10 Takeaways From Alabama Basketball's Practice Viewings
Fans and media alike got their first look at the 2022-23 iteration of Alabama men's basketball over the weekend, with reporters invited to view the final minutes of Friday's practice and an open scrimmage was held on Saturday morning.
After the Friday viewing, head coach Nate Oats as a few players spoke to the media prior to the team's European Tour that will take place next week.
Here are 10 things that stood out about the 2022-23 Crimson Tide:
1. Brandon Miller can do a little bit of everything
Freshman forward Brandon Miller was one of the most highly-touted players in the entire 2022 recruiting class, coming in as a 5-star and a consensus top-15 player across all recruiting services.
Those talents were put on full display last weekend, as Miller showcased his potential.
He scored 30 points in the open scrimmage on Saturday, looking unstoppable at times. He pulled deep three-point looks, looked dialed in from mid-range, and played excellent defense, including a highlight reel-worthy chase down block of teammate Darius Miles in transition.
His long frame at 6-foot-9 combined with his guard-like skillset allows him to be extremely versatile, and it is apparent that he already is learning how to excel at the collegiate level.
"He’s a guy that I feel like is gonna be in the NBA for a long time," Oats said on the Crimson Tide Sports Network. "He’s definitely established himself as one of the better players on this team and more talented kids that we’ve had come through this program.”
2. Darius Miles is emerging as a leader
One of the biggest flaws the Crimson Tide had last season was a lack of leadership when adversity hit. This was both apparent on the floor and well-documented by Oats during his press conferences.
So far, it appears that junior forward Darius Miles has stepped up as the vocal leader of this group.
“He’s been the vocal leader so far," Oats said. "Darius is naturally outgoing, talkative, it makes sense that he leads.”
Miles is the longest-tenured player on the current active roster, so it seems natural that he would take on more of a leadership role. If his game has improved as much as his leadership skills, he'll be a major piece that could slide into the starting lineup.
3. Noah Clowney has been a pleasant surprise
Noah Clowney was not the headliner of the 2022 recruiting class by any means. He came in ranked fourth among Alabama recruits, but has made huge strides since his arrival.
During Saturday's scrimmage, Clowney scored 21 points, eight of which came in the first period. Six of those eight came off three-pointers.
His outside shot was not his most-heralded trait coming out of high school, but a 6-foot-9 stretch big that can shoot the three is a welcome sight to Oats and company.
"Clowney's been really good. Like better than what I even thought, more athletic than what I thought," Oats said.
Clowney's athleticism and frame have the potential to make him a standout defensive player as well. Should he continue to trend upwards he could see himself earning valuable minutes as a backup big. Minutes are open in the post behind Charles Bediako and Noah Gurley.
The added depth of Clowney could significantly impact the Crimson Tide, as last season there were may instances of foul trouble from Bediako and Gurley, especially during physical SEC play.
4. Nimari Burnett looks healthy
High-profile guard Nimari Burnett, who transferred to Alabama over a year ago, has yet to play a game for the Crimson Tide after tearing his ACL last September.
Following a year of recovery, Burnett is back to playing full speed again, and is practicing without a brace, in just a leg sleeve, with no noticeable limp.
Burnett scored 21 points in Saturday's scrimmage and showcased the talent that got him selected as a McDonald's All-American in the Class of 2020.
His lanky 6-foot-4 build is the exact kind of frame that Oats loves to have for defensive purposes in order to deflect passes and disrupt the flow of opposing offenses.
Offensively, Burnett looked spry and capable of making tough finishes in transition and knocking down some three-pointers of his own.
“I learned a lot seeing things from a different perspective sitting on the sideline,” Burnett said. “Seeing things to their full perspective, from a coach’s perspective and seeing it for really what it is. I learned a lot about the offense, about the defense, about the coaches’ personalities more than I would have learned had I been on the floor. I learned a lot about the returning players’ personalities and how everything is constructed during the season.
5. Jaden Bradley looks healthy, too
Not much has been said publicly about former 5-star point guard Jaden Bradley's foot injury. All that's known is he had offseason surgery and will be on a minutes restriction in Europe.
Despite that, he played without limitations in both open sessions over the weekend, and looked explosive in both.
His best traits are his passing abilities as defensive instincts, but he also showed off his finishing abilities when put in isolation.
