Full-Court Press: Takeaways From Alabama Basketball vs LSU
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 4 Alabama put on one of the most dominant displays of basketball we've seen anywhere in the country on Saturday, destroying LSU at home by a final score of 106-66.
It was one of the best games the Crimson Tide has played so far this season, so here are my takeaways from the game:
1. The shooting was aided immensely by the offensive rebounding.
They say it's not the first shot that kills you, but the second.
Alabama embodied that saying on Saturday. The Crimson Tide nailed 20 3-pointers in the game — just three shy of the program and SEC record — but did so on a somewhat modest 37 percent clip.
Alabama was able to do this thanks to its offensive rebounding, an area head coach Nate Oats and his staff have been harping on in recent weeks after the team's offensive rebounding numbers dipped to start SEC play.
Time and time again, Alabama would miss the first three it took in a possession, get an offensive rebound, and kick out for a much more open three after the defense was scrambling to get the rebound itself. Alabama had 20 offensive rebounds in the game to LSU's 14, and a whopping 32 second-chance points in the game to LSU's eight.
Even if Alabama doesn't shoot well from a percentage standpoint, if opposing teams can't keep the Crimson Tide off the glass then it's going to be a long night.
2. Brandon Miller opened up his game to more than just shooting.
Freshman phenom Brandon Miller has been one of the best shooters in all of college basketball this season. He currently leads the SEC in 3-point makes this season at 56, and ranks second in the conference in 3-point percentage at just above 46 percent.
For a while though, it would have been possible to make the claim that much of his offensive game was one-dimensional, as Miller struggled to consistently finish inside at times in games.
Against LSU, he opened up his inside game. On 2-point attempts Miller shot 4-for-5 in the game with multiple nice finishes at the rim, but what stood out to me weren't necessarily the finishes — though they were impressive — it was the way he got to the rim.
Miller made seven 3-pointers in the game, so LSU defenders began keying in on his 3-ball. Because of this, Miller started using dribble hesitations and shot fakes to get defenders in the air, leading to wide open lanes for him to get to the rim with ease.
He isn't as strong as other forwards out there, but he is incredibly smooth, so being able to manipulate his defenders' positioning with the threat of his shooting opens up his offensive game even more than it already was.
3. Alabama passed yet another maturity test.
If it feels like I'm talking about the maturity of this team nearly every week, it's because I am.
Coming off a physical and high-intensity road win against Arkansas, it would have been incredibly easy for Alabama to come back home, see LSU coming in with a 1-3 record in the SEC, and completely overlook them and sleepwalk to start the game.
Not only did that not happen, but it was the exact opposite. Alabama came out entirely focused in every phase of the game, and dominated LSU from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
Even in the team's postgame press conference, Oats mentioned that he was proud of the team for the maturity they showed by staying locked in. In the players' press conference after the game, one of the first things they mentioned was how it was time to start focusing on Vanderbilt.
This team doesn't pump itself up after big wins and this team doesn't overlook or underestimate opponents. So far this season, Alabama has met every opponent with the same intensity and the same attitude — an attitude that wants to win every single game regardless of who is sitting on the other bench.
For a team starting three freshmen and playing eight new rotational players, that's unheard of, and it speaks volumes about the culture Oats has created.
4. A few more things...
- Not only were offensive rebounds up, but turnovers were in single digits once again. After the game Oats said he was happy that both areas of concern in recent weeks have been addressed by the players and taken seriously.
- Alabama's defense executed very well once again. The Crimson Tide has now given up less than 70 points in six straight games, and still boasts an analytically top-10 defense in the country.
- Coleman Coliseum was packed once again, and the sellout crowd provided yet another great home environment this season.
