Ever since coach Steve Alford took over, UCLA is used to going fast. Just maybe not this fast.
The up-tempo Bruins begin a five-game stretch Thursday that will cover eight days and more than 2,500 miles as the team heads to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament next week.
However, first on the itinerary for UCLA (2-0) is Nicholls State (0-1) out of the Southland conference. The plan for the Bruins is, as usual, to set the tempo early.
“We want to push the pace, that’s what we want to do,” said freshman forward Kevon Looney. “We have people who can run the break … so we are at our best in the open court.”
While the new-look Bruins have picked up right where last year’s squad left off in the transition game – UCLA averaged 98.5 points and a little more than 13 seconds per possession over the opening weekend – the half-court offense remains a work in progress.
UCLA was challenged at that end in the first half of its game against Coastal Carolina, as the Chanticleers regularly dropped two defenders down-court following a Bruins defensive rebound to slow UCLA down. The Bruins shot just 35.5 percent in the initial period and only mustered 32 points before halftime as they were forced to work out of half-court sets more frequently.
“The half-court offense has got to get better and we know that and we have to continue to work on our execution in that area,” said sophomore guard Bryce Alford. “All the stuff we learn each day in practice we just have to take it from practice and calm down in the games, not move so quickly and kind of be patient and let things happen.”
Indeed, with just two games behind them, the Bruins are still very much in a learning period. Not only are the players adjusting to new roles, but the coaches are still trying to determine just what those are. Alford said that he and his staff are still learning how to best use each player and in what situations.
One thing clearly gleaned from UCLA’s initial two contests is the team’s ability to rebound. The Bruins have thus far outrebounded opponents 82-64, buoyed by other teams’ reluctance to commit more players to the offensive glass, preferring to try and limit UCLA’s fast break.
“It’s good to see that we have a young team that already in game two is making an opponent think about our transition to where that affects their offensive board play,” Steve Alford said.”If you’re going to get back in transition you have to take away some of your aggression on the offensive backboard, so it’s kind of a give and take.”
UCLA likewise is still trying to find a balance of its own on offense, knowing teams will increasingly try to slow them down. Senior guard Norman Powell said that while the Bruins struggled initially with what the Chanticleers were doing defensively, they are encouraged by their performance in the second half – 52 points on 51.6 percent shooting – and believe it can serve as a template against future defenses who will likely try and do the same as Coastal Carolina.
“Second half we were able to pick it up and get into our offense and get the shots that we wanted,” Powell said. “It’s really good to be able to rely on both ends when someone tries to take away transition, we’re able to hit them with half-court and execute and get the shots we want no matter what it is.”