Tag: Herb Jones

Alabama basketball continues success with win over Vanderbilt

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball earns win No. 18 on the season with a home win over Vanderbilt, their SEC record improves to 13-1.

Nate Oats is one day removed from a contract extension that will keep him at Alabama through the 2027 season, and he decided to celebrate with a win on his home court.

The No. 8 Crimson Tide took down the Vanderbilt Commodores with a final score of 78-82, a game many thought would have a larger margin of victory for Alabama.

Sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford led Alabama in scoring with 27 points, while Keon Ellis led the team in rebounds with nine.

Graduate transfer forward Jordan Bruner returned from injury after missing a substantial amount of time, his presence was felt in his first game back.

The Crimson Tide’s defense allowed 78 points, which is high for one of the nation’s top-ranked defenses.

With this win, Alabama’s overall record improves to 18-5, with an SEC record of 13-1.

Three games remain for the Crimson Tide’s regular season, with the next contest coming Wednesday, Feb. 24 against Arkansas on the road.

WATCH: Alabama MBB HC Nate Oats joins ESPN to dicuss state of Crimson Tide basketball

Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats joined Scott Van Pelt on ESPN to discuss the state of the program and where the team is heading.

Alabama men’s basketball is one of the hottest teams in the nation with an overall record of 17-5 and a conference record of 12-2.

Credit ought to be given to second-year head coach Nate Oats, who had his first season cut short due to the ongoing pandemic.

Now, the No. 8 Crimson Tide is set to make a run in the NCAA basketball tournament as a highly-seeded team.

To talk about the success of the program, as well as the future of the 2020-2021 season, Oats joined ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.

He mentions the slow start to the season, as well as the culture shift of Alabama basketball that the players have bought into.

In two parts, here’s what he had to say:

Herbert Jones selected by Eastern Conference team in latest NBA mock draft

Alabama defensive star Herbert Jones is projected to be drafted by an Eastern Conference team in the latest USA TODAY 2021 NBA mock draft.

Alabama men’s basketball is one of the hottest teams in the nation with a 17-5 overall record and 12-1 in conference play.

It’s likely that the Crimson Tide will be the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament, and a highly-seeded team in the NCAA tournament.

With all of the national attention, some players have received a spotlight, allowing fans from across the country to watch them play, as well as NBA front offices.

In the latest USA TODAY 2021 NBA mock draft, only one Alabama player is drafted: defensive star Herbert Jones.

The mock draft has Jones being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 38 overall selection. While no reason is listed, it’s clearly due to his defensive strength.

While it’s great to see Jones’ name on the board, there’s a bit of shock about not seeing John Petty in the mock draft.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to publish updates on where Alabama stars fall in NBA mock drafts leading up to draft night on Nov. 18.

2021 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Latest updates before March Madness

This mock should provide an update, if the season ended today, on the talent that could be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

We’re rapidly approaching March Madness and top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga have started their long-awaited season, which means the 2021 NBA draft finally has some more clarity.

Even though it took a while for us to see the G League Ignite in action, the bubble season is underway in Florida, giving us a more confident assessment of the full class. Meanwhile, in the NCAA, enough of the regular season has eclipsed to extract meaning from a larger sample size of scouting.

Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the collegiate season due to the ongoing pandemic, this class has multiple players that project as potential stars. Remember, though, this class is incredibly fluid.

This mock should provide an update, if the season ended today, on the talent that could be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

For more information on many of the second-rounders, as well as some sleepers that were not included in this mock draft, I expanded in my big board published late last month.

The main difference from the big board is that this mock factors intel, team fit, front office philosophy and roster construction. For example, there are more international players included here because I’m projecting teams with surplus picks will select draft-and-stash players rather than roster four or five rookies next season.

This draft order, which factors in trades and pick protections, was pulled from the latest Tankathon update following the games on Feb. 11.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of February 11, 2021.

Alabama MBB moves down in latest AP Top 25 poll

Alabama basketball has suffered their second loss in the last three games, which has dropped them from No. 9 al the way to No. 11.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team has been trending downward since peaking at No. 9 on the Associated Press college basketball top 25.

Following a loss to Oklahoma on the road, Alabama dropped one spot to No. 10.

Now, after syffering their first conference loss on the road to Missouri, Alabama drops yet another spot to No. 11, as Missouri has now jumped eight spots to surpass the Crimson Tide. They now sit at No. 10.

Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide squad are still going to make the NCAA tournament in March, and could make a run at the SEC title. With two losses in the last three games, the team likely needs to do some adjusting.

Alabama holds off Kentucky to remain undefeated in SEC play

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 70-59, on Tuesday to remain undefeated in SEC play (14-3, 9-0)

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 70-59, on Tuesday to remain undefeated in SEC play (14-3, 9-0)

Despite winning the game by double-digits, this one was much closer than the previous meeting in Lexington.

Both teams went back and forth in the first half before Alabama went into halftime with a 35-32 lead.

