Arizona Basketball: Pac-12 coaching landscape may change in-season

Arizona Basketball will face UCLA only once this season in Pauly Pavillion, but who will be the coach? Steve Alford is on the hot seat after the loss to Liberty.

UCLA Men’s Basketball lost to Liberty University by a score of 73-58 and Bruin fans headed to social media to call for a change. UCLA had a great incoming class of freshmen but lost one for the season when Shareef O’Neal (former Arizona Basketball commit) had to sit out the season and get heart surgery. (Note: O’Neal is recovering and very positive about the future).

Fox Sports 1 commentator Jason McIntyre Tweeted out today that after six years, Bruin Head Coach Steve Alford may be in for a shock on Sunday. McIntyre wrote in a Tweet, ” If certain influential people out here in LA have their way, I’m told Steve Alford will be bought out today.”

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Now I grew up singing the UCLA fight song, clapping eight times, and wearing light blue and gold because of my parents who where Bruins and I had finished up my college education in Westwood. I would never, in a million years, have predicted that one of the most storied programs in College Basketball would be firing their coach mid-season.

Now, after raising two University of Arizona Alumni, I bleed cardinal and navy and know the fight song by heart. I was concerned before the season that UCLA had a team that could beat Arizona Basketball. I had interviewed several players. Remember, this is the team and the coach who beat the Cats at McKale last season. But what happened? The team sits in 8th place in the Pac-12 with a record of 7-6.

Alford spoke after the loss to Liberty, he said he had been coaching for a lot of years and he was very disappointed in the team and how they played. The team just needed to do more of everything, especially turning over the ball 24 times versus eight times for Liberty. “I don’t know that,” said Alford when asked about how the plan didn’t translate to the players, “I don’t know if the players have a better answer to that than the coaches — we couldn’t drive the ball — that’s a hard one.” Alford said, “I don’t know” and “Disappointed” dozens of times in his post game press conference.

Alford’s freshman forward Cody Riley said lack of concentration on the part of the players was the issue. Cody Riley, sophomore forward felt the team came out strong but ended up flat. The coach hinted he was going to go back to middle school drills with the team. “Live-ball turnovers are inexcusable.”

Next. New Year's resolutions for Arizona Athletics (incl Pac-12). dark

Kevin Sweeney, CBB Central, threw out some names including Nevada’s Eric Musselman (whose team just beat Utah last night) and more, he thinks it is a good thing to let go of Alford, “Might fire up the team to salvage the season, and if you are talking to Hoiberg or Earl Watson you can get things going quicker with that process.” I am fine with letting Alford finish out the season. Bear Down!

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