The Glamour Is Back for UCLA, but After Sweet 16 Loss, Uncertainty Lies Ahead

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When they looked into the stands after Friday's loss to Kentucky in the Sweet 16, the UCLA Bruins didn't see any tears.    

There was no spittle flying from the mouths of irate, red-faced fans—and no UCLA faithful slumped despondently in their seats, heads in their hands as they came to grips with the premature end of a promising season.

Instead, as they trotted toward their tunnel following an 86-75 setback against Kentucky at the FedExForum, UCLA's players were showered not only with applause, but also with two words they may not have expected to hear.

"Thank you!" a smattering of fans chanted repeatedly as they clapped. "Thank you!"

Indeed, UCLA may have fallen short of what were realistic Final Four hopes, but for so many other reasons—bigger picture reasons—the 2016-17 campaign will be remembered as a resounding success.

The Bruins won 31 games. They averaged just under 90 points per contest. Celebrities such as Magic Johnson routinely flocked to Pauley Pavilion to catch a glimpse of potential No. 1 draft pick Lonzo Ball.

A source of angst for nearly a decade, the Bruins became a story in Hollywood again. Finally, after years of mediocrity, UCLA basketball was fun.

"We got our culture back," head coach Steve Alford said after Friday's loss, and now a glaring a question remains.

Will it last?

Or rather, what's next?

Within 20 minutes of the final horn Friday, Ball announced he was turning pro. That was hardly a surprise for a player who, at worst, is expected to be among the top three selections in June's NBA draft. It may be a decade or more before UCLA has a player as exciting as Ball—or a parent as polarizing as his outspoken father. Like him or not, LaVar Ball created a national buzz about the Bruins program that was more beneficial than not.

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Also likely gone is freshman forward TJ Leaf, a potential lottery pick who averaged a team-high 16.3 points. Seniors Bryce Alford (15.5 points) and Isaac Hamilton (14.1) both played their last college game Friday too.

Almost undoubtedly, those departures will cause UCLA to take a step back next season. And rest assured, the fickle portion of its fanbase will label 2016-17 as a flash in the pan and question whether Alford can pull off the feat again.

If, of course, he's even around to make the attempt.

Immediately after Indiana fired Tom Crean on March 16, speculation began to swirl that the Hoosiers would target Alford, a Hoosiers alum, as their next head coach. Big Ten Network analyst Dan Dakich, who coached at Indiana before Crean, even told Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star that Alford-to-Indiana was "done."

Now that hardly appears to be the case.

Alford told ESPN's Jeff Goodman after Friday's loss that he was "absolutely, 100 percent not going to Indiana," which his agent later confirmed, per Jeff Rabjohns of Scout's Peegs.com. Granted, that could mean Indiana had lost interest in Alford and told him it didn't plan to pursue him. Yet during a press conference a few minutes earlier, Alford didn't seem like he'd have interest in walking away from the Bruins program.

"I love Los Angeles," he said. "It's a beautiful place, and our family has fallen in love with it. I'm very happy. I'm at UCLA. I don't know a lot of people out there who are wanting to leave UCLA. This is a pretty special place."

Alford went on to list his reasons for wanting to remain in Westwood, and they are plentiful. At the forefront is a $60 million-plus practice facility, the Mo Ostin Center, that is scheduled to open in four months.

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press/Associated Press

"We've worked awfully hard to be a part of that," Alford said. "I want to see that through."

Even more encouraging is that UCLA will welcome a six-player 2017 recruiting class that Scout ranks as the second-best in the nation. Small forward Kris Wilkes (No. 17) and point guard Jaylen Hands (No. 26) are the headliners of the haul, which also includes Ball's younger brother, LiAngelo.

If Alford continues to recruit at this clip, the chances of UCLA's producing a season similar to the 2016-17 campaign not only seem strong but likely. Bruins fans will simply need to be patient with such a young group and see the bigger picture, which isn't always easy.

In 22 years as a Division I head coach at Southwest Missouri State, Iowa, New Mexico and UCLA, Alford has made the Sweet 16 four times. He's never advanced to the Elite Eight. This year's squad was more than good enough to make the Final Four and even win an NCAA title. But it ran into a Kentucky squad stacked with NBA players who are beginning to jell at just the right time.

UCLA defeated Kentucky in Lexington back on Dec. 3, but De'Aaron Fox (39 points) was virtually unstoppable for the Wildcats in Friday's revenge game.

"We knew it was a tough draw," Alford said. "Somebody that was really good wasn't going to win this game and advance."

Instead of leaving the FedExForum dejected by defeat, Alford and the Bruins exited with their heads held high—with applause and thank-you's still booming in the background. Alford called the season "a great journey."

Now he's ready to start a new one.

Jason King is a senior writer for B/R Mag based in Kansas. A former staff writer at ESPN.com, Yahoo Sports and the Kansas City Star, King's work has received mention in the popular book series The Best American Sports Writing. Follow him on Twitter: @JasonKingBR.