Alabama Basketball: 3’s and boards are the keys against Auburn
By Ronald Evans
Auburn, the hottest team in the nation hits Coleman tonight and the Alabama basketball team must overcome two weaknesses to beat them.
A short-handed Alabama basketball team takes on an overachieving Auburn team Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa. To win the Tide must consistently defend the Tigers’ perimeter shooting and rebound effectively in the absence of Donta Hall.
Even with Hall out of the lineup, the Tide will have a size advantage. Auburn is accustomed to playing bigger teams, often using quickness to neutralize bigger rebounders. In the two losses to Auburn last season, the Tide winning the battle of the boards was not enough. Alabama rebounded well at LSU without Hall because of 10 boards from Dazon Ingram, with 13 more rebounds added by Collin Sexton and Herbert Jones. It will be trouble if the rebounding stats are not strongly in favor of the Tide.
The Tigers love shooting 3’s
In the Auburn 84-64 and 82-77 wins last season, the Tigers were deadly from outside the arc. They only took 13 three-balls in the 20 point win but shot 61.5 percent while doing it. The second 2017 game was more typical of Bruce Pearl Auburn teams. They took 27 threes and hit a strong 55.6 percent. In those losses, the Tide was 28.6 percent and 25 percent from outside the arc.
Pearl greenlights several players to jack it up from most anywhere. The most proficient with the deep ball are Jared Harper at 42.9 percent and Bryce Brown at 37.9 percent. Overall the team shoots threes at 37.4 percent. The Tigers’ team percentage would be higher if not for Mustapha Heron struggling outside the arc this season. In his career, he is 37.4 percent but this season only 28.8 percent. When Brown, Harper and Heron are hot from outside, Auburn is very hard to beat.
Defending the perimeter has been an issue for the Tide. Avery has focused on it this season and the results have begun to be seen. From al.com,
"Alabama coach Avery Johnson said they recruited specifically to get players who can guard the perimeter as well as in the paint.“We think we have at least a better chance of defending the 3-point line since we’ve been here. I think it’s starting to show up a little bit in our defensive numbers here recently.”"
In terms of SEC stats, Alabama basketball is 5th in three-point defense, holding opponents to 31.9 percent. In some situations this season, Tide defenders have been too complacent challenging threes. That cannot happen against Auburn. The Tigers like to penetrate and kick-out to an open shooter. The Tide cannot afford to have the defense drawn into the paint too often.
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Another important factor in the game will be Daniel Giddins and foul trouble. Giddens should be able to score inside against Auburn, but the Auburn inside guys are quicker and may draw fouls against the foul-prone, Alabama basketball big-man.