SEC Basketball: Each team’s worst performance of the last decade

Alabama

February 6, 2010 (at Mississippi 74, Alabama 67) (GS: 90)

Before I explain why this seemingly innocent game was Alabama’s worst of the decade, I do want to touch briefly on the runner-up performance. Back in 2008, Mark Gottfried-led Alabama lost a rough 23-point contest to a really bad Oregon team, which came just days after losing a home game to Mercer. While this game (which would have been much more exciting as a football game) is pretty rough, what happened during this trip to Oxford is all the worse, even in spite of the Game Score.

Two days earlier, Alabama led Florida with twenty seconds left and couldn’t hold on. In Oxford, they led Ole Miss by 20 at halftime…and couldn’t hold on. This game was 40-20 at the half and 43-20 a minute into the second half, and then all hell broke loose for Alabama. The Rebels clawed their way back into the game, tying the game at the 6:26 mark of the second half before taking a lead they would not relinquish. Down the stretch, Ole Miss made their free throws (25-33), while 50% shooting wasn’t enough for Alabama to win, falling apart on the defensive end as well.

Anthony Grant, who watched this madness unfold in his first season, wasn’t the answer in Tuscaloosa, but things are looking up under Avery Johnson. There have been other bad losses, but no team should blow a 23-point lead in the second half, regardless of the location or opponent. I can ‘grant’ that there will be better days ahead for Alabama.