Alabama loses 72-68 to Iona

[Jordan Harper]

Last year, Iona gave Alabama a very good game in the 1st round of the tournament and Alabama pulled away late. Tonight Iona gave Alabama a very good game, but Iona flipped the script to win. Alabama shot horrendously from the FT line, they were forced to attack the basket and finish, and Iona played a very slow pace that messed with Alabama. Alabama looked like they forced a lot of shots and passes tonight trying to speed the tempo up. That is fine when you are hitting, but Alabama did not tonight.

Iona got a TON better in the offseason landing several transfers and they looked like a team ready for the spotlight this year, while they did not last year. Was anything alarming for Alabama tonight that people should worry about? Not really. They likely won't shoot that bad from the FT line much, as the guys missing were mainly guards so it was an off game. The defense is the main concern right now for me, mainly the post defense. Bediako gets torched down low and switching all ball screens creates so many mismatches for the other team, and Iona exploited that. There are plenty of teams that we play that have dominant big men that we are going to have trouble stopping. This is where you miss Herb Jones. Keon is awesome, but Herb can guard 1-5 while Keon can't.

Is it time to panic? No. Is it time to get right? Yes. The schedule is about to get brutal once Bama leaves Orlando and they better figure their defensive rotations out before Gonzaga, Memphis, and Houston. Right now, winning 1 of those 3 seems like a win for me the way things have started out. Alabama will likely face Drake tomorrow night as I expect Belmont to beat them tonight.

 

[pwestbro61]

We have seen this type of free shooting many times. Ellis only gets 3 shots because of way too much Isolation. Whenever you have double the turnovers vs assist that is a major problem. 7 assists the whole game is not good.

 

[Codie B]

The defense is a concern, but to me the BIG concern was the one I worried about from the very beginning of this season, and that is our shooting. Losing Burnett, on top of Primo leaving for the NBA early, were major loses when it came to our outside shooting.

 

[pwestbro61]

The defense is a concern, but to me the BIG concern was the one I worried about from the very beginning of this season, and that is our shooting. Losing Burnett, on top of Primo leaving for the NBA early, were major loses when it came to our outside shooting.

No doubt.

 

[ATLSwag17]

Probably good to temper expectations. We’ve got at least 4 losses coming OOC.

 

[G.O.A.T-23]

With everything that didn't go right this game, they hit 75% of their FT and they win this game. I am not worried about them not playing as sharp; it's basketball and it happens to the best teams. But hit your FTs...

 

[jtr4dad]

Probably good to temper expectations. We’ve got at least 4 losses coming OOC.

I’m thinking at least 5 - Iona, Gonzaga, Houston, Memphis, and Baylor. We’ll have to play better than we have in any game so far to beat any of those teams.

 

[G.O.A.T-23]

I’m thinking at least 5 - Iona, Gonzaga, Houston, Memphis, and Baylor. We’ll have to play better than we have in any game so far to beat any of those teams.

Gonzaga and Baylor are Ls, Houston at home is a W and Memphis on the road is a push. If they come away 2-2 in those games it's a good sign. Try not to get blown out by Gonzaga, but that's a problem most teams will have against the Zags...

 

[jtr4dad]

Gonzaga and Baylor are Ls, Houston at home is a W and Memphis on the road is a push. If they come away 2-2 in those games it's a good sign. Try not to get blown out by Gonzaga, but that's a problem most teams will have against the Zags...

I love your optimism, but if we can’t beat a mediocre Iona team on a neutral court how are we gonna beat a ranked Memphis on the road? It’ll take better game than any we have played so far to beat Houston, even at home. I’m afraid the Gonzaga game may be over before the first media timeout.

 

[cola68]

Gonzaga and Baylor are Ls, Houston at home is a W and Memphis on the road is a push. If they come away 2-2 in those games it's a good sign. Try not to get blown out by Gonzaga, but that's a problem most teams will have against the Zags...

I’m not ready to say Houston is a gimme. I hope you’re right. That’s a streaky shooting team and they can fill it up

 

[StablerCountry]

I still hold out hope, but with Bama basketball it seems to be the same ole story. Lose games they are suppose to win in a season with so many games you are not suppose to win will probably leave nothing but a disappointing season.
But hey, that is Bama basketball. Maybe this team can turn it around. But I doubt it.

 

[frazor]

I still hold out hope, but with Bama basketball it seems to be the same ole story. Lose games they are suppose to win in a season with so many games you are not suppose to win will probably leave nothing but a disappointing season.
But hey, that is Bama basketball. Maybe this team can turn it around. But I doubt it.

