SEC Basketball: 5 players poised to take on vital roles in 2018-19

John Petty, Alabama

John Petty would’ve been the prize jewel in most Alabama recruiting classes, but his presence was overshadowed by the arrival of Collin Sexton, an NBA-level talent who stayed for one year at the Capstone and then declared for the draft.

Petty is mostly known for his three-point shooting skills, shooting 37% on them last year, but he lacked consistency in his freshman season. At home games, he could shoot the lights out. On the road, he lacked the same edge. Crowds got to him, and he had poor turnover rates and shooting percentages in these games.

Hoping John Petty makes a three on the road is like hoping the McDonald’s milkshake machine is working in the summer: you hope for the best, but you’ve been let down too many times in the past to believe in a positive outcome.

That’s not to say that he can’t improve on the road. His performances late in the year in the tournaments were a step in the right direction. He will keep on gaining confidence in his shot, and the game around the shot will improve as well. He also will have Riley Norris and Tevin Mack to lean on this year, so that’s a step in the right direction.

Petty needs to improve simply due to the loss of Sexton. Sexton filled some major holes in Alabama’s overall game plan, and Kira Lewis won’t be able to have as immediate an impact as the Young Bull did. There will be games where Petty’s performance will determine the outcome, and his road games last season just won’t cut it.