UCLA Basketball must shut down Alabama’s three-point onslaught

2. Alabama’s sporadic pace of play has played a large part in the Tide’s success

Much of Alabama’s ability to get so many shots up is directly tied to the Tide’s speedy style of play, where, per KenPom, they rank 12th in the nation in adjusted tempo, earning 73.3 possessions per game – and taking 14.2 seconds off the shot-clock per possession, tied with Gonzaga for the top spot.

Again, the Tide are fourth in the nation in three-point attempts with a dead-even 30.0 per game, all the while taking 34.2 two-pointers, as well.  Few teams have succeeded in limiting the number of possessions in a game, with the Tide’s last three wins – the SEC Championship victory over LSU and the NCAA Tournament wins against Iona and Maryland – finishing under 70 possessions in each.

The Bruins do not get nearly as many shots up as Alabama, attempting 57.5 to 64.2 – and that is largely due to UCLA’s methodical style of play.  Controlling the pace and slowing the game down is absolutely crucial for UCLA’s chances of pulling off the upset, and their style allows for that to be possible.

Among 357 Div. I squads, the Bruins maintain the 337th slowest tempo, per KenPom.  For context: the Crimson Tide has reached 70 possessions in at least 24 of their 32 games this season – but UCLA has seen that mark just six times this year across 29 tilts.  The Bruins’ three performances in the NCAA Tournament have yielded substantially slower numbers than Alabama’s pair of tilts, with the wins over Michigan State, BYU, and Abilene Christian coming down to 64, 60, and 63 possessions, respectively.

Grinding this game out and forcing Alabama to play slow on the offensive end is the first key to limiting the Tide’s opportunities for three-point shots.  The Bruins force teams to take at least 18.1 seconds off of the shot-clock – meaning forcing the fastest team to take more time off the clock than they already do will be a daunting task.  But if UCLA hopes to avoid a fast-paced, up-and-down track meet, they must slow Nate Oats’ offense down.