Bama needs a road win over Ole Miss...

    After the most brutal three-game stretch imaginable, the Tide goes to Oxford to take on the Rebels. It doesn't mean that things get easier for the Crimson and White. It is never easy to secure a road win this the SEC. It isn't like Alabama is starting to peak as the season winds down. To lose to the Kentucky Wildcats, Alabama put up a real stinker on offense. Lost in the horror of that performance was a silver lining, however. The offense collapsed, but the defense was outstanding. You must have done something correctly when you fall to a top-5 team by only 11. I thought the D played some hard-nosed, in-your-face defense. 

     You can fix the poor defense. I'd suspect the Tide guards may have shot a hundred three-point shots in practice. Coach Oats can tell the team to keep shooting and pray they make a few. Some nights to basket looks as tiny as a thimble. Sometimes it seems as big as a bathtub. I'll say this, Alabama is due for some good shooting games. The Tide now plays eight games and has a chance to win six of them. They have Kentucky and LSU on the road. Road games against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss could be wins, if, and this is a big if, Alabama can start shooting better. I think 20 wins before the SEC Tournament is attainable. I'm not predicting that, however. The Tide has some chemistry problems that cannot be cured with the snap of your fingers. 

     Charles Bediako played a great game against Kentucky. He held his own against the best center in the SEC. He has been improving, and now the Tide needs him to finish the year on a high note. If Bediako can become a force inside, the outside shooting will find better opportunities. I'd like to see Keon Ellis get a few more outside attempts. That isn't likely if JD Davison continues to get more minutes at the point. Defenses don't respect his shooting from the perimeter. He is looking better from downtown, however. Davison's attack the paint moves are precisely what Alabama needs now. Oats cannot fix his roster problems. I think he's done an excellent job with what he has on the bench. Next season should be better. 

     I believe Oats is going to be successful. He overscheduled for a team that had to replace five key players, and the Tide has paid for it. He'll learn from that. Five more wins will keep the Tide in the Dance, but six will find a better seeding. When 'Bama shoots the rock, well, they can beat anyone. Considering all the key players who graduated, the Tide's record is not surprising. Every team has a horrible shooting night. Let's move on. 

    Try to remember that Alabama has the nation's strength of schedule ranking.