Steve Alford
Steve Alford
Stephen Todd Alfordis an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth23 November 1964
CityFranklin, IN
CountryUnited States of America
good handling hard inside job open oriented potent prepare pressure
They're hard to prepare for because they are potent inside and out. They are pressure oriented defensively. So we've got to do a good job of getting open and handling the ball.
bad best defense defensive key pressure shots team took translated
They're probably the best defensive team in the league. They put a lot of pressure on you. We had some key stretches where we took ill-advised shots and that translated into bad defense (on the other end).
fit pieces puzzle
There's been a lot of pieces to it that have come at different times. But they've fit the puzzle very nicely.
bottom change five including league longer might talking teams top weeks
There's a lot that can change in five games, including the standings. Two weeks from now we might be talking about teams at the bottom of our league no longer at the bottom and teams at the top of the league no longer at the top.
attention basketball cannot coach committees flattered head interested interviews officials openings programs search season
As in the past, search committees and interested officials from other programs with openings for a head basketball coach have initiated contact. I'm flattered with the interest and the recognition of the outstanding season we had this year. With that success, comes attention and speculation that I cannot control. I have not scheduled any interviews with any other institutions.
absolutely beat beats highest loves special
That's what's special about Jeff. He's not going to beat you because he's the strongest, fastest, quickest, highest jumper out there. He beats you because of his will to win. He absolutely loves to compete.
bottom five league longer might near respect talking teams top weeks
That's why we're the No. 1 league in the country. It's obvious. We respect everyone, and we have to play well. ... We're down to five games, but a lot can change. Teams near the top could be in the middle. Two weeks from now we might be talking about teams at the bottom no longer being at the bottom.
four games mad mentality sat
That's Jeff. That's his mentality and his mindset. He was mad at me for the four games he sat out. He's not going to change.
anybody basketball great guys history illinois players says
You've got two guys that have probably done more for Illinois basketball than anybody in the history of the program. That says a lot, because there have been some great players here.
athletics general guy lose meant
You never like to lose a guy who's meant so much, not only to our program, but to athletics in general at our school.
bottom good happy indicator line
The bottom line is I never interviewed anywhere, and it should be a pretty good indicator of how happy I am and what I think we can (accomplish).
conference easy fortunate game home remaining road sitting win
A win on the road is never easy in this league. We feel fortunate that we're sitting 3-4 (away from home in conference play) with one more game remaining on the road.
game next nice road start success ten
This is not a make-or-break game, but it is a game that is very important to us. It would be nice to actually have some success (on the road) before we start the Big Ten on the road next week.
game uptight win
This is probably the most uptight I've been all season. Just because you wanted to win this game so bad.