NCAA Basketball: Key takeaways from Morehead State’s loss to Alabama

Morehead State’s loss to Alabama taught us some key things about the Eagles’ season and upcoming challenging non-conference schedule.

Morehead State has a brutal non-conference schedule and the Eagles lost their opening game at Alabama 105-73 Monday. With Purdue, Penn State and Indiana still ahead, what have we learned about the Ohio Valley Conference favorite Eagles?

Riley Minix is the real deal. Even in defeat the Southeastern (Florida) transfer lived up to the hype. The 6’7 guard scored 19 points, grabbed five rebounds, handed out two assists and recorded two steals. Jumping from the NAIA ranks right into a game against the 24th ranked Crimson Tide was no problem.

Morehead State’s loss to Alabama points out that the team clearly misses the OVC’s reigning ‘Player of the Year’ Mark Freeman. While his scoring is important, coach Preston Spradlin likes to employ two point guards at the same time and the team was missing their star quarterback. Despite scoring 73 points, the Eagles recorded just six assists. Freeman averaged nearly four-per-game last season.

Rebounding isn’t where it needs to be. Nate Oats’ team grabbed forty rebounds compared to the Eagles’ 29. Fourteen came on the offensive glass. Obviously allowing triple digits in the scoring column speaks to some defensive struggles.

Jordan Lathon looks fully healthy. After missing all of last season, the 6’4 guard put up 14 points and grabbed four rebounds. While the team’s three-point percentage wasn’t great, Lahton, Kalil Thomas and Drew Thelwell each connected two times from deep. Thelwell added 13 points.

Spradlin’s two new post players, Dieonte Miles and Zach Iyeyemi combined for just eight points and five rebounds.

The Eagles are a team loaded with newcomers and the result in Tuscaloosa was one you’d expect from a brand new group of players, on the road against a highly ranked team.

Spradlin’s bigs will grow into their roles and the guard play will pick up. Freeman’s season-ending injury came just before the season began. New players learning new roles, without their best player will take some time.

With all these struggles they still scored 73 points against a nasty Alabama team.