LAS VEGAS -- It's probably safe to say the Pac-12 Tournament Championship game featured six players who have one or more NBA games in their respective futures. It was sophomore Kyle Anderson who stood out the most in his UCLA Bruins' thrilling 75-71 win over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.
Live from the Pac-12 Tournament: Kyle Anderson wills UCLA past Arizona
Two teams and several players on Arizona and UCLA’s roster made for a Pac-12 classic on Saturday, but Kyle Anderson was the most dynamic of them all.
Ethan Miller
Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon dazzled with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and teammate Nick Johnson scored 22 points and recorded two highlight-reel weak-side blocks in the final minutes. UCLA guard Jordan Adams hit the go-ahead three-point shot. Freshmen Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Arizona and Zach LaVine of UCLA could end up being better than any of their more-refined teammates.
Then there was Anderson. At the professional level, Anderson projects as a smaller Boris Diaw type. He’s nicknamed Slow-Mo for a reason, but what he lacks in athleticism he makes up for elsewhere.
The Bruins’ 6’9 starting point guard scored 21 points against the best defensive team in the Pac-12. More impressively, he made up for UCLA’s collective lack of size to grab 15 rebounds. And he did it with two potential defensive All-Americans, Johnson and Gordon, shadowing him.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player have 15 defensive rebounds, five assists, one turnover and be a point guard,” Arizona coach Sean Miller said.
There’s more to it than the numbers, too. Anderson was playing leader on Saturday.
In the first half, sophomore big man Tony Parker picked a foul by reaching around Arizona center Kaleb Tarczewski and attempting to deny a post-entry pass. It was a minor mistake, but the stakes were high. So Anderson grabbed Parker, told him it was a foul -- an unnecessary one -- and then gave his teammate a solid "let's go" talk before the Wildcats inbounded the ball.
“He’s been crucial with his leadership all year,” UCLA coach Steve Alford said. “You’ve seen it coming. He was one leader in October, and he’s a much, much better leader now than he was in October.”
Play of the game
A back-and-forth game included seven ties and 10 lead changes. Most of this occurred in the second half, but Jordan Adams’ three with 43 seconds left was the deal-maker for the Bruins. Adams took a pass from Kyle Anderson and got enough of a screen from Parker to bury a three-point shot. That broke a tie, and the Wildcats couldn’t execute in the final few possessions to force overtime.
Why did it work: For one thing, the Bruins are mighty familiar with what coach Steve Alford dubbed as their “money” play. UCLA ran a similar set on Jan. 9, when they trailed Arizona 73-70 at Pauley Pavilion. Adams couldn’t get that attempt to go down.
“I missed that shot in and out, and that shot haunted me,” Adams said. “I always told myself if I got another chance, I would knock it down.”
Props to Alford, who went back to the play in the Pac-12 Championship game.
“Fifty-two seconds (left), going into the timeout and we’re laughing,” he said. “I come into the huddle and I said, ‘How about money?’ And these guys are cheering and jumping around. So when you have a team that excited to run something, you’re crazy as a coach not to at least try it.”
Seen and heard
Doing it right award: This Bruins fan got a first-row seat to cheer his team to a win, but doing so in a blue and gold robe is certainly the coolest way to do it. Also note that he has a better vantage point than Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, who is the less cool dude in the background.
This Pac-12 title game is a close one. Better get comfortable. Robe style. #pac12hoops http://t.co/wTZhKmRzZv pic.twitter.com/7c6UjTjxnd
— Pac-12 Networks (@Pac12Networks) March 15, 2014 Don’t sweat it: Sean Miller often uses towels to wipe his face. He also makes funny facial expressions. Put these two things together, and you have this.
OMG RT @CorkGaines: The many faces of Sean Miller's relationship with his towel. #Arizona pic.twitter.com/ECiGfe9hZn
— AZ Desert Swarm (@azdesertswarm) March 15, 2014 Halftime entertainment: Today I learned how to spell Jabbawockeez, but also I didn’t because I just Googled it.
Looking ahead
Both UCLA and Arizona learned about themselves in the title game.
The Wildcats will need to make free throws (6-for-16 is not good) and a consistent defense, not one that allows 58 percent in the first half and 26 percent in the second. Miller also thought his team could have executed better in crunch-time.
“This deal is about next week to us,” the Wildcats coach said. “If we won this championship, it’s about next week. If we lost this championship, it’s about next week.
"That's the great thing about today," Miller added. "It only makes you better going into the NCAA Tournament."
The Bruins likewise see the win as more than a statement game. It’s something to build upon.
“I think Arizona is the best defensive team we’ve played all year. But we haven’t beaten them,” Alford said. “Now beating them gives these guys the momentum and confidence knowing we can not just play with anybody, but we can beat anybody.”
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