Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide overcame itself for key win over Arkansas

It is not often a college basketball team commits 24 turnovers and still finds a way to beat a good opponent. Alabama Basketball did that Saturday in Tuscaloosa, outlasting the Arkansas Razorbacks 68-67.

It was the worst turnover stat for the Tide this season. Alabama had 22 turnovers in a win over South Alabama early in the season. Arkansas is not the same as South Alabama. Coming into Tuscaloosa with a 9-game win streak, the Hogs are a very good team and despite a tough foul situation, the Razorbacks nearly overcame a 13-point deficit at the 9:01 point of the second half.

The SEC’s leading scorer JD Notae played four minutes in the first half. Due to fouls, Notae and Stanley Umude played 24 and 26 minutes in the contest. Umude and Jaylin Williams almost made up for Notae only scoring 12 points. Umude, despite fouling out, had 19 points and Williams scored 22.

In addition to the Crimson Tide’s turnover-marred performance, the Tide was outshot from outside the arc, making only 24 percent and out-rebounded, 46-40, giving up 21 offensive rebounds. What the Tide did well was play tough defense, including seven blocked shots. While it the Tide had fewer free throw attempts than Arkansas, it was more efficient at the line, making 76 percent of its 17 attempts.

In post-game review, Nate Oats said,

"Defensively our first shot defense was great. We’ve got to do a better job rebounding the ball. We’ve got to do a better job with that on Wednesday.Our guys showed a lot of resolve. We got down after being up 13. Noah scored two big buckets for us. Really happy for him.We’ve got plenty of stuff to improve on but that’s a big win."

In the most obvious statement of the Crimson Tide’s season, Oats said his team made too many turnovers. The most troubling thing about the turnovers was how many were mental errors. Combine the unforced turnovers and foolish fouls and the Crimson Tide almost turned a comfortable win into a loss.

The Crimson Tide was led in scoring by JD Davison, with 11 points and who committed six turnovers. Jaden Shackelford, battling an Arkansas defense designed to limit his shots, scored 10 points and made five turnovers. Noah Gurley and Charles Bediako scored nine points each. Darius Miles led the Tide with seven rebounds. Keon Ellis was the leading shot-blocker with three. Jahvon Quinerly had one more point, with six as he did turnovers with five.

The Crimson Tide needed every shot it made to win.

2022 signee, 5-Star, Jaden Bradley attended the game and was greeted by having his name chanted by the crowd.