Thoughts on Alabama’s 2nd SEC Loss at Texas A&M

[Jordan Harper]

Nate Oats is 0-3 against Buzz Williams at Alabama and you can see why. Buzz has a system and culture that preaches defense and muddying the game. They did that today, with some help from Alabama not making shots.

Alabama started 1/15 from 3 and only made 4 shots 16 minutes into the game, yet somehow went into the half only down 10. They caught fire late and took a 3 point lead, but free throws by A&M were just too much to overcome. A&M was 27/28 from the FT line while Bama was 10/11.

You could see this loss coming with the past offensive performances in recent games. Alabama relied on late comebacks after slow starts, but just couldn’t score late and turnovers piled up.

Alabama gets a week off before playing again on Friday and they need that rest. The team looks fatigued and you can tell on their shots. Hopefully the rest gets them right and gets back to playing like themselves. Similar thing happened 2 years ago and then they caught fire in the SECT again.

 

[Jordan Harper]

This team fights so hard regardless of their offensive struggles.

 

[vegas man]

Buzz has a system and culture that preaches defense and muddying the game. They did that today, with some help from Alabama not making shots.

There have been several games this season when our three point shooting has been bad but most of the time it's due to teams playing tough defense out on the three point line. But today our guys got a ton of wide open looks (including Miller) and we were way off the mark.

 

[vegas man]

This team fights so hard regardless of their offensive struggles.

I feel like they do not really until the second half.

 

[pwestbro61]

The game was tied at 54 when Miller was called for an offensive foul at the 3:46 mark. Should have been a plus one on the made basket. Horrible call by Doug Shows. About his 3rd ridiculous call of the day.
Completely changed last 3 minutes of game with Miller fouling out a few minutes later.

But these first half sleep walks need to end. Have trailed by double digits at half in 3 straight games/ 2 of them at home.

 

[shake_weight]

Very concerning how bad this team looks right now

 

[pwestbro61]

Very concerning how bad this team looks right now

Believe it is the off court stuff/ has worn on them heavily. Hope season does not end prematurely but I have a bad feeling.
Strange to feel that way after winning SEC and being 26-5 and in top 5.

 

[jts1255]

Very concerning how bad this team looks right now

The problem was not poor play. We didn’t shoot as well as we should have but actually played good defense… A&M making 27/28 foul shots is why we got beat

 

[vegas man]

But these first half sleep walks need to end. Have trailed by double digits at half in 3 straight games/ 2 of them at home

This is starting to eerily resemble this past season on the gridiron. Good opponents starting fast by punching us in the mouth then we seem to sleep walk for the remainder of the first half.

I will say Oats has made some pretty good adjustments at halftime (unlike O'Brien or Golding), which have put us in a position to win these games. But the sleepwalking in the first half has to stop.

 

[Codie B]

The game was tied at 54 when Miller was called for an offensive foul at the 3:46 mark. Should have been a plus one on the made basket. Horrible call by Doug Shows. About his 3rd ridiculous call of the day.
Completely changed last 3 minutes of game with Miller fouling out a few minutes later.

But these first half sleep walks need to end. Have trailed by double digits at half in 3 straight games/ 2 of them at home.

The problem was not poor play. We didn’t shoot as well as we should have but actually played good defense… A&M making 27/28 foul shots is why we got beat

1. We shot like crap today.
2. 27/28 from the FT line is just unreal. BUT, again we see the problem with the refs when going to some of these places to play. In regulation, Auburn had 24 FT attempts (only made 13), Bama had 25(made 19). Today, A&M had 28 FT attempts, Bama 11. That isn’t even possible, especially when you are talking about the #2 ranked team in the country, for there to be that big a difference.

 

[jtr4dad]

1. We shot like crap today.
2. 27/28 from the FT line is just unreal. BUT, again we see the problem with the refs when going to some of these places to play. In regulation, Auburn had 24 FT attempts (only made 13), Bama had 25(made 19). Today, A&M had 28 FT attempts, Bama 11. That isn’t even possible, especially when you are talking about the #2 ranked team in the country, for there to be that big a difference.

You're not gonna draw many fouls when you shoot 36 3 pointers. Other than the missed goal tending call I thought the officiating was fine.

