re: Tide Hoops | Please Anchor

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Jones leads the team in total rebounds (165), steals (46), assists (85) and blocks (27.) His 46 steals leads the SEC. He also leads the team in deflections (92) and floor dives (18.)

Jones is most often the recipient of coach Nate Oats's "Hard Hat" awards for his gritty and determined play. He's earned the award 14 times this season in 27 games. The next closest player earned three. The Hard Hat award is given on a Blue Collar Points system calculated by a player's ability to cause deflections, steals, blocks, rebounds, floor dives and charges during individual games. Jones earned a team-leading 541.5 Blue Collar Points, 164 points higher than the next closest player.

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Nate Oats explains technical, which once again sparked Alabama

Alabama head coach Nate Oats earned his first technical of the 2020-21 season at the 17:25 mark of Tuesday night’s non-conference game against South Alabama.

After the 73-68 win, Oats explained his frustration with the Game 3 officiating crew.

“I thought the kid traveled,” Oats said. “It looked like he dragged his foot about two feet, to me. By technicality, I was on the floor. You’re not supposed to step on the floor to discuss that with them, so it was probably the correct T. Hopefully, every coach that argues a call that steps on the floor against us has the same T called for the rest of the year.”

Jaguars guard Charles Manning Jr. made one of his two free-throw attempts after the technical foul, which tied the game at 35-35. From there, South Alabama maintained a lead over the next six-plus minutes before a 14-2 Alabama run turned things around for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama took a 59-51 lead into the penultimate media timeout and held off the Jaguars’ comeback attempt to claim its third straight win to open the season. Despite the sloppy outing from the Tide, the run in the second half shortly after the technical fueled the victory.

“We got some stops. That helps,” Oats said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit. We didn’t turn the ball over. We got some offensive rebounds.

“… I thought our energy was pretty good then. When our energy’s high – we did have a couple steals in there that got us going in transition. We need to get stops and get out in transition to kind of break some games open, and when you’re not getting those turnovers and stops and rebounds and push-outs, our offense struggled tonight.”

Alabama, ranked 14th in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll, was led by guards Jaden Shackelford and Keon Ellis. Both players scored 18 points apiece, while Shackelford pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds to record the second double-double of his career. The junior guard also provided the best quote, which centered around Oats’ technical, during postgame interviews.

“I don’t think we’ve lost since he’s got a tech since he’s been here, so I feel like that’s a good stat,” Shackelford told reporters. “He’s into the game. He’s very passionate about the game. Obviously, we don’t want techs, we don’t wanna give the other team free points, but it just fires us up more to double down and get stops and win the game.”

Added Oats, “I think that’s true. It’s never been on purpose, but it’s true. So I guess if we’re in trouble, I can go ahead and get a T on purpose from now on.”

Alabama will close out a four-game homestand to open the season on Friday, Nov. 19, when it hosts Oakland at Coleman Coliseum. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

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