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  • Kentucky v UCLA preview

    By:LARRY VAUGHT

    Sophomore point guard Bryce Alford leads UCLA in scoring (18 points per game), assists (74), free throw percentage (90.7), 3-pointers made (27) and minutes played (34.9 per game) going into Saturday’s game against No. 1 Kentucky.

    “There's no other guard in the country averaging 17 points and seven assists. He's one of those guys — and there's not many in the country — that can take over a game and change the complexion of a game within a minute and a half,” said Kentucky coach John Calipari. “And the reason is he can pull up from anywhere, he makes free throws, he can get you in foul trouble, his 3off the bounce, off the catch, very, very skilled and a great passer.

    “So if you try to do different things with him, he creates for his teammates as well as anybody we've seen.”

    Then Caliipari added one more thing about the UCLA guard.

    “Plus he's the coach's son, so he can do what he wants,” Calipari joked.

    UCLA coach Steve Alford knows his son faces a serious challenge from the UK defense during the first CBS Sports Classic. Kentucky plays UCLA at about 3:30 p.m. after North Carolina and Ohio State play at 1.

    Unlike UK, the Bruins have four starters averaging over 31 minutes per game.

    “Most of our starters are getting 30-plus minutes, so it is different. Where Kentucky's got the platoon and then they've got a lot of depth. They do. I think that's one of the things they do: they can wear you down and try to wear you out, and they've done a very good job with that,” Steve Alford said. “I think that's where hopefully our inexperience starts to get a little bit better as we're 11 games into this thing. That's part of what we've got to continue to learn.

    “Bryce, like Kevon (Looney), has been extremely consistent, and that's what's helped us. We've got five guys in either new roles or very young players. And Bryce is in a new role. Now he's the starting point guard and there's being a lot asked of him. That's what we appreciate as coaches. He's delivering. He's got a great assist-to-turnover ratio.

    “He's one of the best assist guys in the country, and yet we know that he's one of our better shooters and we've got to get scoring out of him too. So, that's asking a lot out of a point guard, and yet he's performed at a very high level. That's a credit to him and credit to his skillset and who he is as a player."

    Guard Norman Powell averages 17.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 31 minutes per game. He’s a 46 percent 3-point shooter.

    “He's like a scoring machine. He's got some physique to him, he can get to the rim, he can make threes. He and Bryce in the backcourt have complemented each other,” Calipari said. “You've got a guy that's a tough matchup if we try to go too big because you gotta figure out: Can Trey Lyles guard their guards? Because that's basically what he's going to have to do.”

    Calipari called Powell a “baller” because of his versatility.

    “He can take it to the rim, he's physical, he makes open shots, he'll score in bunches,” Calipari said. “Again, the best thing Steve's done is play to his team's strengths. 'We gotta open this up. We know we gotta score in transition. We gotta give these guys freedom offensively as we really zero in on how we're going to guard.'”

    Freshman Kevon Looney has given UCLA a needed inside presence. He’s averaging 13.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 31.5 mintues per game.

    “Kevon has had a very, very special start to a collegiate career. When you're a freshman and you're top five in the country in double-doubles and you're doing it against ... we've played a very good schedule ... very good competition, he's just been extremely consistent. Usually don't see that in a lot of freshmen,”Alford said. “You'll see big games here or there, but the consistency part of Kevon has been what's been very good to see. Obviously helped us, but it speaks volumes of who Kevon is.”

    Center Tony Parker adds 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 24 minutes. He’s shooting 59 percent from the field.

    “He's very powerful inside, he's a strong kid. He can shoot it out to 15, 17 feet. His numbers are all up from a rebounding standpoint. He continues to learn and grow defensively,” Alford said.

    The fifth UCLA starter, Isaac Hamilton, contributes 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 33 minutes of play.

    Calipari expects UCLA to play a “lot of zone” defense along with a grind-it-out offense. He says that is an offense “where they're running that baseline runner and cross-screening inside and going into side pick-and-rolls and catch-and-shoots and catch-and-drives.”

    Alford says countering UK’s depth will requite his team to do “a lot of good things” on offense and defense.

    “We've got to take care of the basketball. We've always been a good assist/turnover team last year and even into early this season. Those are some things that have been positive for us. I think Kentucky is as good as it gets throughout our country defensively, so that's a tall order. Can we take care of the ball? Can we value the ball? Can we get the shots that we need to get?” Alford said.

    “When you're playing a team like this you're going to have to make shots, you're going to have to be able to have a night where you're shooting the ball well. It's not going to be easy if we're shooting 35 percent. We're going to have to make some shots, we're going to have to get to the foul line and take advantage of the foul line. We've done a good job of getting to the foul line. We just haven't been a good foul-shooting team.

    “When you're playing a team like Kentucky — they're the best rebounding team, I think hands down in our country — it's not just about trying to guard them. You've got to finish the possession. That's what makes it so hard. We've got to be awfully good defensively, and we've got to be very efficient offensively to give us a chance in those last five minutes to try to win a game."
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