Trending with the Tide: Alabama's WR Unit is Up, While the Basketball Team's Perimeter Defense is Down
Welcome back to Trending with the Tide where we give a stock report of Alabama athletics over the past week. Today, we’ll take a look at a generally positive week for the Crimson Tide.
Stock rising
Alabama’s receiving corps
Alabama’s receiving corps saw its stock drop last week after all three of its starters declared for the NFL Draft. However, the unit received a big boost over the weekend as it landed a commitment from Georgia transfer receiver Jermaine Burton.
A rising junior, Burton will add a much-needed veteran presence to the Crimson Tide’s young receiver room. The 6-foot, 200-pound playmaker also figures to be one of Bryce Young’s most dangerous targets next season as well. Burton is coming off a sophomore year in which he led all Georgia wideouts with 497 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 26 receptions. Those numbers came on just 30 targets as the sure-handed receiver did not record a drop, according to Pro Football Focus.
Buy or sell: Last week, I advised selling on Alabama’s receiving unit due to the production it lost over the offseason. That’s before the possibility of adding Burton arose. Now that the Crimson Tide has a veteran at the position, things look a lot brighter in the wide receiver unit moving forward. (BUY)
Jaden Shackelford
After suffering three straight defeats, Alabama basketball is back on track with consecutive victories against LSU and Missouri. The Crimson Tide can thank Jaden Shackelford for that turnaround.
The junior guard has led Alabama in each of its last two wins, dropping 26 points against LSU before recording 21 points against Missouri.
Along with providing points, Shackelford has also put in some blue-collar work for the Crimson Tide. He earned the Hard Hat Award following the game against Missouri, recording a team-high seven rebounds and a steal. Before that, he tallied a career-high four steals against LSU.
Buy or sell: Shackelford’s stock is generally safe to buy. He’s recorded double-digit scoring in every game this season, barring a rare scoreless performance against Jacksonville State on Dec. 18. Now that he appears to be clicking on both sides of the ball, expect his production to continue to climb. (BUY)
Stock falling
Alabama basketball’s perimeter defense
Alabama managed to pull out an 86-76 victory over Missouri over the weekend. However, it was hardly smooth sailing for the Crimson Tide as it had to overcome 14-point deficits in both halves.
Much of Alabama’s struggles came from poor perimeter defense as it allowed Missouri to make 45.8% (11 of 24) of its shots from beyond the arc. Entering the game the Tigers were at the bottom of the SEC, averaging just 25.8% from deep. Alabama also struggled to defend the perimeter in its win against LSU, allowing the Bayou Bengals to hit 45.5% (10 of 22) of their shots beyond the arc.
Buy or sell: Alabama ranks No. 202 nationally in perimeter defense, allowing opponents to make 43.18% of their shots from 3-point range. Nineteen games into the season, this is more than just a passing trend. Still, the Crimson Tide has the athletes necessary to defend better from deep. It’s hard to imagine things getting much worse for Alabama, especially given the emphasis Nate Oats places on defending. (BUY)
Charles Bediako
After a strong start this season, Charles Bediako now finds himself in a bit of a freshman funk. The 7-foot, 225-pound forward recorded his first scoreless performance of the season over 17 minutes against LSU. He then provided just 3 points and one rebound over eight minutes off the bench against Missouri.
Buy or sell: It is common for freshmen to experience slumps. It’s also not too surprising that Bediako’s numbers have dropped a bit since entering conference play as he’s still getting accustomed to playing against bigger competition. However, Alabama will need the freshman to get over his growing pains sooner rather than later as forward Juwan Gary is currently day-to-day with a facial contusion.
Bediako is too tall and too talented not to excel moving forward. It’s just a matter of how soon he is able to put everything together. (BUY)
