The hype train for Alabama was full steam ahead until Monday evening.
That’s when news broke shortly before Alabama’s 74-65 exhibition win against the University of Alabama-Huntsville that 5-star freshman Collin Sexton had not been reinstated by the NCAA. (11/9 Update: Sexton has since been reinstated, but will not play in this game.)
On top of that news, the Crimson Tide shockingly announced that its leading returning scorer and most versatile player, Braxton Key, had a meniscus injury and would have surgery on Tuesday.
Alabama was already waiting on senior glue-guy Riley Norris to heal from a hip injury. He is likely to miss a few games as well.
Naturally, much of the buzz about Alabama’s opening game against Memphis has been quieted, but the two teams will play on Friday night in Annapolis all the same.
Game Information
When: November 10, 2017 at 5:30 PM Central
Where: Annapolis, Maryland (Veterans Classic)
TV: CBS Sports Network
Scouting Memphis
Looking at Last Season
Memphis has a hoops tradition that rivals almost any program in the country. However, if you’ve been paying attention lately, you recognize that the program is not the elite Memphis of old.
To be fair, last season wasn’t all bad in Tubby Smith’s first year with the Tigers. They finished the year 19-13 and went 9-9 in the American Athletic Conference.
At one point, it even looked like the Tigers might make the NCAA Tournament. The team had amassed an 18-7 record with non-conference wins against Iowa, Oklahoma and final-four participant South Carolina. They were also 8-4 at the time in league play when the wheels inexplicably fell off.
From there, Memphis dropped six of its last seven including back to back 30+ point losses against SMU and UCF to finish the year.
Turmoil and chaos quickly ensued inside the program.
Almost every player on the roster that played significant minutes, including the talented Lawson brothers, transferred.
Expectations for Memphis This Season
When seemingly the entire roster leaves the program, the need arises for players that can play right away, so Smith went to the junior college well and dug up five players for one of the largest JUCO signing classes ever put together.
Add those players with three freshmen and only two upperclassmen returnees and Memphis has suddenly become a true enigma.
No one knows how this team will compete this year or what their identity will be.
Probable Starting Lineups
Memphis
F – Kyron Davenport – 6’8, 211 pounds
Davenport averaged a double-double on his way to becoming a first-team junior college All-American and achieving a ranking of the No. 19 junior college player in the country. He scored 19 points and grabbed seven boards in the Tigers’ exhibition versus LeMoyne-Owen.
F – Jimario Rivers – 6’8, 194 pounds
Rivers started 19 games for the Tigers last year as a junior college transfer. He scored 6.4 points and grabbed 3.5 rebounds per game as a long, wiry wing player.
C – Mike Parks Jr. – 6’8, 260 pounds
Parks will need to give the Tigers a consistent presence in the paint this season after averaging 8.9 points at the JUCO level last season.
G – Jeremiah Martin – 6’3, 184 pounds
Martin is the team’s only returning full time starter. He started every game last season for Memphis on his way to averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 assists. He was a favorite of Smith and a workhorse for Memphis, playing almost 35 minutes a game.
G – Kareem Brewton Jr. – 6’2, 189 pounds
Yet another fresh face to the team, Brewton was also a first-team JUCO All-American as a point guard. He scored 11 and dished out 9 assists while running the backcourt in the exhibition.
Key Bench Personnel
Freshman combo guard Jamal Johnson–a Hoover, AL product–will be familiar to long-time Alabama fans. His dad, Buck Johnson, was a star for the Tide a few decades ago. The Crimson Tide courted the younger Johnson on the recruiting trail too and it’s easy to see why already. Johnson scored 14 in the exhibition and also impressed in a secret scrimmage against defending champion North Carolina.
Freshmen Victor Enoh and David Nickleberry, each 3-star recruits, will also figure into the rotation early.
Alabama
C – Donta Hall – 6’9, 232 pounds
Hall is a long, shot-blocking center with impressive leaping ability; however, he needs to show improvement in his scoring abilities to secure a potential NBA draft spot. He averaged 6 points and 5.5 rebounds last season playing about 20 minutes a game.
