Alabama Basketball Still on NCAA Bubble After Vanderbilt Win
Alabama Basketball defeated Vanderbilt for the second time in two weeks. After going 1-1 this week, where does the Tide fit in terms of the NCAA Tournament?
Alabama Basketball is .500 in SEC play. With a 7-7 record, the Tide ties with Auburn for ninth in the SEC.
It was a much-needed win for Alabama after dropping three straight conference games. The victory could help the Tide end the season on a high note.
However, the Tide’s seventh SEC victory didn’t come easy. Alabama continued to have second-half struggles.
Both teams, despite Alabama having a more talented squad, looked almost equal. Even the game statistics showed similarities.
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Alabama completed 42 percent of its shots from the floor. Vanderbilt completed 43.4 percent.
The Tide slightly shot from the arc better than Vandy. Alabama made 37.5 percent while Vandy shot 23.5 percent from the 3-point line.
The two teams tied with 36 boards apiece. Vandy completed 68.8 percent and made more free throws than the Tide.
What killed the Commodores were the turnovers and lack of an ability to force turnovers. Vanderbilt coughed up the ball 17 times while Alabama turned it over ten times.
Alabama did a fantastic job forcing turnovers which helped them seal the deal. The Tide’s ten steals of the game was a season high. They scored 24
On paper, Alabama is the better team, but they played to Vanderbilt’s level Saturday evening. A team that doesn’t have a single SEC win and Vanderbilt only lost by seven.
If the Commodores made two more three-pointers, the Tide might have lost this game.
If it wasn’t for Kira Lewis Jr., Donta Hall, and Dazon Ingram having double-digit games, there is no telling how this game’s results would look.
Lewis Jr. led the way for the Tide scoring 19 points and shooting 4-8 from the three-point line. He recorded two assists, one block and one steal in the game as well.
The freshman came up big for Alabama, especially from the arc. However, the freshman has come up big for the Tide all season long. 19 of the 27 games he put up double-digit points. Five of those were 20-point games.
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Hall had 14 points, 11 boards, one assist, three blocks, and one steal. He has scored double-digit points in 19 of 27 games. Hall also has 11 double-doubles on the season.
Ingram also put up a double-double for Alabama. He had 13 points, ten rebounds, six assists, and one steal. It was Ingram’s first double-double of the season.
Alabama can put up points when its offense can stay hot. However, I think that is the only reason the Tide’s on the bubble still.
They may be on the bubble right now, but I don’t think that Alabama makes the NCAA Tournament. With four games remaining, the Tide has a tall mountain to climb.
Alabama has two home and two away games left in the regular season. The Tide has to travel to South Carolina and Arkansas. They will get Auburn and LSU at home.
Carolina, LSU, and Auburn are three talented teams that have the manpower to shut down Hall and Lewis Jr. I don’t see them beating LSU.
As for the other three games, it would depend on if Alabama’s opponents had it together.
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Those three games will likely be some entertaining toss-up games to watch and see how the middle of the SEC ends up in the standings.
Up next for Alabama is a road trip to Columbia, South Carolina. The two teams face off Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. South Carolina won’t bend like Vanderbilt did and Alabama better be on top of everything for the mid-week matchup.