Bama's comeback falls just short...

Alabama loses 69-65 to Mizzou.

   

comp: Missouri Athletic Dept

   Alabama's comeback was there for the taking. Herb Jones missed a layup and then another. We all know that Herb got fouled on the second, but you don't get calls on the road when a game is on the line. Let's be clear, Herb did not lose the game for Bama.  This game was lost by dozens of mistakes from the opening tip-off. It doesn't matter when you make a mistake; in the end, they are all the same. Yesterday, Missouri made a statement about being the best team in the SEC. They took it to the Tide. Still, Alabama made a gallant effort to even have a chance to win the game.

        It speaks volumes about the character of the team and the coaching staff.  The Tide was down by 22. You don't win many games when you are down by 22 points.  You know what killed the Tide?  They were sloppy, and they were not ready to play. Alabama got a wake-up call from Counzo Martin and the Missouri Tigers.  If the Tide wants to win the SEC, they better be ready to play every game on the schedule.

         Nate Oats was concerned about all the publicity his team was getting.  He needs to pump up the volume. He needs Bruner back in the lineup. He needs Herb back at 100%,  Petty and Primo have all but disappeared from the scoring column.  A pat on the back to Keon Ellis. He played hard and was a joy to watch. Perhaps his teammates need to take notice.  The kid wants to be a player. 

     So, the Tide falls to 10-1 in the SEC and now gets ready to play South Carolina on the road. Frank Martin and the Gamecocks don't play soft. They play a mean and aggressive brand of basketball. So did Missouri. If Alabama isn't ready to play, they will lose. I was worried about the Missouri game and am worried about South Carolina. Physically tough teams give Alabama trouble. Let's hope the Tide learned something on Saturday. A loss may better serve Alabama than a come from behind win. Now that all the glitz of being a  projected # 1 seed is over, perhaps Alabama can return to being a better basketball team.  This loss won't kill the Tide. Nate Oates is aware of what his players need to do. 

      Mississippi State beat South Carolina 75-59.  D.J. Stewart wrung the neck of the Gamecocks with 29 big points.  Alabama needs similar efforts from Petty and Shackleford on Tuesday night.  The tide guards need to make some threes. Oats needs to find a way to help the Tide get back into their offense.

      It didn't break my basketball heart to see Ole Miss beat Auburn in a double OT game 86-84. Romello White had 30 pts. He's a big man who could give Alabama a headache. Devontae Shuler, the point guard, hit the winner with .02 seconds left on the clock in the 2nd OT. Shuler had 26. Auburn has dropped to 10-10 for the season and 4-7 in the SEC. Shariff Cooper, who has won every television commentator's praises, has not made Auburn a winning team. 

     Alabama can learn a lot about game preparation in the loss to Mizzou. All the remaining games the Tide plays are winnable, but not with the bombastic attitude the Tide took in that game.

TIDES NUMBERS ARE STILL FINE - 

NET - 9th

RPI - 6th

SOS - 10th

KenPom - 7th

AN INTERESTING FACT:  Of the top 100 teams in the NCAA, guess which team has played teams with the most wins?   ALABAMA opponents have won 197 games.

PREDICTION - I Believe Alabama will finish the regular season at 21-6 or hopefully 22-5. This doesn't count the SEC Tournament. If 'Bama finishes 22-5, the Tide can be a 1-seed. 21-6 will be a 2-seed.  If the Tide wins the SEC Tournament, we should be a 1-seed. 

Tip of the hat - Quinerly played well.

  

Alabama vs. Missouri in the national headliner game...          

(Columbia, Mo.)      Alabama tips-off in a game of national prominence. It's been a long time since the Crimson Tide played in a game that important. Alabama is 7th in the Coaches' Poll, and Missouri is 17th. The game-time is 11:00 CST. ESPN will broadcast the game. Karl Raviech and Jimmy Dykes will do the play by play and color commentary. KenPom and WarrenNolan both have Alabama as a two-point favorite. It's an opportunity for Missouri to pull off an upset to keep some hope of winning the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide can go 12-0 in the and all but lock up the Conference crown. It will also keep the Tide ascending up the NCAA NET calculations for a better seed on Selection Sunday.   

