| MBB/WBB Alabama Men’s Basketball Falls in Close Contest to No. 13/14 LSU, 74-69

[Destiny's Child]

Pathetic. Was down 3 with the ball and lazy pass leads to an LSU dunk. Now down by 5 with 41.9 seconds.

Wait! What?! We turned it over under pressure at key moments down the stretch? We took bad shots and got tight during crunch time?.. no way!

We will be fortunate to win 1 of the next two. Both teams believe in high pressure and we suck at handling the ball. If we could find a way to win the Auburn game, we may carry enough momentum to steal a win in Fayetteville.

If we lose to the boogs at home we will probably lose both

 

[BamaFan334]

LSU shot 9 of 11 from the floor down the stretch. Poor offensive execution and poor Defense down the stretch by Bama. Hit two three pointers late to make it look more respectable. Frustrating AKA Bama basketball....

Hit two threes late to make it respectable? I mean, didn't LSU hit a couple of shots late to take the lead? I don't get this comment.

 

[mando]

Hit two threes late to make it respectable? I mean, didn't LSU hit a couple of shots late to take the lead? I don't get this comment.

Bama was up LSU hit 9 of 11 to take I think an 8 or 9 point lead. Petty hitting 2 late three pointers made it closer. Not sure what is confusing. One could say 8 or 9 points is respectable so maybe a poor choice of words. I do think Bama played hard and had a shot. I did not see the first half but sounded like it was a bad first half maybe even by both teams. Just frustrated that we led by as much as 6 and let it slip away with quick shots and LSU making 9 of 11 to close it out.

 

[BamaFan334]

Guess I just took it as

Bama was up LSU hit 9 of 11 to take I think an 8 or 9 point lead. Petty hitting 2 late three pointers made it closer. Not sure what is confusing. One could say 8 or 9 points is respectable so maybe a poor choice of words. I do think Bama played hard and had a shot. I did not see the first half but sounded like it was a bad first half maybe even by both teams. Just frustrated that we led by as much as 6 and let it slip away with quick shots and LSU making 9 of 11 to close it out.

Guess I just took it as you were saying we got the crap kicked out of us and we looked lousy outside of the threes that made it look closer than it appeared, which obviously was not the case. I think we had a respectable showing even if we lost by nine considering we led with less than three minutes left.

 

[mando]

considering we led with less than three minutes left.

That part is what is frustrating. I thought they might find a way at that point but they did not unfortunately.

 

[BamaFan334]

That part is what is frustrating. I thought they might find a way at that point but they did not unfortunately.

It was frustrating. It really was, but once again we show we have a team that can compete. Means nothing if we can't win of course, but fighting back and forth with the negative nancy's on here this is further proof that we are not far away and beling in the tournament.

 

[mando]

It was frustrating. It really was, but once again we show we have a team that can compete. Means nothing if we can't win of course, but fighting back and forth with the negative nancy's on here this is further proof that we are not far away and being in the tournament.

I may be naive and unrealistic but I expect bama basketball to get past "we are not far away". Not being critical of what you are saying just frustrated that is where we are and have been for a long time. Hard to get out of the funk once you have gotten there and we have been there for many years.

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama Men’s Basketball Falls in Close Contest to No. 13/14 LSU, 74-69 - University of Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team fell in a closely-contested battle to No. 13/14 LSU, 74-69, Saturday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum. The game featured eight lead changes, four of which came in the game's final eight minutes of play.

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team fell in a closely-contested battle to No. 13/14 LSU, 74-69, Saturday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum. The game featured eight lead changes, four of which came in the game's final eight minutes of play.

Sophomore John Petty Jr. led all players with a game-high 23 points including going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Senior Donta Hall put on a show on Senior Day, recording his third consecutive and league-leading 13th double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Graduate senior Riley Norris scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while sophomore Herbert Jones added 11 points and team highs with five assists and a pair of blocks.

"Give credit to LSU," Alabama head coach Avery Johnsonsaid. "They're a tough team, they have size and craftiness at the guard position with Tremont Waters and Ja'Vonte Smart. They fought hard, they outrebounded us and they did a great job with finishing the game. Our guys showed a lot of heart, especially there when we took the lead in the second half. But our defense just wasn't good enough in the second half overall to win the game and just had too many breakdowns. This was a winnable game for us. There are no moral victories, not here anymore especially in my fourth year. We have got to get back to the drawing board tomorrow, get some rest for some guys, and get them ready to come back against our in-state rival on Tuesday."

