UCLA Basketball: Bruins finally prove themselves with upset over Kentucky

UCLA upset the Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic, but what could this mean for the Bruins?

Finding one word to describe the UCLA Bruins so far during the 2017-18 college basketball season is easy – turmoil.

Whether it has been their Ball family drama, arrests overseas, or disappointing losses in close games, UCLA has failed to really get their season on track just yet.

That could have all just changed, as the Bruins defeated the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats in the CBS Sports Classic.

Kentucky, who entered the game at 9-1, have looked unbeatable since their four-point loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, winning seven games straight. They entered the game against UCLA as the clear favorite and, although it was expected to be close, should have felt that they were the better team.

But UCLA finally played to their strengths, as their guards dominated and Thomas Welsh controlled the paint. Their 12 steals highlighted how ferocious they were on the defensive end, and the coaching decision to let Kevin Knox and Hamidou Diallo get their points while limiting the rest of the team was a brilliant move by Steve Alford.

This could legitimately be the turning point for UCLA, as the Pac-12 is wide open. Arizona and USC have shown that they are extremely vulnerable and Arizona State plays a slightly more difficult conference schedule, with a home-and-home with Arizona that UCLA does not have.

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The Bruins are going to the NCAA Tournament and, if they can get it together, they can go on a deep run. The win over Kentucky just proved that, and this could be a team that continues to get much better as we head towards March.