     Alabama is still without Jordan Bruner. Oats said he will be sidelined for the next four games. Alabama has plugged in Alex Reese, who has played the best basketball of his career at 'Bama with Bruner's absence. Juwan Gary has quietly gotten more minutes and has responded. He can score, rebound, and play defense against much taller opponents. He shut down Trendon Watford in the last game.  James Rojas is slowly regaining his legs after being ill. The three of them will need to slow down big man Jeremiah Tilman, 6-10, who is averaging 13.5 ppg and 8 boards. Tilman averages 65% from the floor. The other Missouri inside player is Kobe Brown, 6-7 power forward, is averaging 6.2 ppg and almost 6 boards per game. Alabama needs to win the battle of the board to allow them to run. If the Tide can control the defensive glass, they can dictate the speed of the game. Bama wants to run and gun. I've seen Missouri play that style in a couple of games, but they struggled on defense. The Tigers only play seven in their rotation. If Bama could get Tilman or Brown in foul trouble, it increases their chances of winning. Reese needs to make a couple of three-pointers to draw Tilman always from the boards.  If Bama comes up big on the offensive glass, you'll see Nate Oats smile. 

     Yesterday, I set out ten things Bama needs to win, and I'll stick by them. Oats wants to see the outside shooting get back on track. If Jahvon Quinerly can dribble and dish, it will happen. If Bama reverses the ball, takes the extra pass, they'll get some good outside shots. Missouri will try to cheat on the outside. Alabam can unleash Shackleford to shake things up. I think we'll see Petty, Shackleford, Primo, and Reese get some chances to make the triples. If Quinerly keeps up the good play, it will help.

    I have to admit to having trepidation over this game. I'm still picking the Tide by a deuce.

    

Tide travels to Missouri for a key game...

Lunardi has Alabama one-seed.   

      Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi has moved Alabama up to a number one seed after Houston and Villanova went down in defeat. What a compliment for Alabama basketball fans. I think Nick Saban would call it rat-poison, and it could be just that. I think I'll enjoy it until Saturday at 11:00 CST time. That is when Alabama and Missouri tip it off in Columbia, Mo. 

       Basketball is a tournament sport. That's what makes it so dynamic. It's a kind of Cinderella meets Godzilla on the hardwood. The NCAA tournament is where dreams are made or broken.  We should be thankful that the NCAA gave college basketball fans a system that gives us insight into how the Selection Committee might seed teams. Let's soak that up, but keep an eye on the ball. The only thing that matters to any team is to keep winning. If your team keeps winning, good things will happen. That's what Alabama did against LSU. That's what Missouri did as well. These two teams have excelled this season because they have worked hard and keep on winning.

        Alabama players deserve some respect for what they have accomplished this season. Nate Oates will be happy for his team and proud of reaching such a plateau in year two of his tenure. He's a smart man, and I bet he'll tell you that it doesn't matter one bit right now. His quote?  "To dwell on it probably distracting." 

Does Bama have some matchup problems with Missouri?

    Alabama could be a slight underdog this weekend in Columbia. For the record, Alabama is 11-0 in the SEC. Missouri is the second-place team in the conference at 5-3. The Tigers are ranked 17th in the Coaches poll, while Bama comes in at 7th. That's a three-game lead.  Should 'Bama beat Mizzou, that would be a four-game lead. The Tigers have played three fewer games than the Tide. I'm not sure the SEC has plans to have make-up games at this time. A win over Missouri might make that a moot point. 

 

Gary needs to have another big game...

       Kenpom has Bama a 2 point favorite today. That sounds about right.  The Tigers are 7-1 at home, but the Tide is 4-1 on the road. All indications are for a hard-fought game. This is a game 'Bama might lose.  The Tigers are coming off a win over Kentucky. This was a game that Kentucky might have won. Senior leadership won the game down the stretch for the Tigers. The Tigers will start with three or four seniors. Jerimiah Tillman, 6-11 senior, is averaging 12.0 ppg and 8 rebounds. He weighs in at 260 lbs. He is the chairman of boards. He can cause Alabama trouble. Xavier Pinson, 6-3 junior, is the point guard and leading scorer for the Tiger. He checks in at 15.1 ppg and 3 assists and makes 41% of his threes. He is the straw that stirs the drink for Mizzou. Dru Smith, 6-3, senior, is averaging 14 ppg and 3 assists.  The Tigers have some size inside and some great guard play. These upperclassmen are rock steady. Missouri won't make a lot of unforced errors. Missouri's rotation is usually seven players. 

 

Is Jones well?

