Opening Statement…
“Big night tonight for us. It was the Auburn-Alabama we expect it to be. It was a great game, Bruce (Pearl) had his guys ready to go. To be down 17 with just over 10 minutes to go in the game, I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. Second SEC Championship in three years here. It was really special tonight to do it in front of our fans. I mean they were great tonight I really want to thank our fans for all their support. They brought the energy I thought to our run in the second half. We achieved a lot this year. I mean shoot we just swept our in-state rival which is a big deal around here. We went undefeated at home. It's not easy to do. We still got things we want to accomplish ahead of us. The guys have worked hard and I'm super proud of them.”
Benny’s Breakdown: Rivalry games always have extra pomp and circumstance around them, but the chance for Alabama to become the outright regular-season champions with a win over Auburn, sent the crowd at Coleman Coliseum into a frenzy. It was the first celebration the team hopes will come with two more during March, but it can’t be overstated how important it was for Alabama to accomplish this goal at home. Wednesday’s win makes Alabama a perfect 14-0 at home this season. Despite a bevy of close games, the Crimson Tide took care of business at home, something Nate Oats has harped on all season long.
On what it was like to celebrate the regular-season title at home…
“These fans have been great since we've got here. I was really happy we were able to win this thing outright and do the celebration in Coleman. Winning it two years ago was great, but you're on the road in a COVID environment at Mississippi State. Tonight was special and we talked about it before the game. At the under-8:00 timeout, I said ‘We need to play a little harder. We’re not losing this game because we didn't play hard enough to win it. Our guys came out and played harder, so it was special to do it here in Coleman.”
Benny’s Breakdown: With an undefeated record at home, Alabama could have let the opportunity to celebrate a championship on its own floor slip away thanks to a sub-par start. If it wasn’t for the 24-7 run to give Alabama its first lead of the game, Auburn shot the ball well enough and stymied the Crimson Tide offense to the point where it deserved the win. Thanks to Jahvon Quinerly, Mark Sears and Noah Clowney, Alabama was able to hold on like a heavyweight prizefighter finding its balance on the ropes. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty and that’s what Alabama is going to need going forward.
On Jahvon Quinerly’s play…
“I can't be more proud of JQ. I told the team we're getting the March version of JQ. He's definitely the X-factor. He's played great for us, particularly in the second half of the last two games. He's obviously really talented, you look at his line tonight, he ended up with 24 points, six assists, not one turnover and led the team in plus/minus with a +16. He really got locked in on the defensive end. He knows how to win and he's making a lot of winning plays on both sides of the ball for us."
Benny’s Breakdown: Speaking of gritty performances, Jahvon Quinerly has embodied that over the past week. If it wasn’t for his second-half performances against Arkansas and Auburn, Alabama wouldn’t have a perfect home record. Plus it would need a win at Texas A&M if it wanted to be outright regular-season champions. Thankfully for Alabama, Quinerly has found that extra gear he showed last season before his ACL injury. Over the last two games, the senior averaged 20 points and 6.5 assists which is exactly what the doctor ordered for an Alabama offense that at times looked like it's been on life-support.
On what it’s like to win the title after the past two weeks…
“Listen I just couldn't be more proud of this group, to be honest. Obviously, it's a heartbreaking situation that's never lost on us, but the kids have worked really hard. Winning in the SEC is not an easy thing to do, I mean look at the teams in this league. It’s a great league. And I just can’t tell you how proud I am of this group.”
Benny’s Breakdown: While there’s been ample criticism towards Oats and the rest of Alabama for the way the last two weeks have gone, if there’s anything that’s also come to light is that nothing can prepare a team for a capital murder case including multiple teammates. The Crimson Tide know it won’t be able to turn off the national spotlight that’s burning into its program, but a brief diversion is welcomed. Brandon Miller arguably needed it the most and delivered an impressive 17 points after a terrible shooting performance. For 24 hours at least the outside noise fades slightly for a team that was desperate for something positive.
