Alabama Basketball: Four pressing questions for the Tide vs. Virginia Tech

Who else will step up for the Tide?

The Tide don’t have a particularly deep bench, so the starting five must excel. The good news is that they have good inside-out balance in their primary lineup. Sexton’s main running mates in the backcourt are freshman John Petty and sophomore Dazon Ingram.

Petty is a streaky three-point shooter that can be a game-changer for this team. While he has slumped lately, he may gain momentum after a solid performance in the SEC Semifinal loss to Kentucky (18 points, 5-11 3FG). His ability to stretch the defense will be crucial when the Hokies’ defense collapses onto Sexton.

Ingram is more of a slasher and a creator. He gives the Tide another playmaker which alleviates some of Sexton’s burden on offense. The versatile swingman also has a knack for getting to the free throw line and will challenge the Hokies’ interior defense.

Along with the trio of guards, Alabama has a frontcourt that will test the Hokies. Forward Donta Hall is the team’s second-leading scorer (10.9 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.8). He is also an all-SEC caliber defender. Hall was inactive in the loss to Kentucky due to a concussion and Johnson lists him as a game-time decision at the moment.

If Hall cannot play, the Tide will depend on great performances from forwards Braxton Key and Daniel Giddens. Giddens has played sparingly this season (13.3 minutes per game), but showed promise with three blocks against Kentucky in Hall’s absence. A stellar frontcourt performance will be a massive boost for the Tide.