Alabama basketball started the season out with an 81-80 loss to Penn that will hurt their resume come Selection Sunday. Even with the hype around the new season, last night’s loss was nothing new from the Crimson Tide.
Head coach Nate Oats had done something Alabama basketball fans have been wanting for some time before the 2019-2020 season. Generate some serious buzz that would have fans dreaming of an NCAA tournament run. After losing at home to Penn, reality has kicked in and we are reminded what this Alabama team still is: A team that is just outside where it needs to be an at large team out of the SEC.
Returning key players Kira Lewis, John Petty, and Herb Jones was huge for the Crimson Tide. Mix it in with some new faces like Jaden Shackelford and James “Beetle” Bolton, and it looked like Alabama could be a real threat in the SEC. One loss in the first game of the season does not completely change that, but it does show that this Alabama team does need growth before having those expectations.
If there is one thing we may have learned from last night, it is that the Crimson Tide may live and die by the three-ball. Overall, the team shot 11-38 from behind the arc, a poor 28.9%. The 38 attempts were just as many two-point shots they took last night and seven more than they attempted at any point last season. True freshman Jaden Shackelford was an abysmal 3-13 from behind the line, including 1-7 in the second half. If Alabama wants to win games, it looks like making their threes are going to be crucial.
Even last night’s bright spot, Kira Lewis, was the one who missed the potential game-tying and game-winning free throws. Leading the game with 30 points, Lewis’ career-high point total was the only reason the Crimson Tide was even in the game. 20 of those points were in the second half, including this three-pointer that put Alabama up by one with 20 seconds left in the game.
Kira Lewis hits a 3 to put Alabama up 80-79 with 15.5 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/ssMhJIuboM
— Michael Casagrande (@ByCasagrande) November 6, 2019
After giving up on the bucket on the other end, Lewis is the one who was able to draw a foul with two seconds to give himself an opportunity to win the game. Yes, he missed them both and lost the game, but Lewis was the best player for Alabama last night. His second-half scoring kept them in the game but he must be able to execute those free throws.
Nate Oats will eventually turn this Alabama program around and get them winning these types of games. Until then, it will be the same types of heart and back-breaking losses for the Crimson Tide, ones that will cost them when it comes time to select the field for the NCAA tournament. We’ve seen it before under Avery Johnson losing to Northeastern and Georgia State at home last season. To make the next step up into an NCAA tournament-caliber team, Alabama must win the rest of their home non-conference against mid-major schools.