The Crimson Tide men’s basketball team has suffered some tough defeats since they took down No. 2 Gonzaga on Dec. 4.
On the season, losses to Iona, Davidson, Missouri, Memphis and now Auburn have plagued Nate Oats’ Alabama hoops squad.
Tuesday night’s gut-wrenching loss at home to the Tigers was painful to watch, and I’m thinking it gives this Alabama team the fire they need to get back to the top of the curve. Nothing like the mocking of the signature Alabama crane kick to get a team moving in the right direction.
JD Davison showed a lot of improvement in his ball security against Auburn. Before, he struggled with turnovers, many at crucial junctures of competition. Tuesday night, however, he showed off his superior athleticism and led a charge to tie the game up late in the fourth.
Jahvon Quinerly hit some tough shots in the loss, but a decision on his part with less than 20 seconds on the clock cost Alabama an opportunity to hit on a wide-open three. It was the most wide-open look anybody had gotten all night. But, instead of taking the shot, Quinerly drove to the basket and heaved up a wayward close-range shot that went straight up and down.
However ill-advised the shot may have been, it’s unfair to pin the loss on Quinerly alone. It was a group effort and the defense couldn’t hold in its most critical moments.
The interior defense looked much improved as well in the loss to Auburn when compared to the production in the five losses this season, but the intensity on defense came in waves and wasn’t remotely consistent. Charles Bediako looks like he is improving on the defensive side, but there’s still a lot to improve on in both his offensive and defensive game.
While I think this skid taking place has been a disaster, it shouldn’t last much longer. Basketball is truly a game of runs where anything can happen. We all know that Alabama has the means necessary to compete with anybody.
The Crimson Tide has the talent to beat any team in the nation, as evidenced by wins against two top-15 teams including No. 2 Gonzaga. They did not peak in December because they know what’s at stake moving forward.
Expect Alabama basketball to rebound and play some of their best basketball throughout the remainder of this season. There’s a lot of tough competition in the SEC this year, but there’s no doubt that the Tide possesses the required tools to make another deep run.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Layne Gerbig on Twitter @LayneG_29.