Lavin: Improvement Needed on Defense

UCLA Coach Steve Lavin said he reminded his players during a video and classroom session that defense is what carried them to their 9-0 regular-season finish.

After seven games in which UCLA held each of its opponents below 43% field-goal shooting, the Bruins’ last four games included spotty defensive efforts.

“‘We’ve been a step slow defensively, and a little bit out of position with our feet and a little bit of lunging and reaching, and losing people on screens,” Lavin said. “We need to get that back if we’re going to make a hard run here in the tournament.”

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UCLA vs. Charleston Southern on Thursday is a first-round Midwest Regional matchup of first-year coach vs. first-year coach, which is something noticed immediately by Buccaneer Coach Tom Conrad, who took over the team this season after 17 years as an assistant.

“I never in my last dreams thought I’d be playing in the NCAA tournament against a coach who has less coaching experience than I do,” Conrad said. “I’ve got him by like two months.”