Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide unofficially 2-0 after Sunday win

Alabama Basketball got an exhibition game win Sunday afternoon. Hosting Louisiana in Coleman, the Crimson Tide won 73-68. Along with its recent scrimmage win over Georgia Tech, Nate Oats’ team is unofficially 2-0 for the 2021-22 season.

The Tide’s victory on Sunday had unusual circumstances. Two team leaders did not play due to suspensions. Nate Oats said Jahvon Quinerly and Juwan Gary were suspended for a violation of team rules. The Alabama Basketball head coach also said both will be available for the Tide’s season opener against Louisiana Tech.

Alex Tchikou also missed the game, but not for a disciplinary reason. Oats had said Tchikou has been cleared to play after recovering from an Achilles injury. Oats said on Sunday, Tchikou was held out as a precaution. A persistent rumor has been that Tchikou subsequently incurred a knee injury that has limited his practice work. Oats said he would be available for the opener on Nov. 9.

The unusual part of Sunday’s game was the performance of Jaden Shackelford. He scored six points in 1-for-14 shooting, including 1-for-7 outside the arc. Commenting about Shack’s shooting woes, Oats said,

"I don’t think he’s ever gonna shoot this poorly in a game again. That’s not him."

Shackleford did contribute seven rebounds and an assist in 39 minutes of play. He also made five turnovers. Jaden was not the only Tide player with turnover problems. Freshman phenom, JD Davison had seven turnovers in 37 minutes of play. Davison made strong contributions in other ways. He scored 19 points, with three rebounds and three assists. He was a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line, including four made, late-game, foul shots to assure the Tide victory.

Keon Ellis was the leading scorer with 21 points, plus four rebounds and three assists. In 37 minutes of play, Ellis had just one turnover. Noah Gurley had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists before fouling out. Gurley missed all six of his three-point attempts.

Poor Alabama Basketball Shooting

The Crimson Tide shot 33 percent from the floor and just 20 percent from outside the arc. The Tide had a small rebounding edge at 44-42 boards. Alabama Basketball won because of getting to the foul line and converting free throws. The Crimson Tide was 82 percent at the line, on 27-of-33 attempts.

With the short bench, Oats used just six players for 20 minutes or more. Nate Oats appeared at times, to be frustrated with his team’s rebounding efforts. More positive were the Tide’s six blocks and 16 steals.

The opening opponent for the Tide; Louisana Tech Bulldogs return three of their top four scorers from last season. The Bulldogs were 24-8 last season with NIT wins over Ole Miss and Western Kentucky.