Strengths: It’s not as gratifying as wizardry with Xs and Os, but there is no shame in a college basketball coach’s greatest strength being recruiting. Steve Alford landed three five-star prospects in 2016, but that doesn’t begin to do justice to their talent. All three UCLA freshman last season are expected to be first-round draft picks in June and Lonzo Ball could be the No. 1 overall selection. No matter how good the coach, he can’t succeed without good players. Alford is clearly gaining momentum on the recruiting front, following his best class at UCLA with a 2017 haul ranked No. 2 in the country.

Weaknesses: Alford was consistently slow to make in-game adjustments this season, showing reluctance to take risks when things were going in the wrong direction. USC flummoxed Alford with a simple zone defense in the Bruins’ ugliest loss of the season Jan. 25 at Galen Center. As UCLA’s defense reached its lowest point of the season, a 96-85 loss at home to Arizona, Alford stuck with an offensively oriented lineup while Aaron Holiday and Ike Anigbogu played just 23 and 12 minutes, respectively.

Best moment: Deep into the season when UCLA’s weaknesses had been thoroughly exposed, Alford led his team to a win in the most improbable of circumstances. Continue reading “UCLA basketball 2017 report card: Steve Alford” »

The way Steve Alford fondly – and consistently – references his home state, it seems impossible for him to have no interest in coaching Indiana.

The Hoosiers are in need of a new coach after Tom Crean was fired earlier today, creating an opening at the UCLA head coach’s alma mater. Alford’s stock is peaking after a 29-4 season at the most high profile program in a coaching career with stops at Southwest Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico before UCLA. Perhaps the only job he’d leave for is Indiana, where he was the leading scorer on the 1978 national champions.

“Obviously, that was 30 years ago,” Alford said. “I was a part of that. I stood on a stage with a great group of guys and won a national championship. It’s my home state. I played there. So obviously all that comes up, but I love UCLA. I love Los Angeles. You’re talking about arguably the greatest brand anywhere on that planet and we got things going at a very high level right now.”

Alford’s large buyout complicates things for both sides, but there is certainly a chance there will be a strong desire on each end to cut through that and make a deal.

There are plenty of reasons why the timing could be perfect for Alford to justify leaving UCLA after four seasons. His son Bryce is a senior. Lonzo Ball is sure to leave for the NBA and leading scorer TJ Leaf is a good bet to declare for the draft after one season too. Even less heralded freshman Ike Anigbogu might leave for the NBA considering his rising stock. Junior 7-foot center Thomas Welsh’s departure isn’t out of the question either. In other words, it’s possible that the entire UCLA starting lineup is on its way out.

There are also plenty of reasons to stay, five to be exact. Continue reading “Steve Alford to Indiana is a very real possibility” »