Alabama Basketball: Taking Stock & Keeping Perspective

Many Crimson Tide fans are suddenly cautious in their optimism about the Alabama basketball team after its blowout loss on the road at Oklahoma.

While this loss was shocking and, quite frankly, embarrassing, it is not an indictment on a team that has consistently shown over a 20-game period that it can compete at the highest level of college basketball. The Oklahoma game was the outlier, not the norm, and the exception, not the rule.

While Alabama has shown some of the tendencies that led to the loss, such as an ice-cold shooting slump, it has been highly efficient far more often.

This Alabama basketball team is deep, resilient, and complete. It has shown mental toughness far beyond its experience, as a team that has four true freshmen playing significant minutes. Prior to the road trip to Norman, Bama had won several games that looked like obvious letdown spots or “trap games.”

Alabama basketball has also withstood an unthinkable off-court tragedy, and continues to deal with all of the subsequent fallout and ridicule.

Through it all, the Crimson Tide have won games in various ways. Of course, this team has the offensive talent to get hot and run opponents out of the gym, as it did against LSU and Jacksonville State. Alabama has hit double-digit three-pointers in nine different games, and has hit at least 20 triples on two occasions.

The Tide has also won high-octane shootouts against good teams such as North Carolina and Memphis.

Alabama basketball has shown the ability to completely shut down its opponent on the defensive end. It did so against Kentucky, holding the Wildcats to 52 points on 28.8 percent shooting. Bama has limited 10 opponents to 35 percent or lower from the field, and held four foes below 30 percent.

When the Crimson Tide has its own bad shooting days, it has proven it can win ugly. Alabama has won defensive struggles against South Alabama and Mississippi State despite shooting very poorly. The Tide won a slugfest on the road against Houston, who many consider to be the toughest and most physical team in the nation.

Because Alabama basketball can win in a multitude of ways, it is built for March. Nate Oats’ team may be going through a rough patch right now, but Bama’s resume says that it is one of college basketball’s best teams.

The Crimson Tide controls its own destiny, both in the SEC and nationally. Alabama is still considered a number-one seed, and is undefeated in conference play. The Tide are leading the race to the SEC regular season championship, narrowly ahead of Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Although Bama fans are ready to hit the panic button, it is important to remember that college basketball is unlike college football. The season is a process, and one loss does not condemn a team.

Alabama basketball has looked ugly over the past week, but it’s a long season. This could be just a blip on the radar.