November 7, 2013, 9:03 a.m.

Through two recent exhibition victories, the UCLA basketball team has looked reasonably long and more athletic than expected.
Now, with the season opener against Drexel a day away, Coach Steve Alford would like to see his players get louder.
"We've got to become a more vocal team," he said.
Alford wants more talk on defense to avoid the sort of breakdowns that result in easy baskets. That could be especially important against a Drexel team that features upperclassmen. 
"We've got a couple young guys," UCLA sophomore Kyle Anderson said. "Three sophomores in the lineup ... sophomores are still young in college basketball."
After blowout victories against over-matched Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State San Marcos, the Bruins seem confident they can score.
"It was good to put those numbers up to see where our offense was," guard Jordan Adams said.
So defense has become a focus in practices, with Alford preaching both effort and a little patience.
"A lot of our missed assignments are things that are easily correctable," he said. "That’s a process that has got to evolve."