Potentially lost in the can he or can’t he drama of the Charles Bediako eligibility battle is the reason Nate Oats brought his former center back to Tuscaloosa. Sure, it was to revitalize his basketball career and maximize his earning potential, but for Alabama, Bediako came back because the Tide needed help in the front court.
Offensively, the Tide are in the fifth percentile by percentage of points in the paint, while they’re shooting only 62.4 percent at the rim, a 52nd percentile mark. Defensively, it’s been even worse, allowing nearly 40 points in the paint this year (per CBBanalytics.com).
So, now that Oats is without Bediako, again, he’s going to face a major test against Arkansas and freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr.
Alabama’s rim protection problems will be on full display against Arkansas
Strangely, despite Alabama’s interior struggles and rebounding issues, the Tide are actually forcing opponents to shoot hardly 56.3 percent at the rim, and hardly over 55 percent with Bediako off the floor. That may be explained, though, by the fact that opponents manage 24.2 field goal attempts at the rim per 40 minutes against Alabama, one of the highest marks in the country.
So, while some of Alabama’s rim protection metrics look strong, teams are just getting to the rim and the paint and the rim so frequently against the Tide that it doesn’t matter if they shoot a lower percentage there because there are so many efficient shots to be had. Even that 55 or so percent field goal percentage at the rim, which is 94th percentile defensively for Alabama, is better than opponents’ field goal percentage from any other area on the floor by over 10 percent.
Arkansas is not just any opponent when it comes to getting to the rim. The Razorbacks’ 21.6 field goal attempts at the rim every game is 94th percentile nationally, and Acuff leads the way with 4.0 such attempts every time he takes the floor. Notably, Acuff isn’t shooting 55 percent at the rim. He’s at 69 percent, and as a team, Arkansas is at 74.9 percent (99th percentile).
The pressure is on Aiden Sherrell to anchor Alabama
John Calipari’s transition from Kentucky to Arkansas didn’t force much self-reflection. He’s essentially the same coach, relying on hyper-talented and hyper-athletic guards to get to the rim off the dribble with a fairly rudimentary offensive system. While that has its limitations, it’s hard to find an answer for it if he builds the right backcourt. This year, it seems he did.
The No. 20 Razorbacks are 19-6 and second in the SEC with a 9-3 record. Much of that is behind Acuff and Meleek Thomas, the team’s second-leading scorer and a fellow freshman guard.
Alabama doesn’t have the perimeter defenders to keep that duo out of the paint, so without Bediako, the game will come down to how well sophomore Aiden Sherrell holds up as a defensive anchor.
Sherrell is averaging 2.4 blocks a game and has been something of a revelation this year, starting all 24 games he’s played. But if he alone was the answer, Oats wouldn’t have needed Bediako in the first place. Now, we’ll get to see how badly Alabama misses him on Wednesday night.