Alabama rallies to defeat Florida

[Jordan Harper]

Any road win is a great win in conference, especially in that awful gym (it’s actually very nice). After a sluggish first half where it looked like the game was about to get away from Alabama, they took over in the second half with excellent ball movement and tough defense. They dominated the paint, forced 20 turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers. The ball movement in the second half is like last years team. You can tell this team is starting to gel.

Starting Gary was a great move today as he finished with 19 and 8 boards, but played lockdown defense. I was told today Gurley might get the start, but Gary just plays to tough not to start. He’s the hardest playing guy we have on the team by far to go with Keon Ellis. All 5 starters scored in double figures and contributed in a big way. It’s funny watching guys try to stay in front of JQ because it looks like child’s play. Bama still didn’t shoot well from 3, but made up for it from the line (16/19) and they really shot better the 2nd half.

Alabama travels to Missouri on Saturday and plays a depleted and bad Missouri squad. There’s a great chance to be 3-0 going into the big showdown at home against Auburn next Tuesday.

 

[StablerCountry]

Bama played better defense and shot the three better in 2nd half. Auburn playing great ball right now. Next Tuesday will be a tough game.

 

[D Isaiah T Billings-Clyde7]

Gary has started for the last 6+ games

 

[TideFever]

The first half felt like another "here we go again" trip to Gainesville. Close game for a half or maybe 30 minutes and then get our doors blown off. Instead tonight was a very strong finish and really the second half looked like a different team from the first half team. Once we got a bit of a lead and started stretching it a bit we really loosened up as a team and just played ball. Haven't seen us play that loose and confident since Gonzaga.

I hope Mizzou is as easy as some think it will be. Haven't really seen them this season but their record is pretty rough. Losses to Liberty and Kansas City are cringeworthy. We get them twice in like 2 weeks.

The barn game will be tough for us unless we can match what we did in the second half tonight and do it for 40 minutes. I'm not sure there's anything we do that matches up well with what they can bring to the game when they are playing well. We'll have to shoot 40% or better from 3 point for sure. Their inside game will eat us alive if we can't.

The crowd should be epic for that game. Higher ranked barn team in Coleman and we won the football game so that whole halftime bit will be happening. If we take care of business the night before against the Dawgs then it will really be crazy.

 

[Jordan Harper]

Gary has started for the last 6+ games

I know. I was told there was a chance they would give Gurley the start today, but Gary has just been playing so tough it’s hard to change that.

 

[kimbell]

If we don’t play the high pick better, we will be in trouble against better teams. We hedge to hard and to far from the basket which results in our guards having to rotate to defend a big. If the big is not open, we are one pass away from turning to run out and defend the 3.

 

[BamaNavyCPO]

Last night showed the positive effect of playing as a team. The last 3 games they were playing like a group of "Misfits" and the 2nd half of last night's game the "Expendables" emerged.

 

[IgnatiusJacquesReilly]

Any road win is a great win in conference, especially in that awful gym (it’s actually very nice). After a sluggish first half where it looked like the game was about to get away from Alabama, they took over in the second half with excellent ball movement and tough defense. They dominated the paint, forced 20 turnovers and scored 21 points off those turnovers. The ball movement in the second half is like last years team. You can tell this team is starting to gel.

Starting Gary was a great move today as he finished with 19 and 8 boards, but played lockdown defense. I was told today Gurley might get the start, but Gary just plays to tough not to start. He’s the hardest playing guy we have on the team by far to go with Keon Ellis. All 5 starters scored in double figures and contributed in a big way. It’s funny watching guys try to stay in front of JQ because it looks like child’s play. Bama still didn’t shoot well from 3, but made up for it from the line (16/19) and they really shot better the 2nd half.

Alabama travels to Missouri on Saturday and plays a depleted and bad Missouri squad. There’s a great chance to be 3-0 going into the big showdown at home against Auburn next Tuesday.

It seems every time you say we are playing a bad team we struggle. Let's hope that is not the case against Missouri.

