UCLA Is Much More Than Just the Lonzo Ball Show After Upset over No. 1 Kentucky

The shouting heard from college basketball diehards this week was that UCLA was at Kentucky on Saturday, and HAVE YOU SEEN THE LONZO BALL SHOW YET?!

Ball is a 6’6” point guard with the kind of vision and passing skills that has folks comparing him to Jason Kidd, and it’s not all that blasphemous. He arrived in Lexington leading the nation in assists, and the run-and-gun-and-fun Bruins were putting up 97 points per game.

No. 11 UCLA left Lexington on Saturday with a 97-92 win over No. 1 Kentucky, sending a clear message to the rest of college basketball.

And here’s the thing that’s really scary: The Bruins are way more than just a sensational point guard, and Ball wasn’t all that great in this one.

Ball still put up a solid line—14 points and seven assists—but he also threw up some junk shots and had six turnovers, many of which came early when he was still trying to get used to the freakish athleticism and speed of the ‘Cats.

But the Bruins kept it close before their point guard settled in, because, again, they’re way more than Lonzo Ball.

Fellow freshman TJ Leaf is already one of the best power forwards in the game. Leaf was the best player on the floor on this day—17 points, 13 boards, five assists, one steal and one block—and finding a flaw in his game is as easy as criticizing the weather in Southern California. He’s smart, athletic, super skilled and plays with max effort.

Aaron Holiday carried the Bruins for a portion of the first half, scoring all 13 of his points before halftime on 4-of-4 shooting and also taking some of the ball-handling responsibilities away from Ball when he needed a break. He might be the best sixth man in the country.

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Junior center Thomas Welsh scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. His quick release and dead-eye mid-range jumper is a perfect weapon to match with a point guard like Ball. Welsh’s backup, 6’10” freshman Ike Anigbogu, has an NBA body and athleticism, and he added six points, six boards and two blocks in 17 minutes.

Bryce Alford also wasn’t at his best, but he still scored 14 points and iced the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

Then there’s senior guard Isaac Hamilton, the team’s leading scorer, who calmly waits for his opportunities and drains jumpers. He hit three treys and led UCLA with 19 points.

The Bruins are a joy to watch when they get cooking because the ball moves and the shots drop, and they make running offense look so easy and beautiful.

That’s what hit Kentucky on Saturday, and the only thing interrupting the machine, surprisingly, was Ball. He attempted eight threes, making two, and only one of those shots (his second make) was what would be considered good shot selection.

It’s not uncommon this season to see Ball unleash a step-back three. It’s one of his signature moves. But he was going to it too often against UK and at unnecessary times. It wasn’t like UCLA was having a hard time finding shots.

This is spot on from Pac-12 analyst Drew Shiller. It did appear like Ball was out to prove something, and there’s no need. The reasons scouts will love him and he’ll be a lottery pick are his passing and how he usually approaches the game.

On Wednesday, Ball had 13 assists and took only three shots in a blowout win over UC Riverside. Two of those attempts were dunks. So in the half court, he attempted one jump shot the entire day. That’s the Lonzo Ball that has everyone so giddy about Lonzo Ball.

And even without the best version of the guy, the Bruins still nearly broke 100 points. At Rupp. Against Kentucky.

“For us to come in here and just do the things we were able to do,” Steve Alford told Bill Raftery on CBS after the game. “… [That’s] against a really good defensive team, we put 97 on. Tells me a lot about what we can do offensively.”

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Oh yeah, Kentucky…

Alford is right. Kentucky is an elite defensive team. That No. 1 by UK’s name was worthy. John Calipari has the most athletic team in the country. The Wildcats have some things to figure out in their half-court offense, but they’re once again ridiculously talented and will be in the hunt to win the national title. They will overwhelm just about every opponent they play with their quickness, length and pressure.

They had Ball rattled early.

But then the Bruins started stroking threes, and the Ball we all came to see mostly showed the rest of the way.

Yes, the Bruins are back. Alford has a special team that will shed its No. 11 ranking for a Top Five one and probably spend the rest of the season there.

Every game will be must-see TV. And if they get the best version of Ball, the show could roll all the way into April.

C.J. Moore covers college basketball and football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.