        For the Tide, Herb Jones seems to be recovering. He sat to most of the second half of the LSU game due to foul trouble, and perhaps the extra rest will help him. Oats rested him yesterday. Alex Reese needs a big game. Reese needs to hit the boards, use his outside shooting to draw Tillman out of the lane. We can expect Juwan Gary to get some significant minutes.  

     Offensively, Alabama is going to need some outside shooting in this game. Missouri rebounds well, and Petty and Primo need to hit a few from downtown. Quinerly must use his ball-handling skills to get into the lane. He'll have a chance to make some three-pointers.  Herb Jones is made for this type of game. If Jones can establish himself on offense 'Bama can win. Jones is always a force on defense. Alabama must pick up the pace in this game. I think Missouri will try to do the same. They have speed and quickness at the guards and may try to play Alabama straight up. That won't work. They will then move on to plan B. They will try to do what everyone has done to the Tide lately. 

WHAT 'BAMA NEEDS TO WIN:

1. Petty, Primo, and company need some threes. 40% would be nice.

2. Quinerly or Jones needs to dribble and drive to the basket and score.

3. Bama's defense needs to keep it up.

4. Alabama needs to win the boards and get a lot of second-chances.

5. Reese, Gary, and Rojas need big games.

6. Primo needs to get involved. 

7. Ellis will get more time, and he needs to score and play heavy D.

8. Herb needs to be able to penetrate, rebound, and play his usual game.

9. Keep the turnovers down to around 10, and cause 15.

10.Make 75+% of the free throws. 

      An interesting stat from Teamrankings.com - Alabama has a stronger chance of winning on the road as opposed to being at home. (any road game)

     I feel uneasy about the game, but I'm picking Bama to win by 2. 

MY FRIEND HARVEY SAID - "We are so far ahead in the SEC, I don't know who to pull for except Bama.  Oh yeah, and whoever plays Auburn." 

     

         

 TIDE BEATS THE BAYOU BENGALS IN 2.0...   

     After losing to Oklahoma last week, Tide fans were concerned. Would that loss be the start of a string of Alabama losses?  Instead, Alabama blasted the LSU Tigers 78-60. After taking a 36-30, the Crimson Tide opened it up in the second half to once again whip the Tigers. It wasn't the downtown daggers that beat LSU in game two. It was dominating the lane on both offense and defense. For the Tigers, it was understanding the Tide's defense would wear them down and keep the SEC's highest-scoring offense to only 60 points for the night was on the menu.

       In the first ten minutes of the second half, the Tide shut the Tigers down. I'm sure a few hearts skipped a beat when Herb Jones when Jones picked up his fourth foul. None of those hearts belonged to his teammates. Alabama started to build a lead that LSU couldn't overcome. Juwan Gary had 12 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. He was a big reason why the Tide beat the Tigers. Jones picked up 8 rebounds in only 16 minutes of play. The Tiger killer inside was Alex Reese. Reese had 13 points.  He also pulled down four boards in succession in the second half.  His play in the second half helped establish the Tide dominance inside. Reese had two blocked shots and a steal.

     Alabama's defense won the game. As predicted, LSU shut down the Tide's outside shooting and took their chances in the lane.  They lost their bet as Jaden Shackelford exposed the Tigers' inability to defend the lane. Shackleford was a highlight reel. Petty didn't have a big night from the outside, but his defense played a big part in the win. His 5 assists were big when 'Bama ran away in the second half. Alabama outscored the Tigers 52-26 in the lane. Keon Ellis had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal.  Ellis is going to make Alabama a better team.  His speed, length, and tenacity are right out of the Nate Oats hard-hat philosophy. 

     Alabama won the war of the boards 51-35. That rebounding led to 17 second-half points. LSU had only 4. After a poor performance on the inside against Oklahoma, the Tide roared back to dominate the interior. 24 of Bama's first-half points came from the inside. Here's something that Tide fans should remember. When Herb Jones went to the pine after his fourth foul, Alabama went on an 18-4 run. With Reese, Ellis, and Gary having big games, it bodes well for 'Bama. Shackleford's big game was enjoyable to watch. 

       Tides' biggest lead was 54-34. The only reason the final margin was less than that was walkons got some time on the floor. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and Oats was coaching them up when the game was over. Darius Miles was the recipient of the coaching. He was listening. I'm sure Oats has some analytics on late-game coaching. Jahvon Quinerly was back with 10 points. He made 2 three-pointers. His pass to Gary inside was spectacular. 

    Bama is now a one-seed per Lunardi, but let's not take it seriously. 

