Alabama Basketball: Revisiting Tide’s “3-on-5” game vs. Minnesota from 2017

The Setup

Heading into the matchup (which was actually the championship game of the 2017 Barclays Center Classic), both Alabama Basketball (5-0) and Minnesota (6-0) were off to hot starts. Both of these hot starts were rather unprecedented as well, given the two teams and their recent history. The 25th-ranked Crimson Tide were on their best start since 2012-13 and were ranked for the first time since 2011. Meanwhile, the 14th-ranked Gophers were riding their highest ranking since the 1993-94 season when they were ranked 10th.

It was a highly anticipated matchup for both sides, but the first-half was relatively forgetful. Minnesota controlled the pace, in typical Big-10 fashion, building a 41-29 lead. The matchup of the night was Alabama’s freshman PG Collin Sexton and Minnesota’s PG Nate Mason (who also had plenty of help from the great Jordan Murphy, of course). That matchup accelerated, under the exuberant Brooklyn atmosphere, when Mason managed to catch Sexton off-the-dribble:

Everyone likely understands the tension of this situation; the “ouh” and “ahh” reaction from the rowdy Barclays crowd, the two premiere players involved and the staredown before the dagger. Everything was set up perfectly for this to be the first domino of disaster (and oh it was). Both players vocally jabbed till a technical was thrown; but Mason kept at it. Within seconds, the star Gopher PG was thrown out from the game. Shortly after that, Gopher coach Richard Pitino would follow suit with a tech of his own; tempers were flailing out of control.

Now in most situations, those tempers would calm down shortly after the technical free throws were shot; not in this game though, as we know. It somehow only took one possession after the technical free throws for both teams to flare up again. Players from each side got tangled up after a basket, and again the energy in Brooklyn that day seemingly forced the situation to escalate. Alabama’s entire bench flocked onto the court, which is not allowed. The result:

With 13:39 left in the 2nd half, Alabama’s roster was down to just the five players on the court; while Minnesota was fully-loaded, excluding the rejected Nate Mason. It seemed as if everything would finally subside and relatively revert back to normal, but then Dazon Inrgam fouled out.

And then John Petty fell to misfortune after landing oddly on a 3-point attempt. Within minutes, this bizarre game had suddenly entered itself into uncharted territories. As John Petty exited off the court, Alabama was miraculously left with 3 players remaining on the hardwood.

For 10 minutes and 31 seconds; Collin Sexton, Galin Smith and Riley Norris were to look in the faces of five opposing Gophers players flanked by a full bench unit. three men, backed only back coach Avery Johnson and his staff, were to take on an entire team (a 14th-ranked team, for that matter). Despite all the action beforehand, this is where the “3-on-5” truly game begins.

Now at this point, as a fan, you obviously are not going to turn the TV off. That would be like changing the channel on your favorite crime show when the murderer is finally revealed; it was something never seen before. That being said, at this point, you are not expecting the result to turn out well. Like come on, three guys taking on an entire team, down 54-67? Yeah right. It’s fair to think that nothing could possibly happen at this point to further surprise you, right? Wrong.