Alabama Basketball: Why the Georgia game is so important

Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats knows the Georgia game is important. What the Tide needs more than a win is regaining efficient offensive production.

Nate Oats does not want to hear his Alabama basketball team lives and dies by three-point shots. Not only is it not true, but such an opinion distorts how effective are other components of the Tide’s game. Many Tide players are adept at getting to the rim, even if the resulting shots are sometimes too tough. The Crimson Tide is also a superior defensive team, one of the best in college basketball.

When the Tide is raining threes, as it did, hitting 23 of them while beating LSU, media attention shifts to the long ball. There is no question Nate Oats likes shots outside the arc. In Division One basketball, only Florida International shoots more threes than the Crimson Tide. Nate Oats wants his team to take 30-32 a game, or more if hitting a high percentage.

While the Crimson Tide was on a nine-game SEC winning streak, it made 41.2 percent of its shots outside the arc. Against tough competition, the Crimson Tide does not always do well when his three-accuracy is off. In the six Tide losses, the Tide shot an average of just 28.8 percent from outside the arc.

Because of its other strengths, Alabama Basketball can win when struggling to make threes. The Tide has won seven games when it made 32.4 percent or less of its threes. In four of these wins, the Tide’s three-point production ranged from 25 to 28.6 percent.

Explaining how Alabama Basketball wins when the threes are not falling, Nate Oats said,

"If you want to take the threes away, we’re gonna spread the floor out, space it out.  We’re gonna get layups at the rims and kick-out threes. They are the two most efficient shots from the field in basketball and you get to the foul line by driving it."

Nate Oats also knows that too often, in too many recent games, the Crimson Tide has struggled with offensive rhythm. He explained the importance of the Georgia game as,

"We’re not gonna to rest guys or anything like that. We’re going to try and get into a good rhythm."

When Alabama Basketball is tuned to its rhythm, it is a very difficult team to beat. Using the dribble to get to the rim or penetrating to kick out to an open three shooter is the Tide’s bread and butter. Taking a quick three without getting the ball into the lane first, is to be avoided. The best Tide recipe for making threes is a series of quick, solid passes, covering in total 25 or more feet, leading to a catch-and-shoot open three. That is the rhythm Nate Oats is seeking. The Tide needs to find it Athens and use it for a tuneup for more important games to come.

The Crimson Tide takes on the Georgia Bulldogs at 1:00 PM, CST, Saturday afternoon. The game can be seen on CBS.