 

[Codie B]

You're not gonna draw many fouls when you shoot 36 3 pointers. Other than the missed goal tending call I thought the officiating was fine.

I understand your point, but it is almost technically impossible for two teams, of even somewhat similar talent, to have a 3-1 FT attempt ratio. That call on Miller would have been called correctly by a jr high ref.

 

[cola68]

You're not gonna draw many fouls when you shoot 36 3 pointers. Other than the missed goal tending call I thought the officiating was fine.

Good news is Kansas got whipped by 16 versus Texas .. that was a team I was worried might take the overall from bama


Listen, I don’t think the refs were terrible. The Miller charge for his 4th was ludicrous. Then Miller’s fifth was the easiest of the game and the right call.

I think even Jay Wright was calling out the officials in some calls, specifically brandon Miller’s phantom foul when he was falling back under the basket on defense on an Aggie fast break (appeared to try for the charge );

the miller lob to Pringle where the A&M defender undercut nick was a no brainer

and the worst and most inconsistent call or non call in this case is the A&M defender using his stomach to push the the dribbler away from his desired direction or off the baseline out of bounds. It’s always a block and if it’s not and the defender has square position, it’s a charge

A block was not called one time today on the aggies in these instances .

The problem for the ref is it’s not a hand check but the damage and resistance is severe for offensive teams.

 

[Jordan Harper]

The missed goal tend changed the game completely as well.

 

[shake_weight]

The problem was not poor play. We didn’t shoot as well as we should have but actually played good defense… A&M making 27/28 foul shots is why we got beat

This isn’t a one game thing. This team has played terrible in the first half of the last 3 games including against a terrible sc team

 

[jtr4dad]

This isn’t a one game thing. This team has played terrible in the first half of the last 3 games including against a terrible sc team

Last 4 games. South Carolina, Arkansas, boogs, and today.

 

[tydzbk]

The missed goal tend changed the game completely as well.

Yep, if you wanna say we got a fair shake on fouls (we didn't), let's not forget about that juggernaut.

 

[budog]

The game was tied at 54 when Miller was called for an offensive foul at the 3:46 mark. Should have been a plus one on the made basket. Horrible call by Doug Shows. About his 3rd ridiculous call of the day.
Completely changed last 3 minutes of game with Miller fouling out a few minutes later.

But these first half sleep walks need to end. Have trailed by double digits at half in 3 straight games/ 2 of them at home.

There is a member of this site that was sitting beside me last year at the Baylor game and after calling Shows a coward and a mouse of a man three or four times he pointed at us and said one more word and we are gone. We laughed in his face until we were told that he really could have us removed. What an ass he is.

ROLL TIDE!!!!

 

[winin11]

Believe it is the off court stuff/ has worn on them heavily. Hope season does not end prematurely but I have a bad feeling.
Strange to feel that way after winning SEC and being 26-5 and in top 5.

I think that's gas you're feeling pwest🤨

 

[winin11]

The missed goal tend changed the game completely as well.

I called it when it happened and the CBS announcers came to the same conclusion. It was very obvious to me.

 

[vegas man]

The missed goal tend changed the game completely as well.

Remind me again of this one? I cannot seem to recall it.

 

[StablerCountry]

Right now as it stands, this team played its best basketball in January and is struggling to find itself the mid part of February coming forward. Can they find that January magic again for these tourney's.
I hope so.

 

[MickSabinII]

Believe it is the off court stuff/ has worn on them heavily. Hope season does not end prematurely but I have a bad feeling.
Strange to feel that way after winning SEC and being 26-5 and in top 5.

Find a positive, you clown. F'ing Eeyore over here. Woe is me.

 

[pwestbro61]

Remind me again of this one? I cannot seem to recall it.

JQ drive to basket.

 

[TideFever]

There is a member of this site that was sitting beside me last year at the Baylor game and after calling Shows a coward and a mouse of a man three or four times he pointed at us and said one more word and we are gone. We laughed in his face until we were told that he really could have us removed. What an ass he is.

ROLL TIDE!!!!

