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Five-out Friday: A look at Alabama basketball heading into Sweet 16

Tony_Tsoukalas

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Feb 5, 2014
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Welcome back to Five-out Friday where Hunter Cruse breaks down five topics surrounding Alabama basketball. Today we’ll take a look at No. 2 seed Alabama as it prepares for its Sweet 16 matchup against No. 11 seed UCLA on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. CT.


Alabama’s ball movement raises its offensive efficiency

Monday, No. 2 Alabama blew past No. 10 Maryland 96-77 in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Tide has won 18 of 19 games when committing less than 15 turnovers. Alabama’s unselfish offensive approach leads to fewer turnovers while creating better scoring opportunities.

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Alabama utilized its five-out offense to score more than 90 points for the third time this season. On this possession, Maryland hedges Jahvon Quinerly as Juwan Gary cuts towards the basket. Maryland’s Eric Ayala (No. 5) alters the pass causing Gary to adjust his body to hit Alex Reese in the corner. While anticipating a defensive rotation, Reese makes a quick pass to John Petty Jr. who attacks the basket and draws a foul.

During Monday’s TNT broadcast, commentators Brian Anderson and Jim Jackson brought up Gregg Popovich’s point-five-second rule, where players shouldn’t hold the ball for more than half a second before doing something with it. Nate Oats has used this philosophy to express the importance of ball movement throughout his coaching career.

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Here’s a look at how Alabama’s able to set up transition 3-pointers within seconds of a rebound. Petty’s outside look was a common sight as Maryland struggled to keep up with its tempo. The Tide leads the nation in games with more than 10 made 3s for a reason.

Joshua Primo returns

Joshua Primo made his return from injury after missing the previous four games with an MCL sprain. In 23 minutes of play against Maryland, the guard recorded 10 points and four rebounds on 66 percent (4 of 6) shooting. Primo was a pleasant return for the Tide as he was originally expected to be reinstated into the lineup for the Sweet 16.

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In the play above, Primo finished a putback dunk on a missed 3-point attempt from Jaden Shackelford in the second half against Maryland. During his postgame Zoom call with reporters, Oats was pleased with Primo’s return.

“I thought his minutes were huge for us,” Oats said. “He went 2 of 4 from 3… That tip dunk was what got me going, though, showed his athleticism a little bit. I think maybe that’ll give him a little bit of confidence.”

Alex Reese shows out against Maryland

Reese has been a crucial bench piece to begin the NCAA tournament. In Alabama’s 68-55 victory over Iona, he shot a perfect 2 of 2 from 3 for the first time in his career. He’s averaged 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on 78 percent shooting from the field through two games in the Big Dance.

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On the offensive end, Alabama outrebounded Maryland 15 to 4. When examining this possession, Primo hoists up a 3-point attempt as Reese begins to run baseline to spot up for a ball side corner 3. Quinerly grabs the long offensive rebound before finding Reese in stride for a triple. This example illustrates Reese’s ability to space the floor while providing senior leadership.

Previewing the Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA

No. 11 UCLA (20-9) rides a three-game winning streak entering Sunday’s matchup against Alabama. Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang has guided the Bruins to the Sweet 16 with averages of 22.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in the NCAA tournament.

UCLA lost its No. 2 scorer Chris Smith to a torn ACL in December. Despite that injury, head coach Mick Cronin found a way to reach the tournament for a 10th-straight season, dating back to his time at Cincinnati.

In 2004, No. 8 Alabama defeated No. 5 Syracuse 80-71 to advance to its only Elite Eight in program history. Antonie Pettway, a current Alabama assistant coach, recorded 10 points and three assists in the victory.

Where Herbert Jones and John Petty Jr. stand in NBA draft projections

Alabama seniors Herbert Jones and Petty have found themselves in the mix to be selected in the 2021 NBA Draft.

In Tankathon’s updated mock draft, Jones is projected to the Boston Celtics with the No. 43 overall selection. While no reason is listed, Boston has one of the worst defensive ratings in the league, which is a specialty for Jones. He’s a consensus second-round prospect amongst draft experts.

Petty is projected to be selected by the Indiana Pacers with the draft’s final pick. The obvious draw is his microwave scoring ability as he’s able to get points in bunches. Petty is averaging 12.5 points and 5.2 rebounds on 37.3 percent shooting from 3 this season.
 
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