The Alabama Crimson Tide stopped their two-game losing streak with a much-needed 70-55 win over Ole Miss in Tuscaloosa.
Defense once again played a big part in Alabama’s success, as it was able to hold the Rebels to their second lowest point total of the season on only 31.1% shooting.
Ole Miss leading scