Alabama Basketball went up big and never looked back in season opener victory over UNC-Asheville in front of a sold out Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama basketball started the game on a 9-0 run and put UNC-Asheville in the rearview mirrors as the Tide were all gas and no breaks to win 110-54 to open up the regular season. Guys like Aiden Sherell, Grant Nelson, and Latrell Wrightsell were all able to get minutes in the game after getting injured in the offseason.
Head coach Nate Oats announced before the game that Houston Mallette and Naas Cunningham would both put on the redshirt for the season.
“I’m just happy to be here,” said Cliff Omoruyi after getting win number one at Alabama.
Takeaway #1: Alabama’s defense shines
Alabama’s length on the defensive end gave the Bulldogs problems all night, and the performance on the defensive end was not something Tide fans were used to last season. As a whole, Alabama had six blocks and forced the Bulldogs to shoot 27.4% from the field.
Guys like Derrion Reid and Mo Dioubate can defend one through five on the court which just evolves the team on that end of the floor.
“We have been harping on defense and coming out with a defensive mindset and we wanted to come out here and show we could actually defend as a defensive-minded team,” said Wrightsell on the effort on the defensive end.
Takeaway #2: Efficiency on the offensive end
Alabama basketball played one of its most efficient games on the offensive end tonight. Whether it was a dunk off a lob or a three from the top of the key, guys were unselfish in finding the open guy with 21 assists on the night.
Alabama only shot 18 threes on the night but made them at almost a 50% clip finishing 8-18 from behind the arc, which usually is in the upper 30s in attempts per game. Finished the game out shooting 68% from the field on 60 shots with almost every basket either layups, dunks, or threes.
Seven guys finished with double figures on the night in Mark Sears with 20, Labaron Philon with 10, Omoruyi with 16 on 6-6 shooting, Jarin Stevenson with 10, Aden Holloway with 11, Wrightsell with 13, and Dioubate with 11.
“Whatever the defense is going to give us we will take. We are going to try and be the most efficient team in the country,” said Oats on not taking as many threes tonight as fans are used to seeing.
Takeaway #3: Labaron Philon will be a household name soon
Philon, the Mobile native, was as advertised all night whether that was jumping passing lanes for steals to lead to buckets, or getting his teammates involved Philon was a floor general on the court.
Finishing with 10 points, 1 rebound, 9 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals in 24 minutes on the night. Philon brought the hard hat on the defensive end frustrating the Bulldogs on the offensive end. Philon will continue to thrive in this system and has shown in the first two exhibitions and in tonight’s game that he belongs in the SEC.
Labaron established himself as one of the best two-way guards in the program, and he is a guy who can easily end up with a triple-double if he gets the minutes.
Next up for Alabama (1-0): vs. Arkansas State (1-0) – Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. EST
Next up for UNC-Asheville (0-1): at Ohio (0-1) – Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. EST