At 4 p.m. CST Saturday, Alabama will be at Ole Miss for a Southeastern Conference basketball game that will determine, for the moment, the number one team in the SEC Worst–er, West–Division. Right now it’s Alabama with a 5-4 conference record. Mississippi and Arkansas (which will play at bottom-dwelling LSU with a 2-7 record Saturday) are a game behind the Crimson Tide with 4-5 records, then it’s a half game back to 4-6 Auburn (hosting Mississippi State, 3-6).
It doesn’t take a genius to spot Alabama’s problems. The Crimson Tide has been blown out in three road games and has eked by in three home wins, and the culprit in the struggles has been defense.
Although Gottfried has said that opponents have made shots when well-guarded, the opposing shooters also get plenty of open looks. In fact, if LSU had managed just a adequate percentage on open shots, it might be Bama in the league basement.
Mississippi State ia s high-scoring team, averaging 74.5 points per game in SEC contests going into Wednesday’s game in Coleman Coliseum. The Bulldogs rang up 79 on Alabama. And that has been typical.
Looking at opposing team scoring averages in SEC games (more meaningful than using all games since some teams have cupcake non-conference schedules), it is obvious that Alabama has not been very good on defense.
Vanderbilt averages 73.9. Against Alabama: 94. Auburn averages 70.3. The Tide gave up 81 to the Tigers. Arkansas averages 70.6 and in two wins over Bama has averaged 75.5. LSU averages 62.4 and in two losses to the Crimson Tide managed a 65.5 average. South Carolina averages only 60.5 points per game and got 61 in Tuscaloosa.
In SEC games, Bama ranks eighth in scoring defense. And it could get worse since after the Tide’s game against Ole Miss (which is sixth in the SEC in scoring offense at 72.7 points per game), Alabama will face the three league scoring leaders–on the road at Florida with its 79.8 points per game average, at home to Kentucky at 74.6, and on the road at Tennessee (74.8).
Bama is 10th in the league in field goal defense and 11th in three-point defense.
Because of the blowout losses at the hands of Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Auburn, the Tide’s average margin in SEC games is losing by about 7 points per game.
Ole Miss has been one of the surprise teams in the SEC this year under Andy Kennedy, the first year head coach of the Rebels. Mississippi is 15-8 overall and 4-5 in SEC games, including an impressive rout of Auburn (82-59) in Auburn.
Although it doesn’t seem like it when preparing to play in Oxford, Alabama has dominated this series, 111-47. The Tide has won six of the last eight games against the Rebels. Last year it was Mississippi winning in Tuscaloosa (71-61) and Bama winning in Oxford (64-50). The loss by the Tide should carry an asterisk since that was the game Bama lost its leader and star player, Chuck Davis, to a season-ending knee injury in the first half.
The Rebels will be attempting to even their record against Alabama in Oxford Saturday as the Tide has a 37-36 advantage in games played on Mississippi’s home court.
The teams play again on February 28 in Coleman Coliseum.
Alabama is 18-5 overall and ranked 18th in the nation.
Alabama is expected to continue its starting lineup that includes Brandon Hollinger opening at guard and Mykal Riley coming off the bench, even though Riley is much the greater Crimson Tide scoring threat. The 5-11 Hollinger averages only 4.3 points per game, eight fewer than the 6-6 Riley, but Hollinger is an excellent defensive player.
One reason Alabama’s defense has been lackluster this year is that point guard Ron Steele continues to struggle with injuries. Although Steele has two game-winning shots (including Wednesday’s 80-79 win over Mississippi State), he averages only 9.5 points per game.
Alonzo Gee is the other backcourt player and averages 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Alabama counts on its inside tandem. Jermareo Davidson, who averages 15 points and nine rebounds per game, was the SEC Player of the Week last week. Richard Hendrix, who has had 11 double-double games (double figures in scoring and rebounding) this season, is averaging 14.8 points and 9.0 rebounds. He leads the SEC in field goal accuracy at 64.4 per cent.
Ole Miss’ starting line-up is 6-8 Kenny Williams (6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds per game) at forward, 6-8 Dewayne Curtis (13.5, 9.3) at center, and guards 6-1 Todd Abernethy (11.3), Eniel Polynice (3.5), and Bam Doyne (16.7).