UCLA Basketball: 3 keys to turning around the Bruins’ 2017-18 season

1. Stop turning the ball over so much

The turnovers came early and often against Cincinnati. In the first half alone, UCLA turned the ball over 15 times, resulting in 19 points for the Bearcats. UCLA turned the ball over on four straight possessions at one point. Unbelievably, they achieved the feat again a few minutes later.

Full-court pressure is a challenge for young players to handle, but they can normally solve the riddle after a few possessions. For UCLA, it meant morphing into the Washington Generals for about a quarter of the game, a stretch they would never recover from.

UCLA averages 13.5 turnovers per game, which is in the middle-of-the-pack in the NCAA. Their turnover rate is less frequent than teams like Gonzaga and Ohio State, but it is still ill-befitting a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations.

The biggest offender is Aaron Holiday. He is clearly a star and arguably UCLA’s best player, but taking better care of the ball has to become a priority for the junior. He’s turned the ball over 11 times in the past two games, including seven times in the Bruins’ overtime loss to Michigan.

Fewer turnovers would be a good way to start turning around a season with diminishing prospects.