Penpom.com has listed Alabama as the 3rd best adjusted D.

     Alabama now moves on to Missouri on Saturday.

Alabama ready to start the second half of the SEC schedule...

 

Ellis will get more playing time.

    Will Wade's LSU Tigers are teeing off tonight with Alabama to salvage their basketball season. Wade has seen his players get blown off the floor by the Tide, and he has seen the Tigers choke in the final minute to give up a seven-point lead to Texas Tech and lose. What do the two games have in common? LSU played bad defense in both. I'd be surprised if LSU allowed the Tide to shoot threes like before. The Tigers are going to give a lot more attention to the perimeter. That means that Jones and Qiunerly need to make the Tigers pay for giving up the lane. It also means  LSU is going to give up some lay-ups. You better believe that LSU will be ready for game two. 

     

Bama needs a healthy Jones. 

     The question for Alabama remains the health of Herb Jones. Two days ago, Nate Oats reported that Jones was hurt, but he would play. I haven't seen anything that would indicate h3 wouldn't. I also haven't seen anything that says he is better. In the Oklahoma game, he was clearly limited. Whether or not he is closer to full speed remains to be seen. James Rojas has been limited as well. If Jones can't go, it means that Jahvon Quinerly will need to play. In the last game, he just couldn't play his dribble and drive game. If push comes to shove, Shackleford and Primo can play the point.  Bama doesn't want either of them to be forced into that role because it limits their shooting. 

   

Reese needs a good game.

      A lot of pressure will be on John Petty, Jr. He needs to step it up tonight. When Bama can play Petty, Shackleford, and Primo on the outside, it means Alabama can't be double-teamed. Alex Reese needs to continue to shoot well from the outside and look for those chances to take his defender to the rack. Alabama needs to hit the boards.  Better rebounding can win the game for Alabama. Reese needs to get some boards tonight.

     I think LSU is going to challenge the outside shooting tonight.  They are going to risk giving up the lane to try to cut down on the threes. That's why Jones and Quinerly need to play.  If either can deliver the dribble drain, it means the Tigers will have to offer some help off the perimeter. If Darius Days cannot play, it might give Alabama some help off the glass. Alabama needs to get some second-chance baskets and control the defensive boards. If the numbers show that the Tide is at least breaking even, it will be big. Keep in mind that LSU was having their own problems under the boards. They've now lost their top rebounder. Days will take 12 ppg and 8 rebounds to the pine tonight.

  KEYS TO VICTORY:

1.  The Tide needs to speed up their game 

2.  Alabama needs to rebound better on both ends of the floor.

3.  John Petty, Jr. needs to shoot up to his potential

4.  Josh Primo needs to step up tonight

5. Jones, Quineraly, and Rojas need to play up to previous games (if possible)

6. Keon Ellis needs to come off the bench to play defense and rebound. 

    He can let it go from the outside.

6. Alex Reese needs to shot well and board up well.

7  Juwan Gary needs to give some quality minutes inside.

8. Keon Ambrose-Hylton needs to be a warrior inside.

      Alabama opens as an 8.5 point favorite, which surprised me. I wonder if that means that Jones, Rojas, and Quinerly are better. Look for Keon Ellis to play more minutes. Juwan Gary will get his chance inside tonight.

       LSU SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO ALLOW WADE TO CONTINUE COACHING. HE IS AN ADMITTED CHEATER. I NORMALLY WOULD NOT DISCUSS THIS BUT THE NCAA SHOULD BE EQUALLY EMBARRASSED TO ALLOW LSU TO PLAY WITHOUT SUFFERING PENALTIES. 

 Updates as needed.

    

Alabama starts the second half of SEC with LSU at home...

   

Shackleford 

     On Wednesday night, the Crimson Tide will play the LSU Tigers. For Alabama, it is a chance to extend their SEC lead. For LSU, it is something entirely different. The Tigers are now unranked in the AP Poll, and most bracket experts (if there is such a thing) have them a 10th or 11th seed. Alabama held steady as projected 2nd seed with Joe Lunardi but is three-seed with Jerry Palm on cbssports.com.   Alabama would love to win the remainder of their SEC games.  Getting players healthy is paramount for the Tide to continue their SEC win streak. Herb Jones at 100% will help Bama win out. It is hard to go undefeated for 18 games. We all need to remember that. A 'Bama win would put LSU four games behind in the loss column. Will Alabama be ready for a revenge game.

