season, for one reason or another, the typically tight defense has not consistently been there. In conference play, the Bruins’ field-goal percentage defense is even worse, rising to 47.7.
“That’s why we’re 9-5 rather than 11-3 right now,” Howland said.
Freshman guard Jrue Holiday sees the Bruins’ inconsistent defense as a sign that, as the three-time reigning Pac-10 champions, opponents are giving UCLA their best shot every night.
“To me, the only reason why we’re eighth in the league (in field-goal percentage defense) is because everybody plays their best game against us,” Holiday said. “It really does seem like that. Like Washington State, how many times have they ever got 40 points in a half?”
But senior center Alfred Aboya, who has been a part of the last four Bruin teams, does not see that as a legitimate reason for UCLA’s defensive slide.
“Every team in the past four years, we’ve had the bull eyes on our chest,” Aboya said. “So every team we play, they play us tough. We knew that going into the game (on Saturday).”
Howland’s defensive philosophy centers on each player taking pride in his defense. And while the Bruins have had lockdown defenders like Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo and Cedric Bozeman in the past, finding that one defensive specialist this season has not been so easy.
“When you get scored upon as an individual, it should be a very personal thing,” Howland said. “At least that’s the way I look at it.”
Though he averages only 11 minutes per game, freshman guard Malcolm Lee might be that player by the end of the season. Lee started the second half over Holiday on Saturday, but Howland does not plan on making that a permanent change in the lineup.
Lee took minutes away from Holiday, but Lee’s shutdown defense on freshman guard Klay Thompson was an indicator that he should be getting even more opportunities, Holiday said.
“I think Malcolm should’ve been playing before,” Holiday said. “He’s always been a great defensive player. We can pretty much interchange. We have the same game.”
HOLIDAY HELPING TOO MUCH: After looking at the tape from Saturday’s game, Holiday saw the mental mistakes he made as a result of him wanting to help his teammates too much on defense.
For example, on the first play of the game on Saturday, Holiday went to help Aboya guard Washington State senior center Aron Baynes in the post, leaving Thompson open to sink a 3-pointer.
“The first play of the game was a complete breakdown in defensive responsibility,” Howland said. “Jrue wanted to go help in the post. That’s not what he’s supposed to do.”
With the responsibility of typically guarding the other team’s best wing player, Holiday now knows he can’t be too quick to leave his man open.
“The hardest thing for me is not helping so much,” Holiday said. “I’m always guarding one of their best players, so I can’t help as much as everybody else can. I’ve just realized that, especially in the last game.”