Alabama Basketball could not overcome Iona and itself in loss

Alabama Basketball lost its first game of the 2021-22 season Thursday night. The Crimson Tide was defeated by Rick Pitino’s Iona Gaels 72-68.

The game was an upset, though going in, Nate Oats’ team was a bit overrated and the now, 6-0 Iona team was always going to provide stiff competition. The Tide led most of the first half and pushed the lead to nine points at the 12:27 mark of the second half. Iona took the lead at the 5:32 mark and never relinquished it.

Why did the highly heralded Alabama basketball team lose? Three, game stats tell the story of a losing effort.

• 5-for-17 from outside the arc for 29 percent
• 12 missed free throws from 25 attempts for 52 percent
• 7 Crimson Tide assists to 13 for Iona

The 17 three-point attempts are a low number for the Tide, but not shocking. The Gaels defend well on the perimeter and deny many three-point opportunities. In last season’s NCAA Tournament game, the Tide had only 16 three-point attempts against Iona.

It also did not help the Tide for five Iona players to score in double figures, compared to just two for Nate Oats’ team. The leading scorers for the Tide were Jaden Shackelford with 19 points and Jahvon Quinerly with 15 points. The Crimson Tide had a solid game on the glass, outrebounding the Gaels, 38-31, led by Shackelford’s 10 boards.

Alabama basketball fans don’t want to hear it, but on Thanksgiving, in Orlando, the best team won. It was not the Crimson Tide.

It did not determine the outcome but it did not help for Nate Oats to get a technical at the 11:11 mark, with the Tide up 46-39. Four seconds later on the clock, after four made free throws by Iona, the Tide led by only three points. In his post-game review, Nate Oats said, the technical “was not timely.”

The technical call and the game result turned into a milestone for Alabama Basketball. Until the Iona game, the Tide had never lost a game in which Nate Oats received a technical.

What did the loss mean for Alabama Basketball?

Losing to a Rick Pitino-coached team should never be a surprise. The Tide was off its game – make that far off its game from last season. Foul trouble for Bediako was an issue. Overall the defensive intensity was well below what Herbert Jones’ presence on the court demanded last season.

Nate Oats found a bright spot in his post-game comments.

"… sometimes it’s better to take a loss and learn from it. If we had played the same way and made some free throws, win the game, maybe you don’t learn the lessons you need to out of the game."

It is just one loss and there is no reason to panic.  Iona has good players and they are very well coached. The intensity of the Tide playing in the losers’ bracket will be telling. Much stiffer challenges are ahead – and soon.