Alabama Basketball: Slow-pace Terrapins will look to brake the Tide

Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide expected to remain true to style but do it better against the Maryland Terrapins.

As Charles Barkley keeps saying, basketball is a simple game as long as you make shots. Alabama Basketball can sometimes complicate things by not shooting well. As Nate Oats has said, his Alabama Basketball team doesn’t always maintain the offensive rhythm needed for the volume offense to prosper.

Unlike Nate Oats, Maryland coach Mark Turgeon does not treasure pace. Basketball stat guru, Ken Pomeroy measures pace in a stat he calls adjusted tempo. Per Pomeroy, the Crimson Tide is No. 9 among the 340, D1 teams in adjusted tempo. Maryland is No. 320.

Based on Pomeroy’s calculations, there are seven teams in the 68 team, NCAA Tournament field with tempos ranked No. 40 and above. The one Big Dance team ranked by Pomeroy as having faster temp than Alabama is Gonzaga.

Go fast works for teams that rebound well and don’t make too many turnovers. Making shots is important but volume shooting in a fast tempo attack can make up for average or even somewhat below average shooting.

While pushing pace is a growing trend in college basketball, more than a few coaches see ‘valuing every possession’ as more important than pace. The styles contrast so much it is difficult for any team to be consistently good at both. Keep in mind, the difference is not about every single possession. When necessary, Alabama Basketball patiently works to create an open shot. Maryland and other slower-paced teams will run as often as it gives them a clear advantage.

Rick Pitino chose to slow the pace of Saturday’s game. To an extent it worked. When fast-paced teams are battling through a slower tempo game, they can become impatient, make too many turnovers and take too many bad shots. Ten first-half turnovers and 41 percent shooting (20 percent on three attempts) in Saturday’s first half is an example of an out-of-rhythm offense.

On Monday. Maryland will try to make the same thing happen. In addition, the Terps are a good defensive team. Pomeroy has the Tide as the No. 1 adjusted defense team. Maryland is not far behind at No. 24. In adjusted offense, Pomeroy has the two teams nearly equal at No. 36 for the Tide and No. 41 for the Terrapins.

Based on NCAA stats, Alabama and Maryland are comparable in team shooting percentages from the field and at the line. The Tide statistically is a better rebounding, with most of the advantage in offensive rebounds. The Tide is better at steals and slightly better blocking shots. The stats are almost identical in defending two and three-point field goal attempts.

Maryland is better at not fouling and not turning the ball over. The Terrapins’ more deliberate pace favors the turnover stat. Alabama Basketball has a huge stat advantage in forcing turnovers.

What will happen? Most of the stats point to a close game. Close enough, the team that best executes its style of play should be the winner.

Bama Hammer will review game predictions and add one of our own on Monday. All that matters in the Big Dance is survive and advance.