Kentucky came out hot in the second half, leading several times in the first 15 minutes of the half. The Wildcats held a two-point lead with around four minutes remaining in the game.

Then everything fell apart.

The Crimson Tide would go on an 18-5 run to end the game and emerged with a hard-fought victory. It’s the first time Alabama has swept Kentucky on the hardwood since 1988-89.

It was not a particularly good shooting night for the Tide. Alabama shot just 30 percent from 3-point range and 39 percent from the field.

Fortunately for Alabama coach Nate Oats, his defense was outstanding. The Crimson Tide forced 17 turnovers and had nine steals. The Wildcats shot only 35 percent from the field and were held under their season average.

While the Tide struggled from the field, they were outstanding from the free-throw line, making 24 of 28 attempts.

Sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford led Alabama with 21 points. Senior forward Herb Jones scored 13 points and led the team with nine rebounds and eight assists.

Freshman guard Josh Primo and senior guard John Petty each scored 10 points.

Alabama gets a break in SEC play on Saturday when it faces No. 24 Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Alabama MBB cracks top 10 in latest AP top 25

Nate Oats is doing wonders for the Crimson Tide in his second season as the head ball coach. Alabama is undefeated in SEC play and 13-3 …

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team is rolling through their SEC scedule, remaining undefeated in conference play with a total record of 13-3 after a win over Mississippi State.

The team is unique in that it has a fast-paced offense and a defense that can stop shots or a drive. Consisting of starters and off-the-bench contributors that range anywhere from seniors to true freshmen, they can do it all.

Upcoming games include Kentucky at home, then on the road to face off against Oklahoma in the SEC – Big 12 challenge.

In the latest AP top 25 poll, Alabama ranks No. 9 in the nation.

There’s no telling where the ceiling is for this team, or who will be able to slow them down from this impressive run.

 

Alabama handles Mississippi State to remain undefeated in SEC

The Mississippi State Bulldogs came to Tuscaloosa and gave first-place Alabama all it could handle, but the Crimson Tide proved to be too

The Mississippi State Bulldogs came to Tuscaloosa and gave first-place Alabama all it could handle, but the Crimson Tide proved to be too much in an 81-73 victory on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (9-7, 4-4) kept the game close, going into halftime down just five points. However, the Crimson Tide (13-3, 8-0) would build a double-digit lead on multiple occasions in the second half but couldn’t put the Bulldogs away.

Things got really interesting late as Mississippi State cut Alabama’s lead to three points, but the Crimson Tide would answer to keep the Bulldogs from getting any closer.

Senior guard John Petty ended things late as he drilled a 3-pointer to give the Crimson Tide a six-point lead with 31 seconds remaining. The score was 79-73 when Alabama got a defensive stop that led to a Herb Jones’ dunk for the Tide’s final points.

The win is Alabama’s ninth in a row — it’s longest win streak since 2002.

All five Alabama starters scored in double figures, with Jones leading the way with 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

Freshman star Joshua Primo scored 16 points for the Crimson Tide, while Petty and Jaden Shackelford each added 12 points.

Next up for Alabama is a rematch with Kentucky, this time in Tuscaloosa. The Tide blew out the Wildcats, 85-65, earlier this month.

 

 

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Who are the top players to know?

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

Unfortunately, putting together a big board at this point in the year is an incomplete task. The inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players, has not yet begun their season.

That makes it impossible to track development for top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green as well as potential risers like Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.

While there are some honorable mentions included for some fringe prospects, several names (e.g. Duke’s DJ Steward, UNC’s Caleb Love, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon, Miami’s Earl Timberlake) were omitted on account of projected returns to the NCAA. As of right now, however, it is still a great challenge to predict who will be in this class.

The key to this draft is fluidity and being willing to accept that things will change quickly. Players will have slumps and some may be slow to adapt to the new normal. Rankings now are hardly reflective of where they will be as we get closer to March Madness.

Note that any conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of January 22, 2021.

CBS Sports releases latest college basketball rankings. Where is Alabama?

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball is all in on Nate Pats as he has led the team all the way to the top 10 of the latsest CBS Sports rankings.

The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team has long lived in the shadow of the football team. Nick Saban reigns supreme on campus, and certainly holds onto the top spot as the University’s ‘favorite coach,’ but Nate Oats is on the rise.

Alabama basketball currently ranks No. 18 in the nation according to the latest AP poll, but has made a significant move into the top 10 in the latest CBS Sports ranking.

With an overall record of 12-3 and an undefeated SEC record of 7-0, the Crimson Tide ranks No. 10 in the nation in the CBS Sports ranking.

A team headlined by seniors John Petty and Herb Jones has also seen a spark from the younger members of the team. Last night’s big 105-75 win over LSU saw freshman Josh Primo score 22 points.

They have not lost a game in a month and it’s beginning to garner national attention. The Crimson Tide are likely going to be dancing in March.