It was impossible not to be impressed with Alabama basketball's 103-96 win over St. John's on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Few gave the Crimson Tide a chance to get it done, but Nate Oats took his team on the road and earned an early top-five win, one that will resonate all the way into March.
It was as impressive an early-season win as you're going to find. Alabama looked like a legitimate contender again, something they've been the last three seasons, though there was plenty of pessimism about them in the preseason after losing Mark Sears and many other contributors from last season's Elite Eight squad.
The Field of 68's Rob Dauster was blown away by Alabama's performance in New York. So much so, in fact, that he made a bold statement about the Crimson Tide in the aftermath.
"I hate overreacting to something this early, but... if Alabama's guards are this good, I think they're the best team in the SEC," Dauster said.
Rob Dauster believes Alabama is the best team in the SEC
Alabama's guards are that good. If you didn't know that coming in, you sure do after watching them torch an elite St. John's defense. Rick Pitino essentially shrugged in his postgame presser, effectively saying there's little that can be done about it other than forcing turnovers.
Labaron Philon is a superstar. He's on the shortlist for the best players in the country. He dropped 25 points against the Red Storm. He can get anywhere on the court he wants to get at any time. He attacks the rim and finishes at a high percentage. His three-pointer has improved, and that step-back three he hit late in the game was arguably the biggest shot of the afternoon.
Aden Holloway has found ways to contribute even when his three-point shot isn't falling. Holloway only hit 2-of-9 from three, but nobody on St. John's could stay in front of him. He got to the rim at will, finishing with 21 points and four assists. He finished 7-of-8 from two.
And then there's a healthy Latrell Wrightsell, who scored 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep in only 22 minutes. He also grabbed three rebounds, dished three assists, and came up with four steals. Wrightsell overcame some cramping in the second half that left Tide fans holding their breath and delivered down the stretch to help Alabama get the win.
Elite guard play can take you a long way. Frontcourt play like Taylor Bol Bowen provided, along with hustle plays by the likes of Amari Allen and Houston Mallette, is key, too. Guard play tends to win games in March - Alabama has the guard play to go a long way.