Alabama Is Rolling With Blowout Wins, 3-Pointers And Great Defense
college basketball, Roll Tide, Bama haters, Alabama basketball
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com College Basketball Blogger
There is one college basketball team that is playing at such a high level, it may very well be the top team in the country.
Take these facts into consideration:
• It is undefeated in conference play and is 12-3 overall.
• It beat a Top 5 team on the road.
• It beat a blue blood by 20 points. On the blue blood’s home court.
• It beat a quality team by 30 points on the road.
• It has won its last three games by a total of 81 points. Eight-one points!
Think it’s Gonzaga? Baylor? Villanova? One of any number of Big 10 teams?
Nope, think again. It’s the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
Yes, Bama haters, Alabama has a basketball team and it is soaring on the heels of its football team’s latest (six in the past 12 years) National Championship.
One reason is an offense that is pouring in three-pointers at the rate of nearly 20 per game, which opens up drives to the basket for several lay-ups.
Another reason is a disruptive, in-your-face defense that gets opponents out of its offensive rhythm.
But the biggest reason for the Tide’s success is that Coach Nate Oats has the team playing with an intensive fire not seen on the basketball court in some 20 years. Even with a 40-point second half lead over LSU, Bama players were sprawling all over the place fighting for loose balls and fighting for rebounds.
The team is exciting to watch on both ends and it is winning big against quality competition.
One of the maddening things of the past for the few true followers of Alabama basketball was the team’s inconsistency of effort and thus results. Just when it looked as if the team would break loose, it was sleepwalk through a game and lose. This team started out this way and as a result, lost to Western Kentucky.
But since then, the players have come to play and have gone on such a tear that they are playing at least as good as any team in the country. They have pushed aside the best the SEC can offer, winning at Tennessee, at Kentucky, at LSU, at revitalized Auburn and at home against Florida.
It seems as if – finally – the football team’s success has spread to the basketball team.
A lot of games remain to be played and long-time Bama basketball watchers know not to get too excited, but right now, Alabama may have the No. 1 team in the country.
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