"We have the best backcourt in the country," Aden Holloway told the broadcast in the aftermath of Alabama's 102-78 win over Yale on Monday night. Beating the Ivy League favorite by 24 points is a good night, no matter the circumstances; it's even better considering the Crimson Tide did it without star sophomore guard Labaron Philon.
It was an opportunity for Alabama's backcourt depth to shine, and shine it did.
Holloway led the way, taking on a starring role without his backcourt mate. The junior scored 26 points and dished out seven assists to lead the charge. He connected on 5-of-10 attempts from three, doing all that damage in just 27 minutes of action.
It was a balanced attack for Alabama, however, with five players finishing in double figures scoring. The ball was humming around. The Crimson Tide finished with 22 assists on 34 made field goals with only five turnovers. That charge was led by the Tide's backcourt.
“I thought the ball moved really well," Oats said. "We had guys take care of it. You go through our four guards, they had 17 assists and no turnovers. ... Obviously, Labaron’s super talented, but we were able to play pretty well without him, particularly on the offensive end by those guys taking care of the ball, and we shot it pretty well."
The four guards Oats mentions are Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell, Amari Allen, and Houston Mallette. If you add in Miami (FL) transfer Jallil Bethea, it was 19 assists to only one turnover.
Taking care of the basketball has been a positive trend this year for the Tide. Per KenPom, Alabama's turnover percentage of 13.7% ranks 7th in the country. That's been one of the most positive developments for Oats' team this year, which speaks to the talent Alabama has in the backcourt.
Alabama's backcourt carried the day even without Labaron Philon
Not many teams could be without a player as good as Philon and not miss a beat. Especially against a quality opponent like Yale.
Philon is the SEC's leading scorer at 21.9 points per game.
But Alabama's depth around him is one of the strengths of this team, and something the Crimson Tide didn't have a year ago. It's one of the biggest reasons for optimism that this team can make a run in March. Guard play tends to rule in the tournament, and Alabama has it in spades.
All five of Alabama's guards finished in double figures scoring against Yale. Joining Holloway, Amari Allen, Jalil Bethea, and Latrell Wrightsell all scored 15 points apiece. Houston Mallette added 12, connecting on 4-of-9 from three-point range.
Holloway, Wrightsell, and Mallette all hit at least four three-pointers, with Holloway and Wrightsell both connecting on five. Bethea went 3-of-4 from deep, and Allen hit 2-of-4. It keyed one of those nights for the Tide, where they hit 22-of-54 from distance.
Playing that well without Philon was a confidence booster this team needed as they head into SEC play on Saturday against Kentucky at Coleman.