🏈 GAME THREAD MBB: Alabama Men’s Basketball Falls to Texas, 66-50, in Vulcan Classic

[EasyTider]

didn't look like a well coached team tonight

 

[JoshB]

Same ole Bama basketball. uke:

 

[#80]

And Key wanted to go in this past draft.

 

[bamabigdawg]

Too much talent on the floor to be playing nothing but 1 on 1 ball and hoping and praying Sexton or Petty has a great night. The offensive playstyle between us and top 10 teams is night and day

 

[EasyTider]

Looking like 2nd SEC team with Top 5 freshman draft pick that may not make tournament

 

[#80]

What has happened to H. Jones? He was playing lights out early this season.

 

[BAMAneck]

Just be glad we’re not playing Oklahoma...:computerdestroy:

 

[UA Press Release]

Alabama freshman John Petty led the Tide with 14 points in the loss to the Longhorns

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team fell to the Texas Longhorns, 66-50, Friday night in the third annual Vulcan Classic in Legacy Arena. Freshman John Petty led all Alabama scorers with 14 points.

The Crimson Tide (8-4) trailed at the half, 35-28, and never came closer than four points in the second half, while Texas' (9-3) led by as many as 18 late in the contest. The Longhorns blocked nine Alabama shots and held the Tide to 20 percent (3-of-15) shooting from three.

"First off let's tip our hats to Texas, they did an outstanding job," Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said. "They were mentally tougher, they shared the ball a little bit more, they had consistent energy, and we just didn't have it. I'm very disappointed in this loss, in our body language, lack of ball movement and those are all correctable errors. Normally in the last two years, I try to be really positive in these press conferences dating back to any of the losses we've had, but then again I just told the team the truth – that we weren't very good. We didn't have that focus, we missed too many assignments on both ends of the floor and it's not on them, it's on me. We've got to get back to work after the Christmas break."

Both teams shot under 50 percent in the opening minutes of the frame with Texas holding the 23-19 edge at the 7:03 mark, hitting 4-of-10 from downtown. Momentum then shifted in favor of the Longhorns, as Texas used a 10-0 spurt over 2:27 to lead 33-21 with 3:20 left in the half. Texas would go on to take the 35-28 lead at the break, shooting 43.3 percent from the floor (13-of-30).

Texas continued on the attack, gaining back the double-digit lead within a minute of the second half. However, the Tide's defense stepped up forcing four times to induce a 6-0 spark by to cut the lead to 45-41 with 12:57 left to play. Petty then converted a shot from beyond the arc to shrink UT's advantage to 49-44, but Texas answered back with a floater at the 8:43 mark and never looked back, ending the game with 15-2 run.

The Longhorns turned in a 47.8 percent second-half performance from the field, while outrebounding the Tide 17-16 to put away the game.

Alabama sophomore Daniel Giddens had 10 points and six rebounds off the bench, while sophomore Dazon Ingram added six points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Texas was led by freshman Mo Bamba who finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Alabama will return to action when it opens Southeastern Conference play on Saturday Dec. 30, when it hosts Texas A&M in Coleman Coliseum. The contest will tip off at 5 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN2.

Alabama Men’s Basketball Falls to Texas, 66-50, in Vulcan Classic - Alabama Athletics

 

[TerryP]

Anyone remember Ben Simmons at LSU?

Looking like 2nd SEC team with Top 5 freshman draft pick that may not make tournament

Apples and oranges. In other words, that's a bad comparison. Really bad.

How many wins did LSU have last year against top 50 teams before entering SEC play? Zero. Bama? The Tide is sitting at three when I looked yesterday. Their OOC losses, combined with their two win conference season it what kept them out.

Neither of those two scenarios remotely resemble this Tide team.

didn't look like a well coached team tonight

A lot didn't look good last night. There's one thing that I found confusing.

CAJ has been saying for the last two weeks he's working down to an eight man rotation. Bama played 11 in the first 10 last night. I realize he was looking for the best match-ups against TX and looking to see who would come out and take a leadership role. But still ... looks like he's still looking for his best eight.

That said, I won't pretend to know what he was thinking during the game. I what he was thinking after the game:

"First off let's tip our hats to Texas, they did an outstanding job," Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said. "They were mentally tougher, they shared the ball a little bit more, they had consistent energy, and we just didn't have it. I'm very disappointed in this loss, in our body language, lack of ball movement and those are all correctable errors. Normally in the last two years, I try to be really positive in these press conferences dating back to any of the losses we've had, but then again I just told the team the truth – that we weren't very good. We didn't have that focus, we missed too many assignments on both ends of the floor and it's not on them, it's on me. We've got to get back to work after the Christmas break."

 

[rick4bama]

That the biggest spread lost isn't it? 66-50?

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Avery and the team had a great chance to stand and be counted instead they all took a seat. Crunch time is just over the hill. As of today the players look soft and the coaching looks average. Lets hope for the best. We've seen this movie before...just a different cast.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[#80]

Where is the leadership on this team?

 

[bama alum]

Where is the leadership on this team?

That's one thing the talking heads mentioned last night. The team was quiet; there wasn't a lot of talking going on...at all.

What has happened to H. Jones? He was playing lights out early this season.

Great point. That kid was on fire earlier this year. He needs to be on the floor.

 

[TerryP]

The team was quiet; there wasn't a lot of talking going on...at all.

21 of 61 will keep the most vocal leaders quiet.

 

[TUSKtimes]

This is a fundamentally flawed team. They're playing hard and their defense is there, but they don't play under control and they CANNOT finish. I foresee a ton of frustration coming if we don't get it straightened out.

 

[planomateo]

My bad guys, I ended up flying into Austin last night around 10pm and didn't have on an Alabama shirt.

#FeelingResponsible

 

[EasyTider]

Nobody was as pissed or disappointed as I was last night (not to mentioned I had a couple drinks). I was quietly confident that we would play our best game to date and that we would be the team walking off the floor with a 10+ point win. Our performance is certainly cause for concern and I can only hope that there is some method to what seems to be CAJ's madness with the current playing rotation. We are only about 1/3 way into the season but SEC play is about to begin and the reality is the competition (for the most part) will be tougher than what we've seen so we better right the ship fast. Bottom line is we have a team with real talent, but most of that talent was playing high school last year. We also have an important piece of the puzzle trying to play his way back into shape, regain his confidence and mesh with all of the new players. IMO, Ingram & Key need to step up their leadership roles (and hopefully their games). Sexton is clearly our "star" and the engine that makes us go, but I don't think he can or should be the team's vocal leader on and off the court. I think and expect this to still be a tournament team but it's time for both players and coaches to step up.

 

[TUSKtimes]

My bad guys, I ended up flying into Austin last night around 10pm and didn't have on an Alabama shirt.

#FeelingResponsible

Just takes one.

 

[TerryP]

(I feel I'm likely wasting energy posting this. There's certainly case evidence to back up those suspicions.)

Higher expectations lead to frustration when those expectations aren't met and especially so when things are going poorly. I do get the team isn't playing well right now. I also get they're young and still looking for chemistry (hence the rotation observation earlier.)

As I see this a lot of Alabama fans overreact and are given to a lot of hyperbole. It is SO true in football and I don't think there's a fan base that takes it as far as some Bama fans. I see a lot of overreaction(s) this morning.

We are only about 1/3 way into the season

And that's A LOT of basketball left to be played. A lot. It's far, far too early for anyone to jump off the ship.