Alabama basketball is about to enter the back-nine of SEC play and has its hardest gauntlet coming up. The team will have to improve at these three things to play its best basketball entering March.
Alabama basketball ended the first half of the SEC schedule going 8-1. The Tide have nine more games to go, including games against seven AP-Top 25 ranked opponents. The Tide are currently one game back from first in the standings.
Final nine games:
February 8 at Arkansas
February 11 at Texas
February 15 vs. 1. Auburn
February 19 at 15. Missouri
February 22 vs. 14. Kentucky
February 25 vs. 22. Mississippi State
March 1 at 4. Tennessee
March 5 vs. 6. Florida
March 8 at 1. Auburn
Improvement #1: Turnovers
The team plays at such a fast pace, with the top tempo in the country, which can lead to turnovers. Alabama is currently ranked 286th in turnovers per game, averaging 13.3. When the Tide offense is rolling at its best, it has very few turnovers in the game, with around 10. The team has struggled in halves, with highs of 12 turnovers in the first half in its last time out versus Georgia.
In its three losses this season, Alabama basketball had 8, 15, and 21 turnovers in those matchups, with the 21 turnovers coming against Ole Miss in its last loss on January 14.
Improvement #2: Defense
Alabama is coming off one of its best defensive games in conference play, holding Georgia below 70 points. The Tide’s defensive efficiency is still in the top 45 at 41 per Ken Pom.
Alabama basketball forces teams to shoot 40% from the floor and will have to continue limiting teams from good looks inside and deep.
The Tide have done a good job limiting second-chance opportunities every game and winning the rebounding battle, but they will have to continue to get good rim protection from guys like Clifford Omoruyi and Grant Nelson. Omoruyi was just named in the top 10 for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award and will have to continue to play at that level down the stretch against the top bigs in the country.
Improvement #3: Consistency from 3
As a team, Alabama is shooting 33.6% this season from three, but the Tide is starting to find its rhythm from downtown, knocking down 42% from deep in its last time out. The team ranks 203 in three-point percentage.
Aden Holloway leads the team in active players, shooting 41.5% on the season from deep.
Mark Sears is 35.9% from deep.
Chris Youngblood is finding his stride from deep after struggling early on and is now 37.0% from deep.