Alabama Basketball opens SEC play with a tough battle against the Kentucky Wildcats. Here are the keys for the Crimson Tide to get the victory.
After beating Stephen F. Austin on he road a week ago, Alabama Basketball (9-3) is riding a four game winning streak heading into conference play. There were some high points such as their wins over Penn State and Arizona, but a lough loss to Northeastern means that the Crimson Tide still has work to do.
They’ll have a great chance at getting a massive resume win this weekend in the Kentucky Wildcats (10-2), ranked No. 15 nationally. They’re coming into their own, coming off of back-to-back wins over North Carolina and Louisville. After losing Quade Green to the transfer market, the rotations have looked smoother and been beneficial going forward.
It’s a tough task but with the game being at home, it also creates a great opportunity for Alabama to put themselves in a good situation for the NCAA Tournament. Here are the keys that the Crimson Tide need to work on in order to get a win.
1. Guarding PJ Washington effectively
The obvious matchup in the post between the teams will be between Alabama’s Donta Hall and Kentucky’s Reid Travis, each team’s best post players. But the Wildcats have another frontcourt threat in PJ Washington, who’s averaging 12.6 ppg and 8.4 rpg. He’s capable of having a huge game, with his 29-point, 13-rebound performance.
The good news for the Crimson Tide is that they do have multiple players that can matchup with Washington from time to time. Alex Resse, Dazon Ingram, and Herb Jones are all capable and could even turn the tables on Washington on the offensive end. Exploiting this situation in the post could be key for Alabama.
2. Kira must be “king” for Alabama
Kira Lewis Jr. has been outstanding as a freshman for the Crimson Tide, leading the team with 15 ppg and 3.1 apg. He’s a 40% shooter from deep and 82% from the line. As the team’s best and most consistent offensive option, a big game by him is needed for them to have a chance at winning. Lewis has eclipsed the 20-point mark four times in 12 games, including a season-high 24 to beat Wichita State. He’ll have to get 20+ again in this one.
3. Don’t let Tyler Herro and Kentucky go off from deep
Like previous seasons, Kentucky Basketball doesn’t shoot many three-pointers, ranking in the bottom of Division-I in both attempts and makes. They do make it at a successful rate but prefer to operate inside the arc. That actually works well for Alabama who also doesn’t like to shoot a barrage of threes.
One player who does like to shoot it s freshman guard Tyler Herro, who averages five attempts a game on a 33% clip. But he can get hot, evident by his four made threes to beat Louisville last week. He’s on a roll, averaging 17 ppg in his last six games.
Alabama does not want to get into a track meet that involves a ton of three-pointers, so stopping Herro on the perimeter has to be a priority in the scouting report. If the Crimson Tide can contain him and keep the game into the 70’s, they’ll have a legit shot at starting out 1-0 to open SEC play.