He finished Saturday's scrimmage with 19 points.
Bradley will be a huge part of the backcourt beside Ohio transfer Mark Sears, and figures to earn extra playing time in the wake of Jahvon Quinerly's recovery from knee surgery.
"He’s getting there," Oats said. "He’s got to get into better shape. He was off basketball for four to five months. He’s just got to get back in the flow again, but it’s coming for him."
6. The Crimson Tide has more shooters
Everyone knows Oats loves the three-point shot, and Alabama took tons of them last season. One might even argue too many.
The Crimson Tide ranked in the top-10 in three-point attempts, but was still outside the top-300 in three-point percentage.
On this roster, there looks to be more players who are capable of taking and making three-point looks.
Transfers Mark Sears and Dominick Welch both made over 38 percent of their three-point looks last season. The scrimmages saw both Miller and Burnett appear to be capable shooters from deep. Clowney and Gurley both flashed potential as shooting big men. Then there's Miles, who was a decent shooter last season as well.
Obviously the jury is still out on a lot of these players' in-game performances, as many have yet to play for Alabama. Nevertheless, all indications so far are that the Crimson Tide will rank higher in thee-point percentage in 2022-23.
7. Better team chemistry
In addition to leadership issues, last season's team also had chemistry problems once the chips became stacked against them. So far this offseason, the players have been very complimentary of how well they all get along.
“They all tell me that the chemistry’s great,” Oats said. “The guys who are returning think it’s better than it was last year, and they think everybody’s really in it for the team this year."
Oats even talked about comments that Miller made to him in their own meeting.
"They seem like they hang out more together off the court," Oats said. "Brandon Miller was telling me this is the closest team he’s ever been on, and he’s only been here for two months now, which is great to hear.”
Gurley chimed in about the chemistry as well.
“It doesn’t really feel like a new team,” he said. “I know we’ve only been together a month and some change, but we’re just spending so much time together. Whether it’s in the gym or working out as a group, I’d say the chemistry is going really well so far. Our chemistry is a little better than last year at this point."
8. The in-practice matchups are compelling
There were two player matchups that stood out during both practices: Mark Sears vs. Jaden Bradley and Brandon Miller vs. Darius Miles.
The old phrase "iron sharpens iron," applies greatly here. Sears and Bradley are the primary ball handlers with Quinerly sidelined. The two are very capable playmakers and both have a strong chance to earn the starting point guard spot come November.
Miller and Miles are two forwards with similar size, and Miller's offensive prowess will be helpful for Miles to guard every day in practice, improving his own defensive intensity.
Oats typically divides teams evenly for the highest possible competition each and every practice.
9. Jahvon Quinerly could be back sooner than expected
Guard Jahvon Quinerly's 2021-22 season came to a close a little early when he tore his ACL in the opening minutes of Alabama's loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.
He has since announced his intention to return to the team in 2022-23, and dove into his recovery head first.
Alabama was originally thinking January for Quunerly's return, but the timetable may move up.
“He’s not practicing, but he is doing great,” Oats said. “He’s really focused on his rehab, his nutrition. He’s getting his body back to where it needs to be, his weight training.
"I think Henry [Barrera], our new strength coach has been great. So Jahvon’s been in there. I think he’s right on pace. We were hoping to have him back by SEC play. We may get him back a little bit earlier. It’d be great if we could get him some non-conference games in before we hit SEC play."
10. Minutes will be hard to come by
There is not shortage of talent, but available minutes could become scarce — which is a good problem to have.
Sears and Bradley will compete for point-guard minutes, Burnett, Miller, Miles, and Welch will all compete for wing time, and the majority of post minutes will be taken up by Bediako, Gurley, and now potentially Clowney.
That doesn't even include high 4-star guard Rylan Griffen, or top JUCO prospect Nick Pringle, who also have a chance to compete for rotational spots.
With Quinerly out until mid-December at the minimum, everyone will have tons of opportunities to carve out roles and show what they can do prior to SEC play.
However, once Quinerly returns, he'll command minutes of his own, making playing time even more valuable.
Oats typically runs a nine-man rotation, but with the talent and depth available utilizing a 10th player isn't unreasonable
Alabama will depart for Barcelona, Spain on Friday, and will return to Tuscaloosa from Paris on August 14 after playing three games.
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