Geez man step back from the ledge. It's the 5th game of the season. Anybody who thought this team was going to replicate last year's regular season success was delusional. Tonight was a payback game for Iona and we got the entire SEC waiting to pay us back for last year as well. Take your lumps, learn and gel while playing hard, and get 17-18 wins and make the tournament. There have been plenty of 19-20 win seasons where Bama got left at home. 16 wins against this schedule will probably get them in too.

 

[jmillerbama]

I love how everyone is like o its no big deal there just FTs! Well FTs got is beat last year against UCLA that possibly stopped our first EVER final 4 and maybe more!

 

[pwestbro61]

I still hold out hope, but with Bama basketball it seems to be the same ole story. Lose games they are suppose to win in a season with so many games you are not suppose to win will probably leave nothing but a disappointing season.
But hey, that is Bama basketball. Maybe this team can turn it around. But I doubt it.

Guess you missed last season.

 

[Secksbot]

I love your optimism, but if we can’t beat a mediocre Iona team on a neutral court how are we gonna beat a ranked Memphis on the road? It’ll take better game than any we have played so far to beat Houston, even at home. I’m afraid the Gonzaga game may be over before the first media timeout.

5 games in, not sure how we can say Iona is mediocre. Pitino is a top tier coach.

 

[Holt Ironman]

This !!! Free Throws !!! If we shoot just shoot better than 50% on FT we beat UCLA last year. We can have off nights but we can’t keep shooting less than 50% on bad nights when we are going to the line for 20-30 attempts. Especially when it is our guards shooting most of the FT.

I love how everyone is like o its no big deal there just FTs! Well FTs got is beat last year against UCLA that possibly stopped our first EVER final 4 and maybe more!

i

 

[Hcrobinson99]

Im surprised you’re take away was defense issues. We look awful on offense. Can anyone on this team pass the ball? Shack is a great scorer but the guy NEVER looks to pass. He attempts wild layups constantly. On top of that, this team needs a pure knockdown shooter in the mold of JJ Reddick. Also, will bama ever be good at free throws?

 

[Sweetlou2.0]

The “same ol story” comments are interesting considering this team won the sec reg season and tournament last year. Don’t quite get that one

 

[MobileBama]

With the loss our RPI actually improved two spots according to Real Time RPI. We’re now #4 with the #1 strength of schedule.

 

[G.O.A.T-23]

I love your optimism, but if we can’t beat a mediocre Iona team on a neutral court how are we gonna beat a ranked Memphis on the road? It’ll take better game than any we have played so far to beat Houston, even at home. I’m afraid the Gonzaga game may be over before the first media timeout.

I’m not ready to say Houston is a gimme. I hope you’re right. That’s a streaky shooting team and they can fill it up

I just think this team, like most teams, shoot better at home than they do away. Houston is going to be a big game at home, I'm going to be there with 7 teenage boys, my three sons and 4 of their friends on their basketball teams, three of whom never been to an Alabama basketball game. So I think the atmosphere for this game is going to be great.

As for Memphis, maybe it's my hate for all things in Tennessee, but I think this team will have hit it's stride. Losing to a quality team with one of the best coaches in CBB history early in the season is not the end of the world. Basketball is a funny game and you see these kinds of Ls throughout the season every year. One team gets hot or it's just one of those nights where nothing goes right and really good teams lose to quality teams like Iona every single week.

 

[G.O.A.T-23]

I love how everyone is like o its no big deal there just FTs! Well FTs got is beat last year against UCLA that possibly stopped our first EVER final 4 and maybe more!

I am not saying it's not a big deal, all I was trying to point out is that despite how average this team played yesterday, they still win the game if they just make 70% (which is average) they still win this game. FT shooting is a problem for this team. No way a team that focus on shooting should be in the mid 60s as a team.

 

[BIGRON930]

JD needs the ball more.

 

[BamaNavyCPO]

Alternative game summation:
(1). In a tight game, missing 12 FTs + a (coach) technical foul = loss.
(2). Having no mid-range jump shooters + making only 5 of 17 threes = loss.
(3). In a tight game, the opponent making more threes, having mid-range jump shooters, + making about 85% FTs = loss.

 

[pwestbro61]

JD needs the ball more.

He is a turnover machine right now.

 

[BeastofBourbon]

I love your optimism, but if we can’t beat a mediocre Iona team on a neutral court how are we gonna beat a ranked Memphis on the road? It’ll take better game than any we have played so far to beat Houston, even at home. I’m afraid the Gonzaga game may be over before the first media timeout.

We had a horrible shooting night, played terrible defense, and shot poorly from the FT line and still only lost by 4. Doubt we'll see many more games when we struggle in all of those phases in the same game moving forward. That Iona team is not mediocre. Pitino has a solid basketball team, and I suspect will run through their conference relatively unscathed.

 

[pwestbro61]

With the loss our RPI actually improved two spots according to Real Time RPI. We’re now #4 with the #1 strength of schedule.

