So what is UCLA basketball interim head coach Murry Bartow putting in the water in Westwood? UCLA has made several improvements since the former assistant took over for Steve Alford a week and a half ago and the changes are already paying dividends.
The most surprising of all these improvements has been the emergence of a functioning defensive plan. Though UCLA continues to base themselves in a 2-3 zone which often has weaknesses, there is a lot more activity within that zone. The players seem more cognizant of who is in their area, their rotation is not great but it is cutting off more lanes, and the interior defense seems to have more chutzpah as Moses Brown grows more confident.