UCLA's Alford: Lonzo Ball 'as good to coach as anybody I've had'

The shenanigans of his father have turned Lonzo Ball into a polarizing figure, but his former coach at UCLA has nothing but positive reviews for the point guard.

"I mean, this was a guy that was one-and-done from the get-go, yet he went to class every day, did what he was supposed to do academically, did the community-service work, was on time for everything, very respectful," Steve Alford told Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. "Not one time was there an altercation or disrespect to me, an assistant coach, or a teammate. He was as good to coach as anybody I’ve had."

The latest round of headlines featuring Ball's name came Thursday, when the Ball family and its self-made Big Baller Brand unveiled Lonzo's first signature shoe, to be retailed at $495. Big Baller Brand will also sell Lonzo signature flip flops for $220.

Ball averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 assists per game in his lone campaign with the Bruins. His younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, are committed to play at UCLA, with the former set to enter the program in 2017-18.