3. Alabama has to with the turnover battle
Turnovers have plagued Alabama for most of the season on both sides of the floor. Their turnover numbers are a little high, and they are not making enough happen on defense to overcome this issue. Close turnover margins lead to nail-biter games, and it has been proven that Alabama does not bode well in that environment.
The bad news for the Tide is that Arizona forces turnovers at a high pace. Their opponents have averaged 15.2 turnovers a game, which is more than the 13.7 turnovers Alabama has every game.
On the other side of the floor, Arizona averages 11.9 turnovers a game, and Alabama forces around 13.6 per match. This is not a good recipe for success for Alabama. If they can limit their mistakes on offense, that will go a long way to helping them come away with a win.
Alabama’s woes on the defensive end come mostly from not being able to get steals. They are one of the worst teams in that department. They make up for it with averaging over 5 blocks a game, but it is easier to push the ball in transition in the backcourt than it is off the glass from a block.
Coach Johnson wants to push the tempo and score in the first 7 seconds of every possession, and his success rate in doing so will excel if we can force more steals instead of giving up shots in the paint.