Tide needs to focus on South Carolina...    

Ellis is making a difference.

      What Alabama needs is a solid game. A game where they start fast, don't turn the ball over and get the outside shooting on the menu. In other words, something to show the basketball world that Alabama isn't going anywhere. The Tide needs to win games until Jordan Bruner comes back to full speed. Then, Alabama can up the ante in their season. I have a lot of faith in Nate Oates. He's a good coach in a tough position. He's lost his center, Herb Jones is hurt, John Petty seems to be in the deep freeze, and Joshua Primo didn't even shoot in the last game.  Alex Reese is up and down, and Jahvon Quinerly, his point guard, has been sick. He's relying on a red-shirt freshman off knee surgery to play the post. James Rojas has been sick and hasn't made progress since his return. All of that and Alabama is ranked in the top-ten in the nation. Shackleford and Ellis are playing like their is on fire. The pair can only do so much. It's not the greatest time to play another road game. You have to drag Alabama to the graveyard to beat them, however. No quit in this bunch. 

     Nate Oats has been dealt a weak hand the last few games. He has done the best under the circumstances.  This man can coach. The question on the table is, can Oats keep doing this until Bruner and Jones are 100% ? He can. Tuesday night will tell us a lot about Alabama basketball.  South Carolina is not a good team. What they are is a hard-nosed bunch coached by Frank Martin. He teaches fundamentals and a boxer-like attitude. You might beat Carolina, but you'll be sore in the morning. State beat Carolina, and the Gamecocks will not want to lose two in a row at home. They won't go quietly into the night. Tuesday night will be a fight. 

      The Tide is playing outstanding defense. It has let them win some close games. They cannot afford another start like in Missouri. Let's hope that Oats gets the same effort his team showed in the second half of the Missouri game. Alabama showed everyone what they can do with a late 21-2 run last  Saturday. Bama did that with the same players that appeared stunned by what Missouri  This team has shown resiliency over the season. Has Alabama learned a lesson?

Road games require certain things to win -

1. Home teams usually start quick. 'Bama must withstand that.

2. Keep your key players out of foul trouble. 

3. You must make your free throw. 

4. Try to minimize your turnovers/unforced errors.

5. Take only good shots. Don't force anything.

6. Talk to each other on defense.  

7. Play your assigned role.

8. Rebound and don't give Carolina second chances 

9. Give yourself second chances by getting some rebounds.

10. Don't play one on one basketball while on offense. Reverse the floor.

     The Tide's NET is great. Bama's remaining schedule has teams in the bottom half of the SEC standings. A loss would hurt their NET numbers. KenPom now has us as the 7th ranked team. The defense is the 2nd ranked team. A loss will hurt those numbers due to the low ranking of 'Bama's opponents.   Bama is going to be an 8 point or so favorite. 

     An interesting fact - of the top-ten teams in the kenpom ratings, 9 of them are the top offenses. Only one isn't - Alabama. It raises the question - does defense actually win basketball games.

 UPDATE:  Nate Oats said the Herb Jones is not practicing. He is in South Carolina with the team. He has been having individual workouts (in the pool) with team trainers. They report that he is responding. Here's what Oates said:

Oats said that he and his staff have considered resting him for a game in order for him to heal up.

    "We've talked about if it he doesn't heal up here quickly and makes significant progress sitting him for a game just to see if we can't rest it," Oats said. "We've had that discussion for a week and a half now or so. It just keeps getting better, he keeps feeling like he wants to play and it's hard to tell the kid he's not going to play when the injury is definitely getting better and there's no guarantee that it will get better sitting. It's just that you avoid getting hit if he doesn't play. 

     "We're going to reevaluate that all in the morning."

     After speaking to someone who knows what is going on, I feel like Oats would rather sit him down for the game. Final decision will be left up to Herb. Should Bama build a lead, my opinion is that Oates will sit him as much as possible. Coach Oates might try to split the on this one.

    Can Bama beat SCarolina without Jones. They can, but the shooters need to step up.