re: UA Basketball (16-15, 8-10)

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Notes and quotes

— Following Alabama’s double-overtime loss to Florida, head coach Nate Oats revealed that forward Alex Reese was throwing up at halftime. The junior was back on the practice court Tuesday and appears ready for Wednesday’s game against Mississippi State.

“It was kind of a one-day deal I guess,” Oats said following Tuesday’s practice. “We can’t catch a break. I mean, Beetle (James Bolden) had a one-day deal where he had to get IVs before our last home game. You know, Reese has a one-day deal. He came back in, got treatment, felt a lot better on Sunday. We fought through some adversity. Hopefully, it’s making us a lot tougher.”

— One positive from the SEC-opening loss to Florida came in the return of Alabama play-by-play radio broadcaster Chris Stewart who had been absent from behind the mic since last May while dealing with health problems following a heart-bypass surgery.

“Shoot, we gave him a full 50 minutes, he had to go overtime and then again," Oats said. "I can’t listen to it while I’m coaching the game, but apparently he did great, so it’s great to see him. I remember seeing him in the hospital bed. Shoot, he didn’t look great when we went to see him in the hospital when we were up at SEC Media Days. He told me it was his goal to get back for the first SEC game. He did it. So, I think we gave him something to push for. He made it.”

— Mississippi State forward Reggie Perry and Alabama guard Kira Lewis Jr. were teammates on the USA Men’s Basketball Under 19 World Cup team that claimed the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup this past summer.

— Perry, a preseason All-SEC first-teamer, is the only player in the conference who averages a double-double at 15.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward leads the league in both rebounds and offensive rebounds per game (3.5) and ranks 10th in scoring average.

— After missing the first 10 games of the season while serving out a suspension, Mississippi State guard Nick Weatherspoon is back in action. The junior has played in each of the Bulldogs past three games and is averaging 12 points, two rebounds and two assists over that span.

“You’ve got to kind of throw out what they did before him because they are a completely different team with him,” Oats said. “He gives them an experienced point guard, can play with a lot different pace. He’s attacking coming downhill… They’re much better with him.”

— Tuesday, the role of replicating Weatherspoon fell to Jahvon Quinerly as the Villanova transfer played point guard on Alabama’s scout team. The media was given an extended look at Alabama’s practice and got to see the former five-star recruit put on a show while going up against his Crimson Tide teammates. Quinerly was denied a hardship waiver by the NCAA earlier this season and will have to sit out this year before being able to play for Alabama next season.

“Shoot, there’s days where he’s the best player in practice,” Oats said. “Even when he’s not the best player in practice, he’s right up there every day, gives you a great look… He’s playing great, bodes well for us next year. Disappointed he's not out there with us this year. We'd have quite a few more wins, I think.”

— Alabama guard John Petty Jr. needs only five 3s to become the fifth Crimson Tide player to make at least 200 career 3s.

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ANALYSIS:
Miss. State has a fairly solid squad that likely falls within the top quartile of all teams in college basketball this year. Their record this season is 9-4, and the club is ranked 36th overall (out of 353) in Haslametrics' most recent ratings.

The primary strength for Miss. State this year is offense. The team is ranked 32nd in efficiency on that end of the floor, and they'll rack up more than 108 points for every 100 possessions vs. AO. Miss. State appears to be one of the top-notch offensive rebounding teams you will find this year. Against AO, the squad has a rating of 22.52 in potential points scored off of second chances (ranked fifth in the NCAA), and they convert 8.9% of their second-chance opportunities (ranked sixth) as well. Miss. State is also one of the nation's most effective teams finishing close to the iron. The team is ranked 18th in the country in near-proximity field goal percentage, making approximately 67.8% of their attempts from up-close vs. AO. The squad likewise lands in the top-50 in overall offensive field goal percentage and makes good on about 46.3% of their total attempts vs. AO. Miss. State lastly does a super job in their efforts to get to the free throw line. With a free throw attempt rate of 31.63 vs. AO, they are ranked 20th in the nation at getting to the charity stripe, where the team shoots a rather mediocre 71.2%.

Miss. State plays at roughly the same level defensively as they do offensively. The team ranks 70th nationally in defensive efficiency, allowing about 91 points every 100 trips upcourt vs. AO. Miss. State has been able to successfully prevent opponents from making shots between the three-point stripe and the low post. They're ranked 50th in Division I in defensive mid-range field goal percentage, allowing AO to make good on only 31.3% of their attempts from that distance. Miss. State has also had some success this season preventing opponents from converting many of their overall field goal attempts. The team ranks #66 nationally in field goal percentage allowed, as AO only makes good on about 40.0% of their total attempts from the floor.

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