Following a loss to No. 6 Tennessee, LSU takes on No. 16 Alabama, another tough opponent.
Matt McMahon’s assessment of the Alabama basketball team hasn’t altered in the two weeks since LSU took on the Crimson Tide on the court.
Despite Alabama’s 18-point loss to Auburn on Wednesday night, McMahon remained unmoved. His team gave up 54 points in the first half of Alabama’s 109-88 victory over the Tigers on January 27 in Tuscaloosa.
That evening, Alabama got hot from long range right away, sinking four 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the Southeastern Conference game.
The Crimson Tide shifted their strategy when the Tigers were behind by four points at the beginning of the second half. In the last 20 minutes, Alabama scored 17 fast-break points and ramped up their transition offence to easily win.
The objective for LSU (12-10, 4-5 SEC) in their rematch against No. 16 Alabama (16-7, 8-2) at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Centre won’t alter in light of the fact that it happened only two weeks ago. ESPN will broadcast the match.
Guard Jalen Cook, who missed Wednesday night’s game against Tennessee due to an injured hamstring, is anticipated to test it on Friday during practice, according to McMahon. He declared his uncertainty about Cook’s participation.
The Crimson Tide’s 3-point shooting is a major draw, but the Tigers are well aware of what Nate Oats’ team is capable of when it commits a turnover and darts to the other end of the court.
Alabama forces 12.0 turnovers per game, which puts it in the middle of the 351 Division I teams, but its ability to take advantage of those turnovers is what separates the winners. It has converted those errors into 14.8 points per game, good for 21st place nationally.
McMahon stated that the Crimson Tide converted the Tigers’ ten mistakes into 22 points in the game two weeks ago, which was largely due to a combination of 10 turnovers and poor shot selection.
It goes without saying that we need to improve our transition defence,” he remarked. “And in that matchup, our shot selection really hurt us.”
Driven by an aggressive offence with a four-guard lineup that includes Mark Sears, Aaron Estrada, Rylan Griffen, and Latrell Wrightsell, Alabama ranks second in adjusted offensive efficiency (a measure of points scored per 100 possessions) according to the reputable Ken Pomeroy rankings.
With 125.6 points per 100 possessions, the Crimson Tide is tied with Purdue (126.1) and UConn (123.3). The AP poll has UConn at the top and Purdue at the bottom.
“Everyone is aware that Alabama has one of the best offences in the nation, if not the best offence overall,” McMahon remarked. “They are devasting at the rim, but their 3-point shooting deserves the attention they receive on a national level. Thus, you begin by assessing your capacity to stop the dribble.
He mentioned that Sears, a candidate for SEC player of the year who averages a league-high 20.4 points per game and shoots 52.3% from the field, is the leader of an offence that scores 89.5 points per game, good for third place in the NCAA. Moreover, Alabama ranks 16th in 3-point accuracy (38.1%) and fourth in 3-point field goals made (11.3%).
The Crimson Tide are also skilled at getting to the free-throw line; they rank 29th in Division I with an average of 23.2 attempts per game and fourth with 79.2% of them made.
McMahon remarked, “They put so much pressure on your defence.” They have that balance at the rim, from three, and the ability to get to the free-throw line, so you have to play extremely well there.
“Therefore, They are a very well-rounded team, then.
