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re: Alabama Basketball Megathread | 26-7 (16-2)
Posted on 1/15/21 at 1:34 pm to Chadaristic
Posted on 1/15/21 at 1:34 pm to Chadaristic
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Posted on 1/15/21 at 1:44 pm to Chadaristic
quote:
The only drafted player from Alabama is Herb.
I have a feeling Herb will end up playing in the NBA and be a valuable player. The athletic ability and size are just so ideal for a guy that can handle the ball and defend so well.
He improves yearly and his weaknesses are all things that you can work on. His shot still needs a lot of work form wise but the NBA seems full of guys who couldn't make a 15 foot jumper in college but eventually end up being solid 3 point shooters in the league.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:05 pm to wm72
quote:
The athletic ability and size are just so ideal for a guy that can handle the ball and defend so well.
Herb's best bet for longevity in the NBA is to develop into the next Bruce Bowen. Killer D and the ability to knock down a corner three will get him much farther than pretending he can be Lamar Odom. Or, maybe he can add weight like Horry did, and be a cerebal big who can pass and hit from outside.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:07 pm to SECFan413
Ala -3.5 Ark
Ken - 1 @ Aub. I bet Aub wins that one.
Ken - 1 @ Aub. I bet Aub wins that one.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:35 pm to McGregor
quote:
Several SEC coaches believe Alabama's chemical makeup is similar to the Auburn team that went to the Final Four in 2019. Athletic wings. Can shoot it from five spots. Tide host Arkansas on Saturday.
Rothstein
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:39 pm to Chadaristic
quote:
Alabama freshman Josh Primo is emerging. Has scored double figures in three of his last four games. Had 22 last Saturday against Auburn. Talented.
Rothstein
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:46 pm to Chadaristic
quote:
Nate Oats on Arkansas: “They’re a good team, and we’re catching them at the exact wrong time, to be honest with you.” Oats said he would rather have played Arkansas coming off a win over LSU, and not a loss.
Smart coach move, Musselman would say the same thing if reversed but I don't believe him
Posted on 1/15/21 at 2:47 pm to Chadaristic
Guess Rothstein is finally jumping the Alabama bandwagon.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 3:27 pm to Gary Busey
Tomorrow is gonna be a tough task with Herb and Quinerly not at 100% even if they play and Bruner out.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 3:28 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 5:38 pm to CrimsonFever
The way Kentucky got run out of Rupp, I wouldn’t bet against them tomorrow vs Auburn
Posted on 1/15/21 at 5:40 pm to phil4bama
Sharife has been unreal. I’m just not sure I see them losing to Kentucky at home
Posted on 1/15/21 at 6:09 pm to Bamafan18
quote:
Sharife has been unreal. I’m just not sure I see them losing to Kentucky at home
Sharife is an extremely talented offensive player and the way UK looked against us defensively, could be a big scoring day for AU at home.
I'm still expecting UK to turn into a good team at some point though, just too much individual talent there. Cal needs to make some adjustments though, because they are playing really bad basketball right now.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 6:19 pm to Chadaristic
quote:
Alabama is one of only six programs in the nation and the only one in the SEC with three players averaging 15.0+ points per game!
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 6:20 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 6:25 pm to Chadaristic
Hard to rank the SEC basketball teams after Tennessee and Alabama. I guess I'd put LSU third since they beat the crap out of Arkansas, but LSU also lost to Florida, and only beat Georgia by two at home so they don't look THAT good.
I have no idea who I would put 4th.
I have no idea who I would put 4th.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 6:28 pm to CrimsonFever
I would put LSU third for sure right now. They have some really nice pieces and are good enough to beat basically anybody in the country on a given night. Mizzou should probably be 4 even with the ugly loss at State.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 6:33 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 7:21 pm to Chadaristic
Some guy on Twitter is implying that Nimari has already committed to Oats to transfer. Anybody hearing any rumblings yet?
Posted on 1/15/21 at 7:30 pm to phil4bama
quote:
Some guy on Twitter
Who? Link?
