The Pac-12 men’s basketball race is officially wide open.
No. 7 Arizona entered Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night as the considerable favorite to win the conference, with a 13-1 record and the nation’s No. 25 scoring defense.
But on Thursday night, UCLA (10-6, 1-2 Pac-12) exposed some weaknesses in Arizona’s armor. From the opening tip, the Bruins had their way on the offensive end, making a once-vaunted defense look vulnerable. UCLA put up 87 points on 51.6 percent shooting in the game, making 11 of 22 3-pointers in the process.
READ MORE: Thursday night’s game wrap.
Although the game was decided by just three points, the Bruins were in control for all but 27 seconds. UCLA held a double-digit lead for much of the second half, with the biggest lead being 14 points at the 15:00 mark. Junior guard Bryce Alford had his way on the perimeter, junior guard Isaac Hamilton found driving lanes inside, and freshman guard Aaron Holiday had his best all-around performance as a Bruin.
UCLA’s offensive onslaught left Arizona coach Sean Miller questioning the credibility of his defense after the game. Miller not only said his squad was “terrible” on defense, but he also added that it is the worst defensive team he’s coached since either his first year coaching at Xavier or his first year coaching at Arizona. The Wildcats (13-2, 1-1) hadn’t allowed 87 points or more in a game since February 2013.
“Unless our defense improves, we’re gonna win a few and then we’re gonna lose one,” Miller said. “Right now, it is a bad defense.”
Aside from Miller’s concerns about his own defense, he also had some concerns about the threat that UCLA poses in the Pac-12. He said it would take “outstanding” defensive effort for his team to beat the Bruins, especially when the three-guard lineup of Alford, Hamilton and Holiday is clicking.
“Their first five, their offense, their organization and their guards are terrific,” Miller said. “Whoever plays them has to have outstanding effort. We didn’t even touch outstanding.”
Miller was specifically worried about his team’s matchup with Holiday, who ran rampant in the first half to the tune of 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
“(Holiday) might have been the best player for UCLA for a 10 to 12-minute stretch in the first half,” Miller said. “It’s also a really big concern for us, because we had a hard time with him.”
Arizona’s trouble with UCLA’s offense was epitomized on the game’s final play. The Wildcats had a defensive miscommunication, Miller said, as 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski ended up guarding Alford in the waning moments.
“We didn’t switch Kaleb Tarczewski onto Bryce Alford. I mean you literally have to be out of your mind to do that,” Miller said. “But we did our own thing on the last play and he took the easiest shot he’s ever taken in Pauley Pavilion on a game-winner.”
With Tarczewski in a precarious situation – defending a much smaller and quicker guard on the perimeter – he got burned, as Alford shook the 7-footer and drained a dagger 3-pointer with almost no time left. Alford’s 3-pointer exposed the myriad defensive issues that had been manifesting the entire game, Miller said.
“We broke down from start to finish, and we’ve just got to get better,” Miller said.
Compiled by Matthew Joye, Bruin Sports senior staff.