Fresh off a monumental road win that shifted how insiders view this Alabama team, the Crimson Tide prepares for another massive test against the #2 Purdue Boilermakers later this evening. Taking down the St. John's Red Storm was no easy task, but the momentous win was enough to give oddsmakers the nod to Alabama as a slight favorite, and they will also be backed by their home crowd in Tuscaloosa.
Head coach Nate Oats will look to keep Bama in the national spotlight as the team faces a brutal stretch in November. Alabama is set to face three currently ranked opponents in a row over its next three games, starting with a mini–Big Ten tour against Purdue and Illinois, followed by Gonzaga. To handle business tonight and defend home court, the Tide must capitalize on these three keys to the game.
1. Win the battle of the boards
In Purdue’s first two games of the season, they were surprisingly outrebounded by both opponents. Crashing the offensive glass this evening will be critical, as second-chance points will be a big part of winning this game. It will be imperative to box out Purdue big man Oscar Cluff in the paint, who leads the Boilermakers with 11 offensive rebounds per game through their first two contests. We want to see continued improvement from Taylor Bol Bowen, who has already taken strides forward since Coach Oats spoke after the first game of the season.
Bol Bowen nearly recorded a double-double against the Red Storm, pulling down nine boards, including four on the offensive end of the court. If he can continue to keep his foot on the gas there, then I'd take Alabama's guard play against anybody in the country to get the job done. Without the Tide's nine offensive boards, however, the game against St. John's may have had an alternative outcome.
2. Force turnovers/minimize their own
After two games, Alabama is tied for 127th in the nation in Steals Per Game. We've seen one matchup that ended in blowout fashion, with the Tide recording eight steals against North Dakota. They followed that up with an improvement against a more formidable opponent in St. John's with nine steals. Tonight, they have an uphill battle if they wish to improve, as Purdue is currently 4th in Division-1 basketball with just 6.0 turnovers per game.
That said, the Crimson squad will also need to minimize turnovers on their end. They threw the ball away 15 times against North Dakota, but drastically improved, throwing it away only 7 times against a much better defensive opponent in St. John's. Limiting turnovers was key to beating the Red Storm, and that trend must continue tonight. Limit free trips to the hoop, and force Purdue to improve on its middle-of-the-pack 47.2% field goal percentage in a hostile environment.
3. Improve at the charity stripe
In any game, getting the other team in foul trouble and shooting free throws is a crucial part of the recipe for success. Bama has gotten to the line, but has knocked down just 71.4% of its free throws. That must change tonight if the Tide wishes to have continued success. The Boilermakers are not going to make a ton of mistakes, so taking advantage of any way to score possible goes without saying. Purdue hasn't faced much competition yet, so we will see if KenPom's #1-rated team by offensive efficiency holds up tonight.