A Not So Funny Thing Happened On UCLA’s Way ToThe NCAA’s Final Four

No Comments February 8, 2017 UCLA Basketball By John Stellman

The bubble didn’t exactly burst.

That probably would have been the preferred scenario.

Unfortunately, what occurred was slightly more humiliating.

On A Roll

This was more like a huge boulder starting down the mountainside, picking up steam on the way.

Maybe reminiscent of an avalanche.

Ending its journey with a thunderous, violent crash.

With devastating results. And embarrassing consequences.

Premature Coronation

All that talk of perhaps a National Championship.

Even an invitation to the Final Four.

It all disappeared in an ugly cloud of smoke.

The hopes and dreams of what started out like something really special had evaporated.

Once high and mighty.

UCLA had its basketball team reduced to rubble.

Beautiful Beginning

It all started so wonderfully.

The Bruins opened their season with eight straight victories.

Although they had caught the attention of the nation, from east coast to west, there were still skeptics.

Until..,

They journied to Lexington, Kentucky for a match with the legendary Wildcats.

In the last half dozen years, Kentucky had reached the Final Four three times.

They came away with one National Championship.

Coach John Calipari had created a monster.

Home Cooking

Especially at home.

In the historic (Aldoph) Rupp Arena, the ‘Cats were the epitome of perfection.

As the not so gracious hosts, Kentucky had won 124 of 128 home games under the watchful eye of Calipari.

The top ranked in the nation, Kentucky brought a not so surprising perfect record (7-0) into the game.

“It’s going to pretty much show us where we’re at,” said Bruin freshman sensation Lonzo Ball. (14 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists).

“You know going to Rupp it’s a crazy atmosphere and a great team,” offered freshman T.J.Leaf (17 points, 13 rebounds).

“But we came in, gave it our all, played as hard as we could…and got the win.”

Hardly Flustered

The 11th ranked Bruins were hardly intimidated.

UCLA shot 53 percent (35 of 66) and scored more points against Kentucky than any other team in the Calipari Era.

“This is a lesson for us.

“We didn’t have the energy.

“I had to call a timeout a minute into the game.

“I mean, just wasn’t the same team.

Learning Tool

“There are great lessons out of this.

“I wish we would have come back and won.

“But sometimes you need to get hit on the chin.

“Especially at home,” Calipari concluded.

UCLA 97, Kentucky 92.

It’s Over

The end of the Wildcats 42-game Rupp Arena winning streak.

UCLA had not beaten a top ranked team on the road since February, 2001.

Suddenly the Bruins were relevant.

And UCLA faithful took notice.

The new No. 2 team in the nation was welcomed home by the largest crowd in three years – 13,571.

No Vacancy.

The team hadn’t been ranked that high since November of 2007.

And they hadn’t started a season 10-0 since the previous December.

Rock Stars

Pauley Pavilion was rocking and rolling.

“It’s a dream come true to play in front of a sold out place at at UCLA.

“This has been the most full I’ve seen and the loudest I’ve seen it,

“It’s probably the most fun I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said senior Bryce Alford (18 points).

Equal To The Task

And the Bruins did not disappoint.

With Michigan shooting 65 percent and converting on 12 of 16 three balls, the teams were knotted at 50 after the first 20 minutes.

“It got to be a gun-slinging deal in the first half and it continued in the second half,” UCLA coach Steve Alford summarized.

“Those are games we like to play in,.

“We’re accustomed to 40 minutes of running and shooting.”

Empty Tank

But the Wolverines ran out of steam after intermission.

While the visitors accuracy dove to 34 percent, the Bruins skyrocketed to 74 percent.

Mixing in 10 behind the arc baskets in 14 shots, UCLA amped up the tempo noticeably.

While toying with Michigan, allowing the visitors to pull within five point with just over 8:00 left, the Bruins then turned on the jets down the stretch with a 17-6 run en route to a 102-84 victory.

“They could be special because they get it.

Brainy Bunch

“It’s a high basketball IQ group.

“It’s a team that can make shots.

“It’s a team that can pass and dribble.

“If we can do that (grow defensively), we got a chance to be pretty good, I think,” Alford concluded.

The coach’s assessment was correct.

Impossible

But therein lies the problem.

Unfortunately, you can’t defend the free throw line.

Although it was Dillon Brooks who swished a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left to doom the Bruins, 89-87 in their PAC-12 opener against Oregon, the game was decided at the charity stripe.

UCLA out shot the home team. 53.1 percent to 44.8.

And the Bruins connected on 8 of 12 free throws.

Whistle Blowers

But the Ducks shot 13 more free throws and made 10 of them (18-for-25.)

The resilient Bruins bounced back with six straight victories to run their record to 19-1 before the avalanche began.

First it was Arizona who had the audacity to invade Westwood, conquer and take prisoners.

“I think we’re a very good basketball team.

“But if we want to become great, we’ve got to play unselfish defensively together as we do at the offensive end,” Steve Alford said after his Bruins fell to the Wildcats, 96-85.

Defensive lapses were again the Bruins Achilles heel.

Arizona shot 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range en route to their biggest offensive outburst of the season.

Crashing The Boards

The leaky UCLA defense allowed the hustling visitors 24 second chance points.

“The place where we want to go, we have to play defense.

“And this is the perfect example right here,” chimed in Lonzo Ball, whose career high 24 points weren’t nearly enough.

“That’s all part of defense. That’s part of finishing.

“If you’re not turning people over and you’re getting beat on the glass, that puts strains on your defense.

“If we’re out of position defensively, now we’re not in position to rebound,” Alford surmised.

“It’s a wake up call, man.” Ball shrugged.

Same Old Story

Ball failed to heed his own advice five nights later against USC.

Sleep walking through the Galen Center, Ball was constantly harassed by the energetic Trojan defense.

A projected NBA lottery pick committed a season high seven turnovers and was limited to just nine shots.

“He (Ball) just never got in a flow.

“That’s when we needed somebody to step up.

Missing In Action

“But it didn’t happen,” Alford said.

Exploding to outscore the Bruins 26-10 over the last seven minutes, USC took a comfortable 50-38 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Trojans were just 20 minutes removed from their fourth straight victory over UCLA. 84-76.

Employing a tightly knit zone defense, USC held the Bruins to their second lowest point total of the season.

And when the Bruins were outscored by 24 points from beyond the arc, those beautiful early season dreams had suddenly disappeared.

Replaced by those horrendously painful, reoccurring NIGHT MARES!

The Southern California News Group Contributed To This Article

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John Stellman

I was born with sports in my blood. I began coaching little league baseball at 15. I was the sports editor of my high school newspaper. I did football play by play for the college radio station. I broadcast high school basketball for a local commercial station. But baseball was always my passion. During the 1970's I covered the Angels for the Orange County Register. And now I am back where I belong...