Alabama won it's season opener tonight over an inferior Jacksonville State squad 81-57. It was a game that showed obvious rust and inexperience from several players that haven't played Division 1 college basketball before. Alabama showed great improvements defensively and a lot of that can be attributed to the increase in talent/athleticism on the team. Having guys like Keon Ellis, James Rojas, and Jordan Bruner really helped in holding JSU to 28% shooting and forcing 18 turnovers. The one player everyone was excited to see was Jahvon Quinerly, the Villanova transfer PG who has to sit out last season and he did not disappoint. JQ finished with 18 points on 7/12 shooting and showing Kira/Sexton-like speed to the basket.
Now, it wasn't all good for the Tide as they did not shoot the 3 well at all (7/31) and at times had trouble rebounding against an inferior opponent. Obviously, the 3's will start falling as it is the first game, but they need to get better at rebounding the ball consistently before SEC play. It was exciting to see some of the new faces such as Quinerly, Keon Ellis, Jordan Bruner, Rojas, and Primo in action. Ellis looked timid offensively, but showed how great defensively he can be. Primo flashed at times at how talented he is. Bruner and Rojas showed versatility at the 4/5 spot that has to be there for Nate Oats's team to function effectively. It was also good to see the returning players have solid games tonight. Jaden Shackelford finished with an impressive double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the smallest guy on the team. Herbert Jones also finished with a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Petty finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds.
In a game where Alabama didn't play close to their potential, they still showed just how explosive they can be. JSU cut the lead to 10 points with about 10 minutes to go and in a blink of an eye in was back to 20. Pair that explosiveness with improved defensive play and you have a very dangerous team. Alabama's next game will be November 30 in the Maui Invitational against Stanford.
Now, it wasn't all good for the Tide as they did not shoot the 3 well at all (7/31) and at times had trouble rebounding against an inferior opponent. Obviously, the 3's will start falling as it is the first game, but they need to get better at rebounding the ball consistently before SEC play. It was exciting to see some of the new faces such as Quinerly, Keon Ellis, Jordan Bruner, Rojas, and Primo in action. Ellis looked timid offensively, but showed how great defensively he can be. Primo flashed at times at how talented he is. Bruner and Rojas showed versatility at the 4/5 spot that has to be there for Nate Oats's team to function effectively. It was also good to see the returning players have solid games tonight. Jaden Shackelford finished with an impressive double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds as the smallest guy on the team. Herbert Jones also finished with a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Petty finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds.
In a game where Alabama didn't play close to their potential, they still showed just how explosive they can be. JSU cut the lead to 10 points with about 10 minutes to go and in a blink of an eye in was back to 20. Pair that explosiveness with improved defensive play and you have a very dangerous team. Alabama's next game will be November 30 in the Maui Invitational against Stanford.