That has to be some kind of joke.

 

[pwestbro61]

Im surprised you’re take away was defense issues. We look awful on offense. Can anyone on this team pass the ball? Shack is a great scorer but the guy NEVER looks to pass. He attempts wild layups constantly. On top of that, this team needs a pure knockdown shooter in the mold of JJ Reddick. Also, will bama ever be good at free throws?

Shack and Quinnerly are incredibly selfish with the basketbal. Ellis only gets 3 shots? Ridiculous

 

[BeastofBourbon]

That has to be some kind of joke.

Not really. Depending on which service you look at Oakland is #1 or #2 RPI. They've played 7 games going 5-2 with only losses to us and West Virginia. Iona is a top 25 RPI.

 

[Secksbot]

Alternative game summation:
(1). In a tight game, missing 12 FTs + a (coach) technical foul = loss.
(2). Having no mid-range jump shooters + making only 5 of 17 threes = loss.
(3). In a tight game, the opponent making more threes, having mid-range jump shooters, + making about 85% FTs = loss.

Have you not watched an Oats coached team before? They are never going to shoot mid ranged jumpers, nor should they. Besides the free throws, the guards trying to play too much iso basketball last night was an issue. They need to look to pass more.

 

[Jordan Harper]

I love your optimism, but if we can’t beat a mediocre Iona team on a neutral court how are we gonna beat a ranked Memphis on the road? It’ll take better game than any we have played so far to beat Houston, even at home. I’m afraid the Gonzaga game may be over before the first media timeout.

Come on man. Iona is far from mediocre.

 

[Jordan Harper]

Alabama has only taken less than 20 threes in a game twice since Oats has been here. Both times against Rick Pitino and Iona.

Rick is the best in-game coach in the country and one of the best defensive coaches of all-time. They’ll be ranked next week. Lets not act like we shouldn’t have ever lost to them. They’re a dang good mid major. Drake is the #3 mid major in the country as well. Need to bounce back

 

[anon_z8qxv7qt5719f]

Alabama has only taken less than 20 threes in a game twice since Oats has been here. Both times against Rick Pitino and Iona.

Rick is the best in-game coach in the country and one of the best defensive coaches of all-time. They’ll be ranked next week. Lets not act like we shouldn’t have ever lost to them. They’re a dang good mid major. Drake is the #3 mid major in the country as well. Need to bounce back

Pitino had a brilliant plan and was willing to win or lose at the FT line. The main goal was to play tight perimeter defense and allow the drive to basket. It became either a layup or foul against Iona. He was determined to take away the three and take their chances at allowing us to go to line. They had big men that could defend the basket also. Brilliant plan by Pitino.

We were able to spread the floor at times, but when you pass the ball to someone going to the hoop you've got to have precision passing. I think many times we had five out or at least 4 and nobody was cutting to the basket. From the TV vantage point there were gaping holes and nobody was trying to use the space that the defense was allowing.

 

[Sweetlou2.0]

Shack and Quinnerly are incredibly selfish with the basketbal. Ellis only gets 3 shots? Ridiculous

I agree on shack… but Q? Probably our least selfish player. Incredible passer. Only reason a few guys on our team can score at all is because he drops them dimes.

 

[BeastofBourbon]

Alabama has only taken less than 20 threes in a game twice since Oats has been here. Both times against Rick Pitino and Iona.

Rick is the best in-game coach in the country and one of the best defensive coaches of all-time. They’ll be ranked next week. Lets not act like we shouldn’t have ever lost to them. They’re a dang good mid major. Drake is the #3 mid major in the country as well. Need to bounce back

We got outcoached last night, and there is no shame in that. Pitino is a hall of fame coach, and he was coaching last night like it was a Sweet 16 game.

 

[BIGRON930]

He is a turnover machine right now.

Quinnerly was a wreck last night and cant do nearly what JD can in the lane. How many times did Quinnerly get blocked last night?

 

[CrmsnTusk4]

Good lord we have some mentally fragile fans. It’s game 5. This isn’t football. Calm the F down.

 

[BIGRON930]

We love to shoot 3s. Just checked, we are 247th in America in 3-pt percentage right now.

 

[pwestbro61]

Quinnerly was a wreck last night and cant do nearly what JD can in the lane. How many times did Quinnerly get blocked last night?

Quinnerly was a ball hog last night- zero distribution. Team had only 7 assists all night. Speaks volumes.

 

[pwestbro61]

We love to shoot 3s. Just checked, we are 247th in America in 3-pt percentage right now.

Wow.

 

[pwestbro61]

I agree on shack… but Q? Probably our least selfish player. Incredible passer. Only reason a few guys on our team can score at all is because he drops them dimes.

Not last night. 7 total assists. That is incredible.