After trailing by one at half time, 29-28, and a majority of the game's first 25 minutes of action, Alabama (17-12, 8-8 SEC) stormed back in the second half by using a 12-2 run that turned a 39-35 deficit into a 47-41 Crimson Tide lead with 11:20 left in regulation.

With UA leading 49-43, the Tigers (24-5, 14-2) responded with a 6-0 spurt to even things at 49-49 with 8:37 remaining. Over the final eight minutes alone, the game featured two ties and four lead changes as the teams battled back-and-forth down the stretch.

The Tide was clinging to a 59-57 lead at the 4:55 mark when LSU's Darius Days was left wide open for a three-pointer in the corner which he drained to give the Tigers a 60-59 lead. LSU would not trail again as Days' three jumpstarted a 7-0 run over the next 1:36 to give the Tigers a 64-59 lead with 3:19 left to play.

However, Alabama would not give up, as Petty drained a three-pointer to cut into the deficit. After two free throws by LSU, Petty hit another three to trim the lead to 72-69 with 10 seconds left, but the Tide would not get any closer.

Alabama owned a 24-12 edge in bench points, marking the 24th time this season the UA reserves have outscored its opponent and the 12th time it has done so by double figures. The Tigers outrebounded the Tide, 48-40, and also owned a 40-30 advantage inside the paint.

LSU had three players in double figures, led by Skylar Mays' 20 points. Ja'Vonte Smart had 19 points, while Naz Reid collected a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Alabama will play its final home game of the season when it welcomes the Auburn Tigers on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT. Tuesday's game will broadcast live on ESPNU.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

https://www.tidesports.com/cecil-hurt-its-deja-vu-for-alabama-basketball/

Short summary....the Bama BB program is hung up in neutral

 

[BamaFan334]

I may be naive and unrealistic but I expect bama basketball to get past "we are not far away". Not being critical of what you are saying just frustrated that is where we are and have been for a long time. Hard to get out of the funk once you have gotten there and we have been there for many years.

I guess I'm in the minority that doesn't expect/see Alabama basketball as a national power or a team expectee to be in the Elite 8 every year. I see us as a team that hasn't truly been relevant in fifteen years or so. It's not an Avery Johnson issue, it's the fact we fell so far that we are just now rebuilding some confidence back into the program. I see us being competitive with the 1, 2, and 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and capable of beating them all. That's a lot better than when I was in school and we were just not even close.

 

[#80]

Similar to elite football recruits the elite basketball recruits want to play for an elite basketball program KY, KS, NC and Duke. Time is ticking on CAJ we need a coach who can recruit. I'm in the same boat as BamaFan334 I know we are currently a middle of the road SEC team. I'm not unreasonable in expectations like others on this board. But I do think our program should be capable of getting in the NCAA tournament the majority of the time and currently that is not our situation for sure.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Similar to elite football recruits the elite basketball recruits want to play for an elite basketball program KY, KS, NC and Duke. Time is ticking on CAJ we need a coach who can recruit. I'm in the same boat as BamaFan334 I know we are currently a middle of the road SEC team. I'm not unreasonable in expectations like others on this board. But I do think our program should be capable of getting in the NCAA tournament the majority of the time and currently that is not our situation for sure.

We're at almost the same point we've been since the last years of Mark G and that is a program that has had 18 winning seasons out of 19 years. The team just can't make that jump from average to good. Can you say all three coaches were/are just not the answer? JMO but the next guy if that is the case has to go outside the state of Alabama and recruit some players with athletic ability but we need some with a higher BB IQ. Year after year the Bama roster depends on state talent and that just might be our number one problem if coaching isn't the problem. Then again how in the hell is a new/old coach going to have success recruiting above the Mason-Dixon Line? We're in a catch 22 situation.

 

[footballer]

Is it the coaching or the players?
If CAJ and staff can't get the players he has recruited to play the game the way he wants them to play, does that reflect on coaches inabilities or does it say more that he may just be recruiting the wrong type of players? Coach has to have a plan for the type of basketball program he wants to employ, has to have a plan for the type of team and the type of schemes he wants to use and the calibre of players he needs to recruit to carry out his plans. IMO, if he has those plans in place, they are having a hard time implementing them and coaching his players into a coherent team.

 

[TerryP]

We're at almost the same point we've been since the last years of Mark G and that is a program that has had 18 winning seasons out of 19 years.

Odd comparison there. Gottfried has a .500 or better record in one half of the ten (full) seasons he coached at Bama. At this point, Johnson has hit that mark in every season. Bama will have to lose every game the rest of this season for it to be compared to Gottfried's last. And even then you can only compare the number of wins. If Bama were to drop all of their remaining games they'd still be in a better spot.

