Shaky Bama Tries to Reset With Win vs Kentucky
Two of the top 10 teams will clash on Saturday in an SEC matchup that is sure to shake up the conference and the rankings. No.4 Alabama will head to Lexington to take on the No.8 Kentucky Wildcats. Kentucky has historically dominated Alabama, leading the overall series with 114 wins and 40 losses dating back to 1923. The Wildcats won the last matchup between the two back in February of last year 117-95 and have also won the last 6 out of 10 against the Tide.
Alabama lost to Ole Miss on Tuesday 74-64 in a big upset that proved to be a statement game for the Rebels. The offense that leads the NCAA in points per game with 89.5 was held to just 64 on Tuesday. Ole Miss remains undefeated in conference play and holds an impressive 15-2 overall record. Alabama is now tied with Kentucky and Missouri in the SEC standings with all three teams having 14-3 overall records and a 3-1 conference record.
Alabama Turnovers Prove Costly
The Rebels were able to capitalize off of the 21 turnovers that Alabama committed, leading to 19 points. Malik Dia was a menace for the Rebels, leading the team with 23 points and 19 rebounds. Overall, 5 players were in double digits in scoring for Ole Miss, while the Tide only had two players that scored above 9 points. Their unrelenting and pesky defense also lead to 4 players getting 3 assists, when Alabama had 3 combined steals as a team.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats said after the loss that the “lack of effort on the offensive glass” was what he was most disappointed about, as well as the number of turnovers. Alabama throughout the year have been a great rebounding team on both sides of the ball, ranking in the top 3 in total rebounds per game. However, combined with an average of over 9 turnovers a game, that number becomes slightly less relevant.
Epic Effort, “Metabolizing Frustration” Leads Kentucky Over Aggies
Kentucky meanwhile averages over 10 turnovers a game and have been criticized throughout this year primarily for how they appear to struggle against more physical teams. This issue was highlighted in their loss to Georgia earlier this year and has been harped on by head coach Nick Pope as well. The Wildcats took on one of the top rebounding teams in the country in Texas A&M and won the battle on the glass convincingly. When asked about how he felt about his team out rebounding Texas A&M by 10, he said that he was extremely impressed by the “epic effort” his team put forth.
Kentucky currently sits at third in the NCAA in points per game with 88.7 and has more wins against top 25 opponents than anyone else in the nation this season with 5. This can be attributed to the philosophy that their first-year coach has instilled in them which focuses on controlled and disciplined basketball. After their win on Tuesday, Pope complemented his team on their ability to keep their focus and not let emotions dictate the pace of the game or their play. “Our guys are pretty good about metabolizing frustration. They are pretty good at that, which is massively important. If you are going to be a good team, you have to get rid of frustration.”
Alabama and Kentucky head into Saturday’s matchup with very opposite experiences coming out of their last games. Alabama has many questions about their turnover issue that has plagued them all year and has a head coach saying that they lacked effort. Kentucky on the other hand showed herculean effort in their dominating rebounding performance against the Aggies and are looking to keep building off a relieving win. Saturday may prove to be a very rough outing for an Alabama team that has many questions against a team that slays top 25 opponents more than anyone in the nation.
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