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Alabama Basketball: Tide takes down BYU 71-59 in Brooklyn

By Ronald Evans

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Avery Johnson the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide gives instructions to his team in the game against the Ole Miss Rebels during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Avery Johnson the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide gives instructions to his team in the game against the Ole Miss Rebels during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Alabama basketball moved to 5-0 on the young season Friday afternoon in Brooklyn defeating BYU 71-59.

The setting for Alabama basketball Friday afternoon was atypical.  The seating areas were uncrowded with perhaps 1000 fans in attendance. A pro-Bama crowd watched the Tide compete in a cozy gym, home to the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds.

The Tide won a game it should win since the BYU Cougars are off to rough start this season. The Tide also won when its star offensive player, Collin Sexton struggled offensively. Sexton scored just 10 points off 3-for-11 shooting.

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John Petty led Alabama basketball in scoring with 16 points. Donta Hall had 14 points and Dazon Ingram added 13. Winning when Collin Sexton is having an off-game is important for the young Alabama basketball team.

Credit Sexton with not letting his shooting woes have any impact on his defensive effort. Donta Hall was particularly active getting to the basket and adding nine rebounds. Hall also made his only two free throw attempts. Free-throw shooting was much improved against BYU as the Tide was 12-for-16.

The Tide played in the small, high-school style gym due to Brooklyn’s Barclay Center’s use by the NBA on Friday. The four-team field moves to the Barclay Center Saturday as the Tide will play No. 14 ranked Minnesota.

Minnesota will provide a tough test for the Tide

Minnesota under coach Richard Pitino was 24-10 last season, losing in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament. The Gophers are 5-0 this season with a good win over Providence. Shooting the long ball has been a strength for Minnesota this season. The Gophers only average about 14 threes a game but the team average from long range is over 47 percent.

During Friday’s game, BYU had some success in the paint with Tide defenders sometimes out-of-position. Minnesota’s big men average a combined 29 points per game. The Tide will need good defense inside and outside to beat the Gophers.

After Minnesota, Alabama basketball returns to Tuscaloosa for three more challenging games against Louisiana Tech, UCF and Rhode Island. Following the three-game homestand, the Tide travels to Tuscon to take on Arizona.

Avery Johnson would quickly agree his team is a work in progress. It is off to a hot start and the upcoming five games will have a big impact on qualifying for the NCAA tournament next spring.

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We wish Tide fans could set their DVR’s tomorrow since the B-Ball game will start before halftime of the Iron Bowl. However, the game is only available on Facebook so cable DVR’s will be no help. There was also a big problem with the Facebook feed for the BYU game. We will attempt to provide a post-game report (after the Iron Bowl.)

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