Defense spurs Bruins’ big run
Slowing down Alabama will be big challenge in Sweet 16 matchup
It wasn’t that long ago — January, to be precise — when coach Mick Cronin was lamenting the UCLA men’s basketball team’s deficiencies on defense. That side of the court was his calling card during his time at Cincinnati, and to that point, the Bruins weren’t living up to the standard. But look at UCLA now. The Bruins just clinched their spot in the Sweet 16 by holding Abilene Christian to 29.8% shooting on 57 attempts. The game before, UCLA limited BYU to 42.3% from the floor in the first half to jump out ahead and never look back. And in the overtime win over Michigan State in the First Four, the Spartans made 1 of 5
shots and turned the ball over twice after regulation.
In other words, the Bruins are winning in the NCAA Tournament the way Cronin prefers. The coach says it hasn’t been about buy-in; that’s been there all year. It’s just a matter of UCLA catching up to the details the coaching staff has been preaching.
“We’re more trained. It takes time,” Cronin said.
Like all things in this season, much of the learning curve tracks back to the pandemic.
With COVID-19 restrictions in California keeping student-athletes away from campus for six months, and with limited permissible activities even upon their return to Westwood, Cronin feels like UCLA’s development from his first season at the helm to the second was stunted.
“We were on such a run at the end of the year last year. And trying to reinforce the things we taught, my biggest fear was (after) six months, we’re going to be starting over,” Cronin said. “So it hasn’t been easy.”
But the in-season improvements have been tangible. Prior to UCLA’s game against Cal on Jan. 21, the Bruins were 91st in KenPom.com’s adjusted defensive rankings. Since then, UCLA has moved to 63rd. It’s far from elite, but it’s progress.
The 11th-seeded Bruins’ growth on that end will be put to the test against second-seeded Alabama. The Crimson Tide were ranked 26th nationally in scoring offense with 79.7 points per game, making 35.5% of its 3-pointers.
Alabama earned its Sweet 16 spot with an explosive performance against Maryland, shooting 53% from the floor and making 16 3-pointers in a 96-77 rout.
But UCLA understands the correlation between its defensive performance and its postseason success.
“That’s what got us to where we are right now. That’s what got us past Michigan State in the First Four and BYU,” Bruins forward Cody Riley said. “That’s been our main focus right here, and we’re going to keep doing it.”