UCLA basketball is back, baby

Not long ago, UCLA basketball was reeling.

In March, a plane flew a banner over the campus imploring the school to fire coach Steve Alford. The renowned college hoops program seemed listless, struggling to a 15-17 record one year after a March Madness run marked by luck as much as anything else.

Suddenly, all that drama seems ancient. UCLA just put the college hoops world on notice: The Bruins are back, baby.

UCLA upset top-ranked Kentucky in Kentucky on Saturday, controlling the second half en route to a 97-92 win. It was a clash of college basketball blue-bloods -- Kentucky boasts more wins than any other program, while UCLA boasts the most national titles.

But the two haven't existed in the same universe for years. Kentucky has recently produced NBA lottery picks like an assembly line, while UCLA struggled by national-power standards. Two years ago, on a neutral court, Kentucky humiliated UCLA, 83-42.

Not so Saturday. UCLA hit its high-octane average of 97 points per game to remain perfect at 9-0 on the season.

The Bruins dealt Kentucky its first loss of the season -- and this is a Wildcats team many forecasted would win the national title. Saturday was just Kentucky's fifth home loss ever under coach John Calipari (against 124 wins). UCLA's 97 points were the most a Calipari-led Kentucky squad has ever given up.

So how does UCLA do it? Here's a better question: How don't they do it?

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

This year's Bruins feature experience, most importantly in senior guards Bryce Alford (coach Steve's son) and Isaac Hamilton. They also feature precocious youth. Freshman forward TJ Leaf had 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists Saturday. Meanwhile, freshman point guard Lonzo Ball has been downright revelatory this season.

Ball currently leads the nation in assists. He bombs deep step-back threes, throws down alley-oop dunks and is the all-around engine that powers a humming UCLA offense. Picture Jason Kidd -- but two inches taller and with bunny-rabbit hops. If there's one player the casual college basketball fan needs to watch this season, Ball may well be it.

Scarier still for the college hoops field, Ball turned in only a decent effort by his own high standards Saturday -- and UCLA still toppled the top-ranked Wildcats on their home floor.

But again, this is a Bruins team that looks to have it all. They possess the blend of youth and experience we mentioned above. They have a wall of size -- Leaf is 6-foot-10, then there's 7-foot Thomas Welsh, 6-10 Ike Anigbogu and 6-11 Gyorgy Goloman. UCLA also balances its brawn with a surfeit of backcourt skill in Ball, Hamilton, Alford and Aaron Holiday.

That right there is a reeeeal nice eight-man college basketball rotation, folks.

Now here we are, on the first Saturday in December, with the Bruins having served notice to the rest of college hoops. The message is clear.

Just nine months ago, that airplane flew its "Fire Alford" banner over the UCLA campus. Now, for the first time in a long time, one of the nation's most storied programs has realistic hopes of raising a different kind of banner -- a national championship banner -- come spring.