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Alabama Basketball: Tide Beats Itself In Knoxville

By Ronald Evans

Mar 4, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Braxton Key (25) passes the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Admiral Schofield (5) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee won 59 to 54. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Braxton Key (25) passes the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Admiral Schofield (5) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee won 59 to 54. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama Basketball lost to Tennessee Saturday. The Tide beat itself and here are the reasons the Tide turned a win into a loss.

After the Alabama basketball team lost the TAMU game, we used this forum to send a memo to Alabama basketball team. After watching the loss to Tennessee, we can only guess either the team did not receive the memo or the team chose not read it. Not adhering to some of the most important, basic rules of basketball leads to dire results – like losing to the Puke Orange Vols.

Here is an excerpt from the recent memo: How to Not Lose a Basketball Game.

Rule No. 1 – When you have the ball, do not give it to the other team. You cannot score without the ball. The other team cannot score when you have the ball.

Rule No. 2 – You stop the other team from scoring by playing defense. You cannot play defense when the other team is at the foul line.

On Saturday Alabama basketball outshot the Vols 40 percent to 32 percent and  3pt-FG’s 47 percent to 30 percent. It is hard to lose a game with such a decided shooting advantage. But the Tide found a couple of ways to do it.

Tennessee helped itself by out-rebounding the Tide 40 to 32. All the talk this season about Alabama basketball being a good rebounding team was not quite accurate. Bola Olaniyan is a great rebounder. Mostly as a result of early fouls, Bola played 14 minutes.

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Alabama basketball was out-rebounded 40 to 32. The Vols got 15 offensive rebounds while the Tide managed only five.

The rest of the Tide’s demise was 95 percent self-inflicted. Alabama turned the ball over 13 times to only seven by the Vols. In an eventual close game, those six empty possessions were crucial.

Tennessee shot 20 free throws compared to only 13 for the Tide. The difference was six more points for the Vols.

Two more examples of Rule No. 1 and Rule No. 2 on How to Not Lose a Basketball Game. Can anyone help get the memo to the team? Fast please, the SEC Tournament is looming. A berth in the NIT is at stake.

On Saturday Alabama basketball led 36-22 at the half. At 17:24 in the 2nd half, the Tide led by 16 points. Three minutes and sixteen seconds later, the Tide lead was four points.

During that Vol run, Tennessee scored three points from the foul line and six points off Tide turnovers. In the last 3:45 of the contest Tennessee made 3 three-pointers and a dunk. While the Vols were exploding the Tide scored 1 point. The Tide went the last 4:30 of the game without a made field goal.

The outcome was Tennessee 59 – Alabama 54.

The game was not lost in the last four and a half minutes. The Tide started beating itself despite a big first half lead. Wasted offensive possessions, limited minutes for top players due to fouls, getting out-rebounded, sending the other team to the line too frequently – that is how a team loses big leads and loses games when it is the better shooting team.

In case you want to read the original memo to the team it is here:

Next: Memo to Alabama Basketball

Alabama will probably open SEC Tournament play as the No. 5 seed on Thursday, March 9th. Give us your comments on Facebook.

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