Alabama hangs on to beat Jacksonville St 65-59

[Jordan Harper]

Alabama looked sluggish from the start of this game and grinded out a victory against a pretty solid Jax St team tonight. Keon Ellis has put together back to back nice offensive games scoring 20 points tonight and grabbing 10 rebounds. I thought the offense was fine, but the shots were not falling. That has been a problem the past couple of games. That is basketball. Some nights they're falling and some nights they are not. When they are not falling, you have to find other ways to score the basketball and that is what Alabama is going to have to do moving forward. Teams are going to try and force them to be a half court team and slow them down. You can tell they are not comfortable with it either.

Defensively I thought Jax St hit some tough shots, but giving up second chance points hurt Alabama again tonight like it did against Memphis. Teams are starting to try and isolate defenders and make it a 1 on 1 game and test our ability to guard the ball. I think it is a solid plan right now, because Keon Ellis is the only guy I trust on the perimeter guarding 1 on 1. Helping off 3 point shooters and the post men when we get beat off the dribble is what has gotten them in trouble. Against talented teams like Memphis and Davidson who we play on Tuesday, that extra help will really bite you.

Overall I thought it was just one of those sluggish games where the crowd wasn't into it and the players didn't seem to be either. It happens. Seemed that way around college basketball today as well. They will have a quick turnaround again and face a very good Davidson squad in Birmingham on Tuesday night.

 

[pwestbro61]

Shackleford just looked disinterested.

 

[D Isaiah T Billings-Clyde7]

The sluggish stuff has to stop or it will be win one lose one all year in conference play. There’s no explanation other than focus and energy. That has to be consistent

 

[frazor]

The sluggish stuff has to stop or it will be win one lose one all year in conference play. There’s no explanation other than focus and energy. That has to be consistent

Fortunately this team did what they needed to do with OOC games. Still going to be some ugly games and unexplainable losses but 7-8 more wins gets them in the tournament with this SOS unless they drop like 9/11 down the stretch. Plenty of wins to be had but you're right, the intensity has to increase.

 

[D Isaiah T Billings-Clyde7]

Fortunately this team did what they needed to do with OOC games. Still going to be some ugly games and unexplainable losses but 7-8 more wins gets them in the tournament with this SOS unless they drop like 9/11 down the stretch. Plenty of wins to be had but you're right, the intensity has to increase.

I just think getting in the tournament Is a low bar now. I want to compete for sec regular season and top 4 seed. Not saying it’s a total bust if we don’t win the conference but the end goal isn’t making the dance anymore… atleast not in my mind

 

[aggietider]

Miles was the difference in this game. He made a lot of winning plays. Seemed like he played alMost the entire second half.

 

[mr4bama]

Shackleford just looked disinterested.

i probally looked the same way when i missed every shot.

 

[BamaNavyCPO]

The first half was a replay of the Memphis game. The intensity didn't come until the 2nd half. Oats stressed it last night during his postgame presser by stating, "we didn't come out with the energy needed, but picked it up the 2nd half. Defensively, we've got to improve, along with rebounding."
Two schools of thought:
1. Gurly provides zero offense (no midrange jumpers/3s/or FTs).
2. Gary should not be taking 3s. Use that wide body down low (scoring/rebounding)

 

[frazor]

I just think getting in the tournament Is a low bar now. I want to compete for sec regular season and top 4 seed. Not saying it’s a total bust if we don’t win the conference but the end goal isn’t making the dance anymore… atleast not in my mind

Oh I agree that the expectations with Oats have changed. With the fluid movement of players with recruiting and transfer portal it's not a given what the product is going to be from one season to the next. To your point this team is a 4 seed but my mindset will always be "figure out a way to make the second season (tournament)." After that it's game on and no guarantee what's going to happen. It will be nice to one day have "final four or bust" teams but with that comes a lot of heartbreak so I'm going to try and sit back and enjoy every March as much as I can.

 

[Codie B]

If we shoot, and play like we did last night, against almost any other team left on our schedule, or that we already played, and we don’t walk out with a W. We saw that against Memphis. Hopefully, this team becomes more consistent with their shooting, cuts down on their turnovers, and grows as a unit as the season progresses. If you were going to have a really bad night, this was the time to have one.

 

[tydzbk]

I just think getting in the tournament Is a low bar now. I want to compete for sec regular season and top 4 seed. Not saying it’s a total bust if we don’t win the conference but the end goal isn’t making the dance anymore… atleast not in my mind

Yeah that bar was low for too long. This is Alabama, and it was sad to see our coaches think we'd slayed the dragon by making the tournament. And everyone knows that's you're ceiling. Sure, year one, two maybe. But you're the coach at Alabama and for years you're either riding high on getting in the 8-9 matchup, or you're getting bounced by Creighton in the nit. No way to live. Glad we have higher expectations now and our fans realize we are capable of much more than that.

 

[pfaud001]

Teams have figured out a way to play Bama differently. Slow the game down and then beat the guards off the dribble. Our defense is what we have hung our hat on for the last 3 years. It has to get better and I am hoping the last 2 games was fatigue and lack of interest in a weak opponent. They need to stop reading their press clippings. I just watched SEC now and they interviewed Oats after the game. He was as mad as I have ever seen him even after a loss. Shack, Q, and Ellis need to be the leaders and get this ship back on course.

 

[tt69]

It's December. All of you just need to chill the eff out. Do you remember how iffy we looked at this time last year? Once again, it's December.

 

[tusalabuff]

Gurley has been a huge disappointment so far. Whatever he done at Furman, he left it there.

 

[TideFever]

One more game in this pre-conference stretch that was every bit the grind it looked like it would be. Then they get 8 days off to rest and enjoy a holiday. Hopefully legs get some energy back and players refocus when the schedule gets real. A week ago we looked like another 16-2 conference team. Right now 10-8 might be reaching a bit. And throw Baylor in there in the middle.

Echoing many here but Bama's got to get back to being able to grind and play defense. More than anything find a way to get more rebounds when we're on defense. That's been the killer lately. Can't get out and run if the other team keeps getting boards until they get a bucket or a foul.

The Jan SEC stretch looks as brutal as what we just came through.

Tenn (Dec 29)
@Florida
@Mizzou
Auburn
@Miss St
LSU
Mizzou
@UGA
Baylor

I hate that the Tenn is game is a wed in the last week of Dec. Two weeks later and that would be a mad house. Should be a good crowd there, just not what it could end up being at any time in Jan.

Baylor better be some kind of next level crazy for a home game in T-Town. Sat afternoon against #1.

 

[BamaNavyCPO]

It's December. All of you just need to chill the eff out. Do you remember how iffy we looked at this time last year? Once again, it's December.

This is a discussion board in which we are allowed to vent our opinions. Last year was "last year," different team with different opponents. It's not a lot of participation as it is, so how much worse would it be if everyone had to follow the same mantra?

 

[pfaud001]

It's December. All of you just need to chill the eff out. Do you remember how iffy we looked at this time last year? Once again, it's December.

I don't think anyone is freaking out. I do think the team will adapt. When you have a target on your back, teams work harder to beat you. Bama just has to make sure they have multiple ways to win. Ellis making 3s made up for Shack being shut out. Rebounding is one of our weaknesses and I think they will tinker with lineups to fix that.