Posted on 1/15/21 at 7:54 pm to Chadaristic
Jeery Meyer’s new 247 mailbag article is pretty good, Ill link it in the recruiting thread when I get a chance, Im in the hot tub right now.
He said he expects us to get Bediako and that it would move our class up to 3rd. Said he expects Burnett to sign with Alabama, Oregon or Illinois. Someone asked him how good does he think LSU is and he said he thinks LSU will make the sweet 16.
He said he expects us to get Bediako and that it would move our class up to 3rd. Said he expects Burnett to sign with Alabama, Oregon or Illinois. Someone asked him how good does he think LSU is and he said he thinks LSU will make the sweet 16.
This post was edited on 1/15/21 at 7:56 pm
Posted on 1/15/21 at 7:54 pm to Chadaristic
Alabama Basketball: Tempo turning the tide in Tuscaloosa
quote:
Alabama basketball entered this season as a “sleeper pick” by several writers across the nation (myself included). And while the Crimson Tide struggled a bit out of the gates with just a 4-3 record through the season’s opening month, they have found their rhythm as of late. More specifically, they have found their tempo. Head coach Nate Oats is known for pushing his teams to play at a fast pace but it usually takes time to click.
With the Tide now riding a six-game winning streak, it’s fair to say that this team has hit that stride. Included in this winning streak have been road victories over Tennessee, Auburn, and Kentucky. They have also held serve at home against Mississippi and Florida while leaping out to an SEC-best 5-0 conference record. Alabama sits at 10-3 overall and has skyrocketed to 20th in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric. They were as low as No. 56 just a month ago.
Perhaps the most noticeable shift during this string of impressive play has been Alabama’s ability to assert its pace. The Crimson Tide love getting up the floor and creating quality shots before opposing defenses can set up. While they started the season deploying that tactic, it feels as though they have come close to perfecting it lately:
The most important step in establishing an up-tempo system is being able to take care of the ball. It is very easy to get out of control and make silly mistakes at this pace, especially for young teams. Alabama has mostly been able to avoid turnovers since the onset of this season but it’s a good sign that its giveaway rate has dropped even since increasing tempo over the last month. This team is learning how to win on the fly and doing so effectively.
‘Bama hasn’t drastically upped its tempo that much this season, but it has figured out how to create advantages. Forcing opponents to play much faster than usual has led to all-around improvements. The Tide have exhibited a radical 11.2% shift in eFG% across both ends of the floor since Dec. 22.
To simplify this explanation, let’s take a peek into how Alabama has been able to assert its pace against teams that would much rather take things slower:
Plenty of factors have gone into Alabama turning a corner over the last month. First and foremost, though, the Tide appear settled into their system and can implement it against anyone. Tennessee is a very difficult team to speed up and doing so even by only 3.6 possessions can be the difference between taking down a Top 10 team on the road and losing. Coach Oats has his team playing its best basketball right now and that has many excited about the next two months.
Posted on 1/15/21 at 7:55 pm to Chadaristic
(article continued)
quote:
Tide have the depth necessary to succeed.
One of the things that has made this recent stretch exciting for Alabama is that they have played well even in the absence of Jahvon Quinerly. The former five-star recruit and Villanova transfer was playing big minutes through the team’s first 10 contests. He was particularly impactful by jumpstarting this winning streak with averages of 16.7 points and 4.7 assists per game over the first three victories. He has missed Alabama’s last three games due to a medical condition but Coach Oats is “hoping to get Quinerly back by this weekend (Jan. 16).”
A pair of fellow newcomers have stepped up in his absence, though, with JUCO transfer Keon Ellis and freshman Josh Primo putting forth strong efforts. The former scored 16 against Florida while the latter combined for 34 in the following victories over Auburn and Kentucky. Primo especially appears to be coming into his own after those back-to-back strong performances. The Crimson Tide are 6-0 (this entire streak) since he was inserted into the starting lineup.