After that, you can't go back any farther. Where Avery had Bama in the dance last year, Gottfried's next to last season was a first round NIT exit.

We're still left comparing two things that aren't that similar. The conference as a whole is a heck of a lot better today than it was in his tenure.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Odd comparison there. Gottfried has a .500 or better record in one half of the ten (full) seasons he coached at Bama. At this point, Johnson has hit that mark in every season. Bama will have to lose every game the rest of this season for it to be compared to Gottfried's last. And even then you can only compare the number of wins. If Bama were to drop all of their remaining games they'd still be in a better spot.

After that, you can't go back any farther. Where Avery had Bama in the dance last year, Gottfried's next to last season was a first round NIT exit.

We're still left comparing two things that aren't that similar. The conference as a whole is a heck of a lot better today than it was in his tenure.

Mark's last four years

18-14 (Mark and Philip with Philip 6-7)
17-16
20-12
18-16

Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Basketball Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the Alabama Crimson Tide College Basketball History, Stats, Records, Polls, Leaders and More College Basketball Stats at Sports-Reference.com

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[TerryP]

Mark's lastfour years

We're still left comparing two things that aren't that similar. The conference as a whole is a heck of a lot better today than it was in his tenure.

We're comparing, roughly, 10 1/2 years versus 3 1/2 years. And we're still left with the program being in better shape IF we're only looking at wins and losses.

It's my opinion you simply can't do that. It's not a end all be all when you're looking at the number of wins. 18 will get you left out in some years, 18 gets you a #10 seed in others. 17 wins gets a dance invite one season, it gets a CBI invitation another. There's discussion today about whether Arizona State could be a team on the bubble and they're sitting on 20 wins for the season. Indiana is sitting on 15 wins and is squarely in the bubble conversation due to their wins (whom they were against.)

Still, let's go back to the comparison of the last two years of Mark versus Avery. In the first of those two years Mark's teams are at home. In the first of these two years with Avery, Bama is dancing. The comparisons have to stop there, don't they?

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

We're comparing, roughly, 10 1/2 years versus 3 1/2 years. And we're still left with the program being in better shape IF we're only looking at wins and losses.

It's my opinion you simply can't do that. It's not a end all be all when you're looking at the number of wins. 18 will get you left out in some years, 18 gets you a #10 seed in others. 17 wins gets a dance invite one season, it gets a CBI invitation another. There's discussion today about whether Arizona State could be a team on the bubble and they're sitting on 20 wins for the season. Indiana is sitting on 15 wins and is squarely in the bubble conversation due to their wins (whom they were against.)

Still, let's go back to the comparison of the last two years of Mark versus Avery. In the first of those two years Mark's teams are at home. In the first of these two years with Avery, Bama is dancing. The comparisons have to stop there, don't they?

I am saying the program is a 17-15 program year after year and the last 19 years of results pretty much would show that as our average.

 

[TerryP]

I am saying the program is a 17-15 program year after year and the last 19 years of results pretty much would show that as our average.

I get that. My issue with those characterizing Avery's tenure is when it's framed like that (17 and 15) ... it isn't telling the whole story. If it was a book, it's merely describing the cover.

Before this season I repeatedly pointed out that this team could have the same number of wins and losses but it can't be taken in such a single context because the conference, as a whole, has improved from last season to this one.

In Avery's first year there were three teams in the SEC who made it to the NCAA's.
In Avery second year there were five.
In his third year there were seven, eight with Bama.
Now, in his fourth season we're looking at how many? I'd put it as a possible nine right now.

In terms of the top 25, there were four teams in at this time last year. The highest one ranked was Tennessee who came in at #16.
This week we're looking at three in the top 25 with all three ranked #13th or better.
2017-18 has an advantage on quantity. It's not in the same ball arena when it comes to quality.

I don't see how people can continue to point to the record when said record, and the teams it's against, has improved yearly. It he were truly at a standstill in his coaching, the number of wins would have dropped as the conference grew stronger.

 

[alabama mike]

Bama basketball is never going to be in the same talk as UNC, Kansas, Duke, etc... BUT we should be better than most other NCAA teams on a yearly basis. Just getting into the 'dance' is not good enough. The 'dance' should be the main course every year without question and the dessert should be a sweet 16 or elite 8 showing once in awhile.

 

[PurlJam]

Glass half full... I think we're better than Indiana, I haven't felt that way about our BB team since Leon bricked free throws in '76.