Alabama Basketball: Too much blue for shorthanded Tide

It was not Alabama basketball but the Kentucky Wildcats who had the magic on Saturday. The Cats prevailed in the SEC Tournament semi-final 86-63.

There was good and news and bad news for Alabama basketball Saturday in the SEC Tournament. The bad was, of course, getting booted from the SEC Tournament in the semi-final round. Given the earlier bad news that Donta Hall had to miss the game due to a concussion, the outcome was not a surprise.

The Wildcats almost never lose in the semi-final of a SEC Tournament. An injury-depleted Tide, playing three games in three days began the game with a decided disadvantage. Credit goes to Kentucky who won from suffocating defense and torrid three-point shooting. The Cats shot 67 percent from outside the arc. Wenyen Gabriel shot with lethal accuracy, making all seven of his three-point shots.

For readers thinking, where is the good news for Alabama basketball, there really was reason for encouragement. John Petty broke out of his slump in the second half. In the first half Petty’s shooting woes continued as he made only 1-of-5 shots. For the half, the Tide was 2-for-8 from three-range. Petty made one of the two, an overshot long bomb that luckily banked in off the glass.

John Petty got his groove back

The second half was a complete reversal for Petty. During a 2:19 span of play, Petty scored 12 points, including three baskets from outside the arc. In the end, Petty’s explosion only resulted in the game not being a blowout. From a broader perspective, it was good news – make that very good news for Alabama basketball.

While John Petty may still some help defining a good shot, at least his shooting confidence has been bolstered. As was evident against the Cats, Collin Sexton cannot win every game without offensive help. A confident Petty going into the NCAA Tournament is a big plus.

Collin Sexton led the Tide in scoring with 21 points. John petty scored 18 points. Avery Johnson Jr. scored seven points, followed by Alex Reese and Daniel Giddens with five each. Dazon Ingram only managed four points.

Somewhat surprising was an excellent performance on the glass by the Tide. A good job of blocking out gave the Tide a 31-27 edge in rebounds over the Wildcats. Then again, since Kentucky shot 64 percent for the game, the opportunities for rebounds were limited.

Next: March 10th NCAA Bracket Watch

Alabama basketball is not a lock for the NCAA Tournament field. No team with 15 losses can be considered a lock. The Tide is in very good position for a bid and despite the Kentucky loss, the Tide should be traveling somewhere other than Dayton, OH.