 

[jd82tide]

First off hell of a road win and a great second half. Any double digit win in the Swamp is awesome. JQ is our dude when we have to have something and Gary has some Herb in him as far a hustle and getting buckets when nothing seems to be falling. I've said this several times in the last few months... I see no way JD Davison is ready for NBA after one year. Talent, athleticism, ceiling, projections, etc... He's just too raw and one dimensional. Sexton and Shariffe Cooper had the ability to take over games, knock down threes, get the rack in the clutch moments, just don't see any of that yet. When we have to run the offense through him we often don't get he ball inside the 3 point line and have to chuck up miracle threes, which we hit some last night. I think he will be an excellent college player in a few years, right now he is tentative to shoot anything outside and is having trouble creating his own shot on the drive. He did make some nice passes last night and did a much better job not turning the ball over, but the offense bogs down in half court situations when he runs the point. I hope the young man goes wild the rest of the year and maybe he will be NBA ready. I just don't see it even being close right now.

 

[WAR_GA]

@Harper41 , don't let this go to your head, but next to Cecil's articles, yours have always been the ones I search out first. Thanks for your participation in the basketball thread! 👍

 

[Stratman59]

Huge win. Florida's time off showed in the second half, but even with that being said the Good Guys came out like a different team. Huge win!!!

Now they need to keep that momentum going against Mizzu this weekend!

ROLL TIDE !!!

 

[jtr4dad]

The first 8 minutes of the second half may have been the best 8 minutes that we have played all year, especially defensively. As is usually the case, that great defense translated into better offense as well. It was fun to watch.

 

[jtr4dad]

It seems every time you say we are playing a bad team we struggle. Let's hope that is not the case against Missouri.

Missouri had to postpone their game last night due to Covid issues within their program. I hope we get to play them. We have the toughest conference schedule of any team in the league. The best 5 SEC teams other than us are the boogs, Kentucky, LSU, MSU, and Tennessee. We play all of them twice except for Tennessee, so 9 of our 18 league games are against the top 5. In contrast, the boogs have 6 games against the top 5 (we're the only one of the group that they play twice), MSU also has 6, Tennessee has 7, Kentucky and LSU have 8 each. With that kind of schedule inequity we don't need to lose any of our games against the bottom half of the league.

 

[Bama Swoosh]

The first 8 minutes of the second half may have been the best 8 minutes that we have played all year, especially defensively. As is usually the case, that great defense translated into better offense as well. It was fun to watch.

Agreed - and I hope we can be consistent with that intensity quite a bit going forward. When that defensive energy is there, the whole team seems to play comfortable/loose, share the ball, and make their shots and we run people off the court. Really nice to be 2-0 with a nice road win. Hopefully Mizzou gets back enough guys and we can have a big game against them on Saturday. I keep reminding myself we've played the hardest schedule in the nation, so 11-3 is pretty dang good.

 

[frazor]

Missouri had to postpone their game last night due to Covid issues within their program. I hope we get to play them.

Will be interesting to see what Oats, as well as other coaches, do regarding make up games at the end of the season. I know Oats played UGA last season to avoid a 9 day layoff leading up to the SEC tournament. Let's say Bama is the last 4 in (not likely to happen) do you risk travelling to Mizzou and suffering a bad loss or hold out for tournament games on a neutral court? A lot of teams will have to make such decisions.

 

[BamaNavyCPO]

Will be interesting to see what Oats, as well as other coaches, do regarding make up games at the end of the season. I know Oats played UGA last season to avoid a 9 day layoff leading up to the SEC tournament. Let's say Bama is the last 4 in (not likely to happen) do you risk travelling to Mizzou and suffering a bad loss or hold out for tournament games on a neutral court? A lot of teams will have to make such decisions.

I'm more concerned with our players becoming infected with COVID since MIZZU appears to have a contagion problem.

 

[frazor]

I'm more concerned with our players becoming infected with COVID since MIZZU appears to have a contagion problem.

I would never want any of our players to become sick. From a basketball stand point this early OOC schedule could pay huge dividends if Bama were to start dropping games due to players being out. Plenty enough of a body of work pre covid to show what this team is capable of for seeding.