Alabama basketball has struggled this season from three-point range. The Crimson Tide came into this week shooting just 32.4% from three, a mark that ranked sub-200 in the nation. In spite of that, Alabama has been the nation's 2nd best offense in terms of KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency ranking.
A lot of that has been due to the Crimson Tide shooting better than 60% from two point range and relentless attacks to the rim leading to a high volume of free throws.
That script has flipped in the last two games with Alabama shooting a high percentage in wins this week over Mississippi State and Georgia.
Alabama connected on 15/31 from three in the win on the road on Wednesday in Starkville and needed every single one of those to hold off the pesky Bulldogs. On Saturday in Coleman, the Crimson Tide hit 11/26 in a 90-69 blowout win over the SEC's other Bulldogs.
It was only the fourth and fifth times this season that Alabama shot above 40% from three-point range. Alabama is 5-0 in those games with an average margin of victory of 21. 2 points per game. The ability to knock down threes at a consistently high level raises the ceiling of this team.
The last two games have raised the team's three-point percentage by a full point, up from 32.4% to 33.6%. Alabama's No. 1 overall seed team led by Brandon Miller two years ago connected on 33.5% of their attempts. That team was demonstrably better on defense, however. Alabama was really good on defense in Saturday's win over Georgia. That level of effort on the defensive end plus 40+% shooting from deep and I'm not sure this team is beatable.
Aden Holloway has been on a tear in SEC play, connecting on 48.7% of his attempts from deep. He's comfortably over 40% from three on the season now.
Chris Youngblood has gone 9/13 from three in the last two games, including a 7/10 outing in Starkville. Youngblood is now shooting 42.8% from three and is now up to 37% on the season.
Mark Sears struggled with his shot in the non-conference schedule but has shot 38.4% from three in SEC play, raising his season percentage to 36%.
Sears and Youngblood are as proven collegiate shooters as it gets. Holloway struggled last season at Auburn, but teammates and coaches have raved about his ability. Nate Oats wants those three guys to shoot every time they get a shred of separation.
Those three are heating up at the right time. Alabama still needs some others to step up. They've gotten that in the last two games.
Grant Nelson connected on a huge three down the stretch of the Tide's win over Mississippi State on Wednesday.
Against Georgia, Alabama got multiple made threes from unlikely sources: Jarin Stevenson and Aiden Sherrell, who combined to hit four of five attempts.
There are capable shooters on this team and if Alabama can continue this recent uptick in made shots on this kind of volume, the offense becomes close to unstoppable and the ceiling for what this team can do rises even more.