The Extra Point: Looking At Alabama's Basketball Season
The Crimson Tide's 0-4 finish last year left a bad taste is a lot of fans mouth, but there is a lot to look forward to as the new season quickly approaches.
The first game is November 7 against Longwood in Tuscaloosa, and the Tide will bring a talented bunch to Coleman for the game. Brandon Miller, Rylan Griffen, and Noah Clowney are all talented freshman who look to make a massive impact this season. Miller lead the Tide in scoring in their exhibition win over Southern Illinois, with 14 points and six rebounds. Griffen and Clowney both had a tough game, but put up eight and six points respectively.
Players like Mark Spears, Dom Welch, and Nimari Burnett are all transfers who will add to the backcourt. Spears had 13 points in the Southern Illinois game, Welch and Burnett both had three points, but were also to grab four rebounds during the game.
The big question for the Tide will be the shooting, with the team shooting 3-22 from three, something that is a hallmark of Nate Oats' philosophy. Despite the poor shooting from three, the Tide were able to shoot a respectable 41% from the field, so there is some hope that the game was just a bad night from behind the arc and nothing more.
With the SEC always presenting tough challenges on both ends of the conference, Alabama will need to be at the top of their game on both offense and defense in order for the season to go as planned. While that is easier said than done, there is optimism that the Tide will be able to control games this year and book a trip to March for the third straight season.
