Alabama rallied to score a 75-67 win over Baylor in a “secret scrimmage” in Atlanta on Saturday.
Freshman guard Collin Sexton led the way for the Crimson Tide with 15 points, while fellow freshman Herb Jones added 12 points off the bench.
Alabama 75, Baylor 67
Closed scrimmage recap: https://t.co/AtrBYMQKjD#RollTide#BuckleUp
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) October 28, 2017
Dazon Ingram and Braxton Key each added 10 points for Alabama.
Riley Norris remained out of action due to a hip injury.
Lovell’s Analysis
You can’t read a whole lot into the final score in these secret scrimmage games since coaches are still tweaking things and experimenting with certain lineups.
However, there are a few takeaways from this for the Crimson Tide.
For starters, it’s becoming more evident that this Alabama freshman class is really, really good.
There’s been plenty of attention surrounding Sexton and John Petty, but it’s clear now that players like Jones and big man Galin Smith could become factors for Avery Johnson’s squad this season.
Also, Baylor is a team that always plays hard-nosed defense and is physical in pretty much all aspects of the game.
So, for those young players to be able to adjust to that type of physicality and still play well is a good sign going forward.
But again, both teams are still working out the kinks, and there will be a lot that the coaching staffs can take away from this.
Still, for Alabama fans, seeing these talented young guys playing key roles this early will likely add even more anticipation for the season ahead.