Full-Court Press: Takeaways from Alabama Basketball vs Georgia
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The same day Alabama basketball was ranked as the current No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament by the selection committee, the Crimson Tide came out and put on a show for the home crowd.
Alabama smoked Georgia in Coleman Coliseum by nearly 50 points, with the final score being 108-59.
Here are my thoughts on the game:
1. Alabama bounced back in a big way once again.
I wrote more in-depth about this after the game, but for the second time this season, Alabama came off a loss and responded with a massive win.
The loss to Tennessee on Wednesday was a physical one, and a game where Alabama played possibly its worst from an offensive standpoint all season.
It followed that up by scoring 108 points, its highest scoring output of the season.
It was one of those games where from the very beginning you could tell the Crimson Tide was locked in and ready go to. The offensive sets were executed well to get open looks, the defense looked fundamentally sound, and Alabama looked like it wanted to not only win the game, but do it convincingly.
Brandon Miller came out aggressive, something that isn't necessarily normal for the star freshman. He had 18 points in the first half alone, and did so on efficient shooting — he only missed three shots for the entire game.
After the game, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he has a group that "owns what they need to get better at." That statement proved true a few weeks ago after the loss to Oklahoma, and proved true once again on Saturday.
Oats' comments about this team are the reason why they haven't been derailed by any of their four losses this season. Instead of a loss being what knocks the team off its path, losses are used as a means of improvement.
2. Assists up, turnovers down.
To say Alabama's offense was underwhelming against Tennessee would be an understatement. Sure, the Vols have the No. 1-ranked defense in the country per KenPom, but Alabama looked dreadful regardless.
The Crimson Tide turned the ball over 19 times in the game, compared to just 11 assists. The ball stuck, there was no fluidity, and Alabama didn't value the basketball leading to plenty of Tennessee points off turnovers.
Against Georgia it was the exact opposite.
The turnover numbers dropped down to just 11, and the assist numbers raised to an eye-popping 26. Only one played on the team had more than one turnover — Jahvon Quinerly had three — but he counteracted that with six assists of his own.
Perhaps most impressively, Jaden Bradley dished out seven assists and didn't turn the ball over a single time.
All night, the ball moved with a purpose. Georgia ran a 2-3 zone for much of the first half, and allowing the ball to stick in one spot plays right into a zone defense's hands. Alabama moved the ball quickly and efficiently, slicing through the zone to get Bulldog players out of position in order to find wide-open kick-outs for 3-point looks.
No one looked selfish. No one just wanted to get theirs. The team played together and looked to create plays for one another, which is just one of the extensive list of reasons this team is so dangerous.
3. Nick Pringle had a career day.
Nick Pringle has become a fan-favorite as the year has gone on for his high motor and rim-racking dunking ability. He's an incredibly fun player to watch, and he always gives 100 percent whenever he's on the floor.
Since transferring in as one of the top-rated JUCO players in the country Pringle has embraced his role as a high-energy bench player that can serve as a spark plug when inserted in the lineup.
Against Georgia, Pringle posted career-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds, which became his first career double-double as a Division I player.
After the game, Oats mentioned that Pringle has worked with the scout team in practice to get him more reps, and he's been giving guys like Charles Bediako and Noah Clowney difficulties slowing him down.
His high-flying dunks always light a fire under the Coleman Coliseum crowd, and his energy on the team is infectious to those around him.
Players like Pringle are important to any championship level team, and the fact that he understands his role and has embraced it makes him even more valuable. He still has two years of eligibility left after this season, and as his defensive positioning and fundamentals improve he could turn into even more of a major piece on this Alabama roster.
Until then, though, he's already got a role that he's great at.
4. A few more things...
- For the second game in a row Alabama had relatively poor free throw shooting. 64 percent on 14-of-22 needs to improve once tournament play rolls around.
- Mark Sears rebounded in a big way after a disappointing game against Tennessee. He made his first five 3-point attempts for the game and finished with 17 points.
- Charles Bediako, while still playing without being 100 percent healthy, showcased some excellent footwork in the paint that we haven't seen in excess from him this season.
- Rylan Griffen also had a bounce-back game after a rough outing in Knoxville by scoring 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with four assists and zero turnovers.
- Dom Welch had his best game in an Alabama uniform, scoring eight points on perfect shooting from the floor. If he starts scoring consistently off the bench, that's another offensive weapon that Alabama has at its disposal, as Welch has already shown stellar defensive capabilities.
See also:
Brandon Miller's Special Freshman Year Reaches Another Milestone
No. 1 Alabama’s Success at Coleman Coliseum This Season Isn’t Ordinary
