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Pepperdine Basketball: 2020-21 keys to pull off the upset over UCLA

By Chris Thedinga

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Colbey Ross #4 of the Pepperdine Waves handles the ball against the USC Trojans during a college basketball game at Galen Center on November 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 19: Colbey Ross #4 of the Pepperdine Waves handles the ball against the USC Trojans during a college basketball game at Galen Center on November 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /
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UCLA Bruins Chris Smith Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA Bruins Chris Smith Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Limiting Chris Smith

On Wednesday, Chris Smith was nonexistent in UCLA’s road loss to San Diego State. He picked up a few early fouls that limited his time on the floor. Even when Smith was out there, he only went 0-1 in the second half due to SDSU really keying up on him and forcing other people to score. Without Smith producing, UCLA had essentially no functionality on offense. They turned the ball over, forced up contested perimeter shots, and lacked an offensive identity without Smith.

Pepperdine will likely throw a mixture of Kessler Edwards and Jade’ Smith at Chris Smith. Last year, the Waves didn’t have a lot of success in locking down over-talented perimeter players. Their overall scoring defense was good for just 327th nationally. However, in their win over UC Irvine, the Waves held Irvine’s highest-touted perimeter threat, Collin Welp, to just 4-16 from the floor.

If Pepperdine can hold Chris Smith in check, they will have a very good chance to turn some heads in this one. Although that is not the easiest feat, Lorenzo Romar seems to have very high spirits about this team’s defensive tenacity. Smith can shoot it from deep, penetrate, and has a 6’9 frame and solid ball-handling abilities. He is UCLA’s ‘do it all’ man, similar to Edwards does for Pepperdine.

Another way to keep Smith off his game, is to attack him on defense. With tendencies to hand-check, Smith’s game against SDSU wasn’t his first in foul trouble. If Edwards can attack the rim and put some pressure on Smith on one end, the other end of his game may be hampered as well.