Alabama vs. South Carolina Basketball Preview
By Nick Jones
It’s March my friends; any basketball lover’s favorite time of the year. It’s warming up outside and it’s time to fill out those brackets! Alabama looks to start March out right with an opening day win in the SEC Tournament against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Alabama and South Carolina squared off in Columbia in January and it was a rough game for the Crimson Tide. Alabama lost on the final shot after winning most of the statistical battles. Looking back at January’s matchup, it is still hard to believe Alabama lost. Now it’s time for the Tide to put that loss behind them and look to advance in the conference tournament.
The Tide doesn’t have a flashy scorer on offense. Instead, Alabama relies on a couple of key players to distribute most of the work on the offensive side of the ball. Alabama plays their best when at least two or three players are in double figures. JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford, and Trevor Lacey will be key in the tournament. The Tide will have to focus on the offensive attack to pull off a run over the next four days.
As Alabama battles sub-par shooting from outside, it will be key for the Tide not to force outside shots. Alabama isn’t the team to run down the court and shoot a three-pointer with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. The Crimson Tide has shown they can make the shots from outside at times, but not consistently.
Another key focus for the Tide will be making the extra pass. Watching high-powered teams like Syracuse and Kentucky, one thing is apparent; they make the extra pass. What does that mean? They don’t take a shoot-first mentality; they always look to make another pass. If South Carolina shuts down JaMychal Green on the inside, extra passes could be the key to getting production out of other players.
Alabama’s strength is clearly on defense. Alabama plays physical defense every night, but there are always some areas to work on. First, the Tide has to contain South Carolina’s scorers. The Gamecocks don’t have many explosive scorers, but Malik Cook showed Alabama he could score in their first matchup.
It’s a lot of fun to watch Alabama play the 2-3 zone. They are very active up front at the guard positions and JaMychal Green can be very physical down low, but Alabama’s guards have a tendency to cheat up on the passing lanes. It’s enticing to attempt a quick steal and then sprint down the court for the big-time slam, but it can come back to bite you. If you cheat up too much on the defensive side of the ball, many players will overrun the play, leaving the opponent unguarded. It seems elementary, but fundamentals serve as the building blocks for championship teams.
So what does Alabama have to do to win this game? Offensive production will be key. Alabama has a tendency to allow teams to stick with them for too long. The Tide needs to jump out early and sustain a lead.
Bench scoring could be a major source of offense for Alabama on Thursday afternoon. The Tide’s best offensive games usually include bench players stepping up. Look for players like Rodney Cooper and Charles Hankerson Jr. to step up and score points. Both players can shoot from outside and Rodney Cooper has shown he can play on the inside. Alabama’s depth should help the Tide, especially if they get on a run in the tournament.
Finally, control the game. It’s pretty amazing the similarities of Alabama’s basketball and football programs. Play great defense, limit turnovers and control the game. The Crimson Tide has to play to their style; conforming to other team’s never works for Alabama.
Key Matchup
Malik Cook vs. Nick Jacobs. South Carolina’s Cook doesn’t get a lot of credit. He is the leading scorer for the Gamecocks, averaging 12.5 points a game. Cook is a smaller forward, but he makes up for his size with his offensive game.
Cook showed his true colors in the first matchup. He led the Gamecocks to a victory over the Tide with 18 points and 5 rebounds, he led all scorers in the game.
Nick Jacobs has had some amazing plays in his first year at The Capstone, but the young freshman is still learning. Jacobs has to learn to play straight-up defense. He needs to be physical on every single rebound and shot attempt. He has a great lefty stroke and it will come in handy around the basket.
Keep in mind, Jacobs doesn’t have to light up the scoreboard to have a great game. His defensive play will be crucial in tournament play. JaMychal Green will draw the big matchups, so Jacobs will have to defend the weak side and be ready to help. Jacobs could be the difference-maker for the Crimson Tide down low on Thursday afternoon.
Game Info
March 8, 2012 – 2:30pm CST
New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana)
SEC Network, streaming on ESPN3