Coach Oats’ ability to turn to his bench for breakout performers seemingly night in and night out is a huge luxury. This is especially true given his up-tempo style and the unpredictability of this season. Even if Quinerly returns this weekend, the Tide are not done facing challenges in the injury department. Yale transfer Jordan Bruner will miss the coming month with a meniscus injury and Herb Jones is day-to-day. The two seniors have started every game to date for Alabama.
The hope is that Jones will only miss a game or two, but replacing Bruner will be a tough task. This is where fellow upperclassmen Alex Reese and James Rojas will be asked to step up their games. Reese has struggled with his shot over the past couple of years, but stretches the floor regardless. Given Alabama’s fast pace, it could sacrifice some height (and already does) in small-ball lineups for periods as well. Dealing with injuries is difficult, but the Tide are more equipped than most.
Who are the key names to know?
Of course, having depth is only valuable if the leaders are talented enough to dominate. And while Coach Oats is only in his second year at the helm, Alabama has plenty of star power. Five of the Tide’s top seven scorers were RSCI Top 100 players out of high school. The two who weren’t are Bruner (7.8 pts, 5.4 rebs) and Herb Jones (12.5 pts, 6.1 rebs) — two collegiate vets who know what it takes to win.
Alabama’s leading scorer this year has been Jaden Shackelford, a second-year guard maintaining a strong start to his career. While his efficiency has dipped a bit compared to last year, he is still averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He has both increased his assists (third on the team with 1.9 per game) and decreased his turnovers as well.
Senior John Petty joins Shackelford in the starting lineup. A do-it-all 6-5 combo wing, Petty is averaging 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game so far this season. He has averaged double-figure scoring in each of his four years with the Crimson Tide as a veteran holdover from the prior coaching staff. Petty is one of the crucial anchors to this team as an on-the-court leader.
When healthy, the aforementioned Quinerly can be a dynamite player both in the starting lineup or off the bench. The former Top 50 recruit leads the team in assists per game and is coming into his own during his first season of eligibility in Tuscaloosa. Add in fellow underclassman Joshua Primo and the frontcourt reserves and it is easy to be high on this team.
Shackelford, Jones and Petty are the leaders. The rest are supporting cast members who would star on most teams in America. With a quality coach that preaches his scheme leading the way, Alabama has what it takes to be excellent.
Hot streak … or sustainable tide-turning?
This is the big question that Alabama needs to answer over the next two months. It is obvious that the Crimson Tide are playing better than just about anyone in the nation right now. In terms of efficiency margin, they rank sixth nationally since Dec. 22 (min. three games). This streak coincides with the loss of Quinerly for the past three contests. But is this stretch just a “hot streak” or a true turning of the tides that qualifies Alabama as a dark horse for a monster March run?
While it’s extremely unlikely that the Crimson Tide will roll through SEC play undefeated, they are ready to be a Top 25 team for the rest of the season. Put simply, Alabama checks almost all of the boxes: They are deep, well-coached, assert a difficult style for opponents to handle, and can beat teams in many ways. This has all been evident as they have also found their stroke from distance.
Since the beginning of conference play (five games), Alabama is shooting 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. Most importantly, this is a team that has perimeter contributions from all five positions. One would be hard-pressed to find many teams with better floor spacing: Seven different Crimson Tide players have made at least 10 3-pointers this season. Their offensive diversity makes them hard to stop and this group is even better on the other end.
Alabama will struggle on the defensive glass and commit a fair number of fouls, but those are its only main weakness on that end of the floor. The Tide limit ball movement extremely well — ‘Bama opponents assist on just 44.2% of made field goals — and force difficult shots (opp. eFG% of 41.3% in conf. play). Those are the two most important areas to monitor defensively and succeeding in both is a recipe for success.
Even in a down year by Kentucky, other SEC squads have stepped up. Not only is Tennessee a Top 10 team but Alabama is making its case to join them. The Crimson Tide are showing why they might be worth penciling deep into your March bracket.
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