For Alabama guard Dazon Ingram, the 2017-18 season is all about picking up where he left off.
Ingram’s first full season on the court in Tuscaloosa showcased his true potential going forward.
He finished as the team’s best 3-point shooter (42.9 percent) and assist man (3.3 assists per game). He was also the Crimson Tide’s second-leading scorer, and most importantly, played his best basketball late in the year.
Ingram made his presence felt at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, where he starred in Alabama’s victory over Mississippi State, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor.
Two games later, he was just as impressive in a 17-point performance against eventual tournament champion Kentucky.
With the additions of standout point guard Collin Sexton and sharpshooter John Petty in the backcourt, Ingram should make significant strides yet again this season.
Inside the Numbers
The statistic that stood out most from last season was Ingram’s 52 percent shooting from the floor.
He scored in double-figures 18 times on the year, yet there were only six games where he took more than nine shots.
Even during a season where Alabama struggled to find consistency on offense throughout the year, Ingram’s offensive efficiency was hard to overlook.
The good news is that the arrival of Sexton and Petty will make that type of efficiency possible once again.
Teams around the SEC and elsewhere will be forced to game plan much differently for the Crimson Tide’s backcourt attack, and it will likely prove difficult to effectively stop all three at the same time.
What will also help is Sexton’s ability to get in the lane and force defenders to help off of their man, which will give players like Ingram and Petty open shots on the perimeter.
And with Alabama likely to play at a faster tempo than the 18.7 seconds per possession that it did last year, it’ll benefit Ingram even more due to his athleticism and vision in the open court.
What They’re Saying
“We just told him we needed him to be aggressive. He’s very, very good on or off the ball. He’s playing really good defense. So I just told him we trust him and we want him to be aggressive.
Even if he’s a little bit overly aggressive at times, that’s okay. I told him that’s something we need him to do because we feel good about how good he can be offensively.” – Alabama coach Avery Johnson on Ingram’s offensive play following the team’s SEC Tournament win over Mississippi State in March
Lovell’s Analysis
The reason I included Johnson’s quote from March was because of how it will ring true once again this season.
When Ingram was aggressive on offense, Alabama was a better team. The same will apply this year, even with the plethora of offensive options that the Crimson Tide will have on the floor.
While the offense will flow through Sexton and his playmaking ability at the point, it still seems likely that Ingram will be the one called upon to deliver in key late-game situations.
So while Alabama fans didn’t get a chance to see him on the court during the team’s August trip to Canada, the wait should be worth it.
I think Ingram will use the momentum from that late-season push to break through as one of the SEC’s most complete players this year.