Steve Alford stood near midcourt at Pauley Pavilion, near the UCLA logo at center court, flanked by UCLA cheerleaders, wearing UCLA colors in his tie and standing directly in front of a UCLA backdrop. Alford, introduced as the 13th basketball coach in UCLA history, stood directly below some of the 11 NCAA championship banners hanging from the rafters in Pauley. Those banners -- more than any other school in the country -- symbolize the history and tradition at UCLA and the expectations. Alford, who comes to UCLA after six years at New Mexico, said he's ready to take on the challenges at UCLA. "I understand expectations here," Alford said. "You have to live it first, though, and I understand that, too. It's just not something I can say. But I've been in basketball a long time, and nobody is more of a competitor than I am. I love to compete, and hopefully our teams are going to embody those types of traits." That's a hurdle for down the line, however. The more immediate concerns for Alford include assembling a coaching staff, meeting with the players and recruiting to fill open scholarships for next season. Read more http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mens...alford-excited-take-challenge-ucla-bruins-job