        One problem is Bruner's injury. In my opinion, Reese can fill the Bruner gap if he plays as well as he did against Oklahoma. Reese has improved this season. His hip surgery has given him more mobility and improved his jumping ability. If you noticed, Reese has been able to penetrate and dunk. He has also had some tremendous blocked shots. Alabama is losing paint wars. Jones's hip and back problems have limited his board work. The return of James Rojas would be huge for Alabama. Rojas hasn't been able to play up to his potential since being ill. Jahvon Quinerly has been sick as well. When he plays well,  he provides lane work and outside shooting. 

     LSU is coming into this game with its own set of problems. Darius Days have ankle problems. How Wade plans to adjust his starting lineup and rotation remains to be seen.  I have to wonder how the injury coupled with the collapse against Texas Tech will affect the Tigers. Adversity has a way of defining focus sometimes.  I'm betting the last minute of the T Tech game will have the Tigers breathing fire. I'm looking for the Tide to be a 5 point favorite. 

Tide has an RPI of 7 and a NET of 10. Great numbers heading into the second half of SEC

     

      

       

       

'Bama faces a huge week on the hardwood

The Tide drops one spot to 10th in the AP Poll

Alabama moves up to 7th in the Coaches Poll...

 

   After a close loss to Oklahoma, the Crimson and White fell to 10th in the AP Poll. That one place small drop means voters think Nate Oats has put an excellent basketball team on the floor. The polls are always fun to view, but the big news now is Alabama playing LSU and Missouri this week. Two wins and would make the Tide's three-game lead in the SEC look even bigger. Before the Kentucky game, I thought Alabama might win three of the four games. Now, the Tide finds itself with Herb Jones injured, Rojas/Quinerly recovering from illness, and these next two games looking tough. Missouri on the road will be a hard game. Coach Martin has put together a fundamentally sound team that can score a lot of points. 

     It's more than injury and illness for the Tide. John Petty is in a shooting slump. In games the Tide wins in blowout style, Petty was deadly. In the last couple of games, not so much.  The loss to Oklahoma was an example. It's simple. When Petty shots well, the Tide's chances to win go up. One reason the outside shooting has suffered is the inability to drive and dish. It seems defenses have decided to take their chances with one on one in the lane and have started cheating outside on the perimeter.  Shooting is contagious. When Petty shoots well, the entire team shoots. It seems like the opposite is true, though. If you want to understand the mentality of a shooter, look at Shackleford. I bet he thinks the next one is going in. A shooter has to shoot. That's what Petty has to do. Just keep shooting.

     I have wondered why Alabama doesn't put Herb Jones around the elbow and let him use his passing skills to find an outside shooter. He could also drive to the basketball. (Please note, I'm not the coach)  The extra day of practice might give Oates time to fine-tune the offense. It will also give Jones, Quinerly, and Rojas time to recover. In my opinion, as soon as we get our players back on the floor, we will be fine. Apparently, Nate Oats is sticking to the "two more weeks" for Jordan Bruner. I had hoped it would be sooner.  Quinerly's play needs to improve. First, he can drive and dish.  He is also a better than average outside shooter. The key to Alabama is shooting well. I'm not worried about the defense. KenPom.com has the Tide as the 7th best defensive team in the NCAA. The offense has fallen off some and now is 21st. The defense has been the surprise of the year to me.  

      Let's give Alex Reese some credit. He played an outstanding game against Oklahoma. He has 15 points, which was his season-high. One thing he did which was not noted was his finding gaps in the perimeter defense. He is also good at recognizing the down scenes set by other players to give him room to shoot.  If Reese continues to play well, it would be significant.  Keon Ellis is stepping up as well. 

     I spoke with someone close to the program, and Jones is getting treatment for his lower back and hip. I'm betting that Jones is better for the LSU game and will be back to full speed this weekend. Here's one thing to keep in mind. By the time the SEC Tournament is played, we should be healthy and back at full speed. 

     LSU lost forward Darius Days was hurt in the Texas Tech game. The 6-7 245 pounds Tiger will take 12 ppg and 8 boards to the bench with him. I'm not sure what the LSU mental state will be. On top of losing Days, the Tigers blew a 7 point lead in the final minute against Texas Tech.

     Missouri rallied late to beat TCU, and for that effort, they dropped six places in the AP Poll. 

Even though Bama lost they gained one spot to 7th in Coaches Poll...

More on LSU tomorrow. I'll update today as needed.