LOS ANGELES >> There are plenty of things easing UCLA’s ability to share the basketball.
Averaging a nation-leading 105.8 points per game, there are plenty of baskets to go around.
The four-guard lineup that has appeared in each game includes three players comfortable running the point and a third averaging a career-high 4.8 assists per game.
Sophomore Aaron Holiday’s No. 1 reason is simple.
“Because we’re winning,” he said.
No. 14 UCLA is averaging 25 assists per game, the second-highest mark in college basketball. There has been a clear dichotomy in their best shooting performances, something senior Bryce Alford attributed to unselfish play. The difference in shooting 60 percent from the 3-point line against Pacific Nov. 11 and Long Beach State on Sunday versus 27 percent from beyond the arc in its other two games combined was the willingness to pass up a shot to set up a teammate with a better one, he said.
Perhaps the pass-first culture stems from freshman Lonzo Ball, a true point guard whose nine assists per game rank third in the country.
Alford said he and classmate Isaac Hamilton, the top returning scorer in the Pac-12 this season, don’t pay much attention to their personal statistics at this late stage of their college careers.
“Guys like Isaac and I have been here and done just about anything, so we’re concerned about getting the W regardless of how many points we’ve got,” Bryce Alford said. “So whoever is hot that night, we’re going to continue to feed them. And if we’ve all got it going, we’ll just continue to share it.”
A soft early-season schedule has helped facilitate an unselfish attitude, but the level of competition will soon change for UCLA. In the Wooden Legacy tournament beginning on Thursday, UCLA faces a potential second-round matchup with a Dayton team that has spent most of this season on the cusp of the Top 25.
There is one person in particular who is not shy about expressing his curiosity to see how the team reacts in higher leverage situations.
“Sometimes adversity can help build things or it can rip things apart,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said. “We know adversity is going to hit. It’s about being strong enough and having enough foundation when adversity does hit. How do we handle a close game? Where does the ball go? Who takes the shot? These are all things this team hasn’t endured yet. We will endure it and I’m anxious to see how we respond to it.”
ANIGBOGU DEBUT?
Freshman Ike Anigbogu could make his debut in Thursday’s Wooden Legacy opener against Portland. Steve Alford described him as questionable for the game after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee Oct. 25.
The 6-foot-10 Anigbogu is expected to split time with center Thomas Welsh when he does return.
“It’s a huge piece we’ve been missing,” Bryce Alford said. “Mainly he’ll help us on the defensive end more than anything. The dude is extremely physical. He’s the perfect compliment to Tom.”
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