Andy Enfield, meet Kyle "Slow-Mo" Anderson

Andy Enfield came to sc and made some comments to UCLA that probably were not made to reach the public. However they did and it sparked the Bruin fan base to dislike the new trojan coach right away. The rivalry may not be what it is on the football field, but its still sc vs UCLA. The Bruins came out strong and never looked back. An outstanding shooting performance by every guard fueled by a  10-14 shooting night by Kyle Anderson. The slogan shouldn't be "if you want to play slow, go to UCLA." It should be "If you want to get beat by Slo-Mo, go to Pauley Pavilion." Anderson had a mid-range game from 12 to 18 feet that could not be stopped. It was the most confident he has ever looked shooting the ball. He also finished with 12 boards and five assists.
Coach's son Bryce Alford also shot the ball extremely well as he went 4-6 from down town and 6-9 on the game with a few drives in the lane. He will not miss too many open shots throughout the year.
Then there was Jordan Adams. The man who is supposed to be the scoring leader on the team. What I saw from Adams in the first half was what I was waiting for this year under new coach Steve Alford, a leader with some fire. After finishing a 20-6 run with 5 minutes left in the half, Adams gave a big Tiger Woods fist pump, chest bumped his coach and started yelling "lets go!" with his teammates. This is the first player to show some mean energy and ferocious attitude. Exactly what they were missing in their two losses. The Bruins need an emotional leader and Adams would be the perfect player for that role. A consistent fire-eyed Adams mixed with a mid-range draining Anderson is dangerous.

The supporting cast has been filling the roles and playing well. Shooting ability and getting into positions to make plays has been a strength. The defense is slowly getting better but weak side offensive rebounding on zone defense still lingers as a missing piece. 

It's going to be awhile before Enfield catches up to Alford if at all. But Arizona is next and they are the #1 team I the country. Can Alford make the second half adjustments to propel the team in the 2nd half? Also can Adams be the emotional leader and push his comrades? 

The Wildcats will bring it and will be bullies on the boards. UCLA will need to match their toughness to have a chance.

Bad interview questions for Alford

Written by SEAN: 

Anytime coaches have extensive interviews that are easily accessible online, followers get intrigued by answers that have meaning to the team performance. The Alford interview today on uclabruins.com today was very disappointing. 

The reporters failed to ask what halftime changes will be made after UCLA dropped two games by double digits after bring tied at half. Sure Duke and Mizzou are very tough games that would be nice to win, but to be competitive for 20 minutes and fall flat the next 20 is an Alford answer I am interested in. 

I believe in Alford and I really like the team  chemistry he has built. I would love to play for him. There's a mental toughness by our Bruins that seems beneath that of the top tier teams like Duke and Mizzou. Youth cannot be an excuse with players not staying past their GE classes.

Instead the few reporters asked questions about his high school rivalries and if the UCLA sc rivalry is worth more than another game. Of course it's not, it's one game! It's not like football. What about Mr. Bail and if he's going to get more playing time. Alford interviews don't come out very often but when they do, I hope in the future they focus on what's been happening and what matters leading up to this game. Not what the sc coach said before the season about UCLA being a slow team.

The Bruins should win Sunday's game against sc with Kyle Anderson working around the rim on both ends while getting his teammates involved. The offense is working for the Bruins and I don't think sc has the defense to slow them down. Protect Pauley, hit some threes, and get the crowd involved. Students should be back and ready to go.