Bama Game Thread: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly - Bama vs. Baylor...

[TIDE-HSV]

Q's game is all about dribble drive, if he's able to do that then he is hard to defend and gets a chip on his shoulder but if he can't it seems like he wants to take his ball and go home so we go as he goes

One disaffected guy can poison a team, particularly when he touches the ball every possession...

 

[CajunCrimson]

One disaffected guy can poison a team, particularly when he touches the ball every possession...

Seems like Nate figured that out too. Brought his Dad in to help. Heck make Dad be his roommate for the rest of the year if he can get Q focused. Yesterday he was an NBA pick.

 

[CB4]

CNO predicates his teams historically on penetration and scoring at the rim or drawing fouls, dish to the wings off penetration, pressure defense to create turnovers and speed up tempo of teams that generally don’t like to play an up and down game.
Yesterday showed you a team that was committed first to getting the ball inside. It really seemed at times to baffle Baylor. Our perimeter shooting at least to me seemed better (especially the second half) because of what we were able to do at the glass.
The penetration game with Q, Shack and JD has been inconsistent. One game really good decision making, the next game turning it over like crazy, especially JD. Some times it feels like half of our turnovers have been on really dumb, sloppy cross court or skip passes.
I don’t think this team will ever be a good overall perimeter shooting team. What we saw yesterday is pretty much a blue print of what we need to be going forward.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

CNO predicates his teams historically on penetration and scoring at the rim or drawing fouls, dish to the wings off penetration, pressure defense to create turnovers and speed up tempo of teams that generally don’t like to play an up and down game.
Yesterday showed you a team that was committed first to getting the ball inside. It really seemed at times to baffle Baylor. Our perimeter shooting at least to me seemed better (especially the second half) because of what we were able to do at the glass.
The penetration game with Q, Shack and JD has been inconsistent. One game really good decision making, the next game turning it over like crazy, especially JD. Some times it feels like half of our turnovers have been on really dumb, sloppy cross court or skip passes.
I don’t think this team will ever be a good overall perimeter shooting team. What we saw yesterday is pretty much a blue print of what we need to be going forward.

They're not practicing any more. Being good on jumpers takes hour after hour of mind-numbing practice. IF CNO leaves FT practice up to them, it's a good bet that the same holds for perimeter shooting. (He probably hangs around enough to make sure they don't practice mid-range jumpers.) Sorry, but I'm afraid that's probably it...

 

[BamaBuc]

And I thought the football team had a confusing and inconsistent season

I stopped trying to figure out this team, as B1GTide said above they're schizophrenic!
I'm not sure if they play up and down to their competition or the lower competition is playing above and beyond Alabama's level! At this point just to hard to figure out!

 

[CajunCrimson]

TBH. I’m glad Auburn is coming into the game on fire. We may lose but I’m guessing it won’t be easy

 

[BamaMike05]

They're not practicing any more. Being good on jumpers takes hour after hour of mind-numbing practice. IF CNO leaves FT practice up to them, it's a good bet that the same holds for perimeter shooting. (He probably hangs around enough to make sure they don't practice mid-range jumpers.) Sorry, but I'm afraid that's probably it...

Sorry, but this isn’t true. I’ve been to practice, this season, and they shoot a lot in practice. They do shooting competitions at each practice as well.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Sorry, but this isn’t true. I’ve been to practice, this season, and they shoot a lot in practice. They do shooting competitions at each practice as well.

Thanks. That's good to know, although it makes the lost of touch on jump shooting even more mysterious...

 

[CajunCrimson]

Thanks. That's good to know, although it makes the lost of touch on jump shooting even more mysterious...

Makes it point even more to focus.

but way too often this year I’m watching Gurley, Gary and now Rojas taking 3s with the guards passing them up because of confidence issues.

 

[BamaFlum]

Thanks. That's good to know, although it makes the lost of touch on jump shooting even more mysterious...

Basketball is a sport that is easy to get the yips. You know you can make a certain shot, you’ve made them consistently for a while, and you practice them. Suddenly, you hit a dry spell and you start pushing and beating yourself up mentally. I’ve seen players who can’t make a layup to save their life even though I know they can make it. It’s all mental. Hopefully a game like this will help shake that gremlin loose.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I sure wish Keon would take more than 5-6 shots in games.

 

[TideEngineer08]

TBH. I’m glad Auburn is coming into the game on fire. We may lose but I’m guessing it won’t be easy

It's a really tall order to go in there and beat them when they are this good. But if our frame of mind is right (and the refs don't totally screw us) it should be a fight to the finish.

 

[dayhiker]

Sorry, but this isn’t true. I’ve been to practice, this season, and they shoot a lot in practice. They do shooting competitions at each practice as well.

That's good to hear. I thought I was remembering CNO being shocked at how little they shot, especially on their own, and that was one of the first things he changed.

 

[bvandegraff]

IIRC, our run last year coincided with JQ getting on a roll and an uptick in defensive intensity. Seems like the meetings with a sports psychologist and his dad coming down may have helped Q.

Winning down there tomorrow night will be a tall order. Just want to see the same effort and intensity even if the result is different.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Basketball is a sport that is easy to get the yips. You know you can make a certain shot, you’ve made them consistently for a while, and you practice them. Suddenly, you hit a dry spell and you start pushing and beating yourself up mentally. I’ve seen players who can’t make a layup to save their life even though I know they can make it. It’s all mental. Hopefully a game like this will help shake that gremlin loose.

I played weekly until I was 62, so I understand perfectly. It usually doesn't happen to a whole team at once...

 

[CajunCrimson]

I played weekly until I was 62, so I understand perfectly. It usually doesn't happen to a whole team at once...

Unless it’s fatigue. But that’s not the case. This looks totally like a confidence thing.

 

[TideEngineer08]

BTW, if you had known that Alabama would have gone 3-0 vs. the 2021 Final 4 teams on our schedule, what would you have predicted our overall record would be right now? Edited: I should also add that all 4 would still be in the top 10!!!

Hell I don't think anyone would guess less than 19-2. If they have truly turned a psychological corner, all would likely be forgiven and forgotten.

 

[sawdawg30]

i was really glad to see the defensive intensity we played with on saturday. if we can continue to improve our guarding ability on the ball handler then our defense can be really good with the rim protection we have.

 

[TexasBama]

Baylor sure had a short turnaround. They play at home tonight.

 

[TiderJack]

BTW, if you had known that Alabama would have gone 3-0 vs. the 2021 Final 4 teams on our schedule, what would you have predicted our overall record would be right now? Edited: I should also add that all 4 would still be in the top 10!!!

Hell I don't think anyone would guess less than 19-2. If they have truly turned a psychological corner, all would likely be forgiven and forgotten.

I agree and would have our record about where you have it if.... The one think that stands out to me about this year's team vs last year is we took a bunch of charging fouls last year and I now rarely see them which is a defensive effort/hard hat thing. I saw a few against Baylor so I'm hoping this team is now buying in. When we play like we have in our biggest games we can go a long way in the tourney.

Beating the Barn at their place tomorrow is a big ask but I think beating UK at home on Sat is a definite possibility if....