Full-Court Press: Takeaways from Alabama Basketball at Arkansas
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On Wednesday night, the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide went on the road and made a statement against the No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks, winning 84-69 and moving to 4-0 in SEC play.
There was a lot to discuss regarding the game, so here are some of my biggest takeaways:
1. Another road game, another win.
One of the most impressive things about this Alabama team has been its resiliency to pull out difficult road wins multiple times this season.
The Crimson Tide currently sits at 4-0 on the season in road games, with wins over South Alabama, Houston, Mississippi State and now Arkansas. The crowds in Houston, Starkville, and Fayetteville were particularly hostile, all securing sellout crowds.
An undefeated record on the road at this point in the season is extremely impressive, especially considering how difficult it is to win on the road in SEC play. Bud Walton Arena has specifically been a more challenging venue for Alabama in recent years, with Wednesday's victory being Alabama's first in that building since 2012.
Time and time again this season, Alabama's young team has shown it doesn't feel the pressure of road environments like most other teams do. In the second half, the Crimson Tide led by double digits, but Arkansas cut the lead down to just two points with five minutes to play.
Alabama's squad of freshmen and newcomers didn't let the raucous crowd of over 19,000 have any effect on them. Instead, they rose to the occasion and executed at a higher level than ever when the game got close. Anytime Arkansas threatened and the crowd got back into it, Alabama responded.
That shows maturity beyond these players' years.
2. Brandon Miller knows how to emerge when the time is right.
Brandon Miller typically doesn't start out games pulling the trigger on offense, and Wednesday was no different.
Being defended by Arkansas' lanky Devo Davis, Miller struggled in the first half and couldn't even get a shot off due to Davis' tight face guarding of Miller for the entirety of the half.
Once the second half started, though, Miller started to find his groove. Head coach Nate Oats began running sets for Miller to get him going downhill towards the rim with his dominant right hand, which earned him a few valuable trips to the foul line.
Late in the game, with Alabama leading by five, Miller stepped up to nail back-to-back threes on back-to-back possessions to extend the lead to double digits and essentially seal the game for Alabama. They were his only two 3-point attempts of the game.
Miller's shotmaking ability makes him a threat anywhere on the court, and any inch of space given to him can open the floodgates of one of the best shooters in college basketball getting hot and icing any game against any team. He also has shown to not let slow starts affect him late in games, honing in on a true killer instinct.
3. Mark Sears is emerging as an All-SEC-level player.
Mark Sears was incredible against Arkansas, scoring 26 points on 7-for-16 shooting from the field.
Sears has upped his game in the past week and topped one of his best performances of the year against Kentucky with a blistering effort on the offensive end against the Razorbacks. Sears was able to get whatever he wanted all night, whether that be driving in the lane for tough finishes, getting to the free throw line or pulling transition 3-pointers from 30 feet out.
Sears has now cracked the top-10 in the SEC in scoring at 15.4 points per game, and has demonstrated an excellent ability to rebound as a smaller guard as well as distribute the ball effectively.
The SEC is full of talent, but it's hard to think of many guards playing better than Sears in the league right now.
4. Alabama's defense is playing at one of the highest levels in the nation.
Last year, Alabama's problem was on the defensive end of the floor after having to replace all-world defender Herb Jones as well as other key defensive contributors such as John Petty and Jordan Burner.
That team led by Jones and Petty finished the season ranked in the top-3 in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. After the game against Arkansas, this year's group is up to 6th nationally in defensive efficiency.
Sporting a top-10 defense is exactly what Oats wants to do to compliment his fast-paced offensive playstyle, and he's built the perfect roster to do so. Alabama has pesky smaller guards to get in people's faces, length everywhere to disrupt passing lanes and make life difficult when pulling up for jumpers, and rim protectors that keep teams from dominating the lane.
But not only does Alabama have the personnel to execute, it has players that buy into the defensive side of the floor and give 100 percent effort on every play. Oats has built a culture that highlights maximum effort and blue-collar plays, and it's paying off with one of the best defenses in the nation.
After giving up 100 to a scorching Gonzaga offense on Dec. 17, Alabama has yet to allow 70 points in the five games since.
5. A few more things...
- Alabama once again didn't have an overwhelming amount of turnovers, with just 13.
- Alabama missed more free throws than it would have liked to in the first half, but a silver lining is that Sears and Miller combined to go 16-of-17 from the stripe.
- Noah Clowney was excellent on both ends of the floor, shooting the ball well and showing off his versatility finishing at the rim. Fifteen points for the rising NBA Draft prospect.
See Also:
Alabama Basketball Continues To Excel In Tough Games
Nine Points in 49 Seconds: The Stretch That Flattened No. 15 Arkansas
No. 4 Alabama Uses Second Half Run To Pull Away From No. 15 Arkansas
