In the aftermath of what Nate Oats called an embarrassing loss to Florida on Sunday, Alabama had to take a long, hard look in the mirror. A .500 record through eight SEC games is a ways away from the type of basketball this program has come to expect.
Oats confidently proclaimed after a non-conference win over Illinois in Chicago that he thought he had a team that could win the national title. As the calendar flips into February, Alabama has looked like a team that might not even be capable of making the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, much less making a run toward the Final Four or the program's first National Championship.
A big reason for the struggles has been a major step back on the defensive end of the court vs. last season, something that has been a consistent Achilles Heel for Oats teams. Alabama ranks 67th in the country in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. That's down from 28th a year ago.
No one player deserves the full blame for it. It's a collective effort, and a coaching and roster-construction issue more than anything. Several players, none more than Taylor Bol Bowen, have drawn public criticism from Oats this year. Now, he's turned his attention to star sophomore guard Labaron Philon as he looks to light a fire that ignites a run down the stretch for the Crimson Tide.
"He's taken a big major step backwards on defense this year," Oats said on Tuesday. "In order to be a leader, you have to make plays on both sides of the ball."
Nate Oats says Labaron Philon has taken a 'major step back' on defense
Philon has been leaps and bounds better as an offensive player this year. He's taken on a lot more usage offensively this season with Mark Sears moving on, and he's jumped his scoring average from 10.6 points to 21.6 points per game this year. He's done that on much higher efficiency, shooting 51% from the floor (45% last year), and 38% from three (31% last year).
But Oats isn't wrong that the defense has taken a step back, which has been disappointing. Philon's two-way ability is what made him such a coveted prospect, even with his offensive game still in the early stages of growth this time a year ago.
He's taken on so much more offensively for Alabama this year that his defense has tailed off as a result.
Defensive Box Plus-Minus:
25-26: 2.2
24-25: 4.1
Defensive Rating:
25-26: 112.4
24-25: 107.5
Oats isn't afraid to coach his players hard. It's part of the reason Philon removed his name from the NBA Draft to return to school for his sophomore year. He likes to be pushed. Oats' comments on Tuesday might be exactly what Philon needs to reach his two-way potential and spark a big run for Alabama down the stretch.