F – Herb Jones – 6’7, 200 pounds
Jones came to Alabama with less fanfare than some of the other freshman, but he has impressed everyone since day 1 in Tuscaloosa. He posted a double figure scoring output against Baylor in a secret scrimmage earlier this month before reaching double digits again in the exhibition on Monday. Avery Johnson has said that even the NBA scouts have noticed. He recently remarked about the “crazy the comments [he] get from the scouts that attend [Alabama’s] practices.”
G – Dazon Ingram – 6’5, 207 pounds
Ingram is a big, tough guard. After breaking his ankle in practice two years ago as a true frosh, he earned a medical redshirt. Last year, he ran the point for Alabama and became the Tide’s second leading scorer at over 10 points a game. He’s an oddity because he’s one of the few point guards that isn’t shy about posting up smaller players. He also had the best 3-point percentage on the team, yet he lacked confidence outside the arc and passed up most 3-point opportunities. Folks around the program anticipate that will change this season.
G – John Petty – 6’5, 195 pounds
A five-star freshman out of Huntsville, AL, Petty is another big guard for Alabama. He was without a doubt the star of the team’s Canada trip this summer. The two-time Mr. Basketball in Alabama impressed with his shot-making ability, and NBA scouts are already sizing Petty up as a potential first-round draft choice.
G – Avery Johnson Jr. – 5’11, 187 pounds
Avery Johnson Jr., the coach’s son, will play the role of back-up point guard once Sexton returns, but for now, he’s a likely starter. He developed nicely throughout the season last year. He is capable from deep and possesses a high-arching scoop layup that has become his signature move.
Key Bench Personnel
Giddens will help Donta Hall patrol the paint. The 6’11, 247 pound redshirt sophomore is physically imposing and possesses a nice face-up game. Johnson recently praised Giddens for his physical play in the secret scrimmage against Baylor. Giddens then followed up that effort with game-highs of 17 points and 10 boards in the exhibition versus UAH.
Alex Reese and Galin Smith will both likely be forced into more action than originally anticipated with Norris and Key both out to start the season.
Biggest Questions
How will the Tide respond to missing players?
It will be interesting to see how Alabama adjusts to missing so many players from its rotation on Friday.
The team likely has run its offense to the strengths of Sexton. Avery Johnson Jr is a completely different type of player than Sexton. Beyond that, it will also be difficult to replace the defense and rebounding of Norris and Key. Can the tide adjust on such short notice?
Who’s in the rotation?
Alabama tried an 11 or 12-man rotation early last season and Johnson will admit that it likely cost them some games in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
The Tide was better in conference play when it narrowed its focus to eight or nine guys.
The rotation may be expanded a bit for the season opener with so many players sitting out. Will Johnson play guys like Ingram and Petty 35-plus minutes?
Memphis’s rotation will be in flux too with so many roster additions. It will be interesting to see which of the freshman and JUCO players will crack the lineup early.
What will be the identity of each team?
The last two seasons, Alabama has been one of the top defenses in the country, but will they be able to maintain that hard-hat identity with so many newcomers and a potentially increased pace of play?
Alabama will still be one of the most physically imposing teams in the country with multiple lineups that incredibly could feature Ingram, a 6’5, 207 pound player, as the smallest player on the floor.
With so many newcomers, Memphis could be anything. However, teams usually assimilate to their coach’s identity. If it’s up to Tubby Smith, Memphis will probably lean towards becoming a tough defensive-minded team.
Prediction
Alabama will use a balanced scoring attack versus Memphis. Ingram, Jones, Giddens, and Petty are all capable of scoring double digits.
The defense may struggle in the opener as the young players make the transition from high school basketball.
I expect Memphis to let it fly from deep after 23 3-point attempts in their exhibition.
Overall, Alabama will use its size and athleticism to overwhelm Smith’s rebuilding Tigers in a double-digit victory that will be close into the second half.
Phil’s Pick: Alabama 79, Memphis 67
Who wins on November 10?
- Alabama (82%, 32 Votes)
- Memphis (18%, 7 Votes)
Total Voters: 39
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