Shows is a clown with a whistle. Him and Adams are basically the worst we can see in a game on the road. Each of them will cross the court to call a phantom foul just to make a scene about it and then act like the coach isn't allowed to ask wtf he thought he saw from 40 ft away that the guy 5 ft away didn't see. Valentine was bad too and would also enjoy being able to make the game about him.

 

[TideFever]

I read a wild theory elsewhere that our worst shooting nights on the road this year we've been using a certain basketball that we don't see often. Some Wilson ball that's apparently much softer that we use? How legit would it be for shooting to be way off when using a ball very different from what we're used to?

 

[jtr4dad]

I read a wild theory elsewhere that our worst shooting nights on the road this year we've been using a certain basketball that we don't see often. Some Wilson ball that's apparently much softer that we use? How legit would it be for shooting to be way off when using a ball very different from what we're used to?

Not sure about that. Did Arkansas and the boogs sneak that Wilson ball into our home games this week?

 

[pwestbro61]

Shows is a clown with a whistle. Him and Adams are basically the worst we can see in a game on the road. Each of them will cross the court to call a phantom foul just to make a scene about it and then act like the coach isn't allowed to ask wtf he thought he saw from 40 ft away that the guy 5 ft away didn't see. Valentine was bad too and would also enjoy being able to make the game about him.

Shows loves to get his TV air time. A real Jack Ass. Alabama needs to tell the SEC office be is to never call another Alabama game.

 

[Jordan Harper]

Remind me again of this one? I cannot seem to recall it.

It was a 3 point game I believe with under 6 minutes left and JQ went in for a layup that hit the backboard and Garcia, I believe, hit it after it hit the backboard. They would then go down and score.

 

[tydzbk]

It was a 3 point game I believe with under 6 minutes left and JQ went in for a layup that hit the backboard and Garcia, I believe, hit it after it hit the backboard. They would then go down and score.

Yes, go down and shoot free throws. So many plays to keep us at arms length. Just went back and watched Miller's foul on the three. Not a foul. Three free points on a clean blocked shot.

 

[tydzbk]

We just need better guard play. Need more "no neck" point guards.

 

[StablerCountry]

it was some bad calls. The none call on goal tending, the foul not called against Pringle and the foul called on Miller, just to name three. Any of them called correctly and maybe Bama pulls it out.
The big kill shot IMO was Sears terrible ball handling on the turnover with under a minute and Bama trailing by 2 I think.
So Bama plays half way decent ball in the game and none of those ref misses matter. This team has flirted with losses for half of February. It is actually very lucky that they don't have at least two more losses or even three to go with this one. They have been digging their own holes. If they don't change that it will be early exits out of the next two tourney's.

 

[pwestbro61]

Yes, go down and shoot free throws. So many plays to keep us at arms length. Just went back and watched Miller's foul on the three. Not a foul. Three free points on a clean blocked shot.

Thought Miller had some contact. And any contact on a 3 is going to be called. It came from the side.

 

[kimbell]

The game was tied at 54 when Miller was called for an offensive foul at the 3:46 mark. Should have been a plus one on the made basket. Horrible call by Doug Shows. About his 3rd ridiculous call of the day.
Completely changed last 3 minutes of game with Miller fouling out a few minutes later.

But these first half sleep walks need to end. Have trailed by double digits at half in 3 straight games/ 2 of them at home.

We finally agree. Doug is a horrible official

 

[rsaxoniii]

Refs call too many fouls. Half that junk isn't a foul and most of those charges are blocks. The funny thing is there's a ton of no calls around the rim that are fouls. It's a screwed up sport and has been for a while and nothing is consistent.

The only difference between a low and a high scoring game is the refs.

How can you call a foul when no contact is made? they just assume contact? change the rule to where a ref will receive the death penalty by rim hanging if they call a foul on someone when no contact was made and that'll fix the problem. Well maybe that's a little too harsh,idk....anywho, I'm a ref hater and always have been.

I just want to see some kids play basketball not shoot free throws.

Ps: Make up calls piss me off too

 

[Vaughnbama]

A major part of the game is adjusting to the referees. We lost going to elite 8 two years ago because we did not adjust.

 

[pwestbro61]

A major part of the game is adjusting to the referees. We lost going to elite 8 two years ago because we did not adjust.

And because they missed about a dozen free throws.