UCLA hired Steve Alford partly because of his reputation as a defensive minded coach. According to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, his last two New Mexico teams ranked in the top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency. UCLA Basketball has not reached these heights yet.
In Steve Alford’s four years in Westwood, his teams have ranked 37th, 65th, 119th and 84th by kenpom’s defensive efficiency ratings. Theoretically, UCLA gets better talent than New Mexico, so what was responsible for the drop off?