“Big night tonight for us. It was the Auburn-Alabama we expect it to be. It was a great game, Bruce (Pearl) had his guys ready to go. To be down 17 with just over 10 minutes to go in the game, I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. Second SEC Championship in three years here. It was really special tonight to do it in front of our fans. I mean they were great tonight I really want to thank our fans for all their support. They brought the energy I thought to our run in the second half. We achieved a lot this year. I mean shoot we just swept our in-state rival which is a big deal around here. We went undefeated at home. It's not easy to do. We still got things we want to accomplish ahead of us. The guys have worked hard and I'm super proud of them.”
Benny’s Breakdown: Rivalry games always have extra pomp and circumstance around them, but the chance for Alabama to become the outright regular-season champions with a win over Auburn, sent the crowd at Coleman Coliseum into a frenzy. It was the first celebration the team hopes will come with two more during March, but it can’t be overstated how important it was for Alabama to accomplish this goal at home. Wednesday’s win makes Alabama a perfect 14-0 at home this season. Despite a bevy of close games, the Crimson Tide took care of business at home, something Nate Oats has harped on all season long.
On what it was like to celebrate the regular-season title at home…
“These fans have been great since we've got here. I was really happy we were able to win this thing outright and do the celebration in Coleman. Winning it two years ago was great, but you're on the road in a COVID environment at Mississippi State. Tonight was special and we talked about it before the game. At the under-8:00 timeout, I said ‘We need to play a little harder. We’re not losing this game because we didn't play hard enough to win it. Our guys came out and played harder, so it was special to do it here in Coleman.”
Benny’s Breakdown: With an undefeated record at home, Alabama could have let the opportunity to celebrate a championship on its own floor slip away thanks to a sub-par start. If it wasn’t for the 24-7 run to give Alabama its first lead of the game, Auburn shot the ball well enough and stymied the Crimson Tide offense to the point where it deserved the win. Thanks to Jahvon Quinerly, Mark Sears and Noah Clowney, Alabama was able to hold on like a heavyweight prizefighter finding its balance on the ropes. It wasn’t pretty, but it was gritty and that’s what Alabama is going to need going forward.
On Jahvon Quinerly’s play…
“I can't be more proud of JQ. I told the team we're getting the March version of JQ. He's definitely the X-factor. He's played great for us, particularly in the second half of the last two games. He's obviously really talented, you look at his line tonight, he ended up with 24 points, six assists, not one turnover and led the team in plus/minus with a +16. He really got locked in on the defensive end. He knows how to win and he's making a lot of winning plays on both sides of the ball for us."
Benny’s Breakdown: Speaking of gritty performances, Jahvon Quinerly has embodied that over the past week. If it wasn’t for his second-half performances against Arkansas and Auburn, Alabama wouldn’t have a perfect home record. Plus it would need a win at Texas A&M if it wanted to be outright regular-season champions. Thankfully for Alabama, Quinerly has found that extra gear he showed last season before his ACL injury. Over the last two games, the senior averaged 20 points and 6.5 assists which is exactly what the doctor ordered for an Alabama offense that at times looked like it's been on life-support.
On what it’s like to win the title after the past two weeks…
“Listen I just couldn't be more proud of this group, to be honest. Obviously, it's a heartbreaking situation that's never lost on us, but the kids have worked really hard. Winning in the SEC is not an easy thing to do, I mean look at the teams in this league. It’s a great league. And I just can’t tell you how proud I am of this group.”
Benny’s Breakdown: While there’s been ample criticism towards Oats and the rest of Alabama for the way the last two weeks have gone, if there’s anything that’s also come to light is that nothing can prepare a team for a capital murder case including multiple teammates. The Crimson Tide know it won’t be able to turn off the national spotlight that’s burning into its program, but a brief diversion is welcomed. Brandon Miller arguably needed it the most and delivered an impressive 17 points after a terrible shooting performance. For 24 hours at least the outside noise fades slightly for a team that was desperate for something positive.
