New Mexico coach Steve Alford was hired to take over the reins at UCLA on Saturday. Though a native of Indiana and a former head coach at Iowa, the Midwestern transplant has developed recruiting ties in California.

In fact, Alford is oddly connected to UCLA. Those saying Alford has no UCLA connections are missing the mark. The coach has them, but you have to peel back the layers to see them. As the head man at New Mexico, Alford coached one big man who played at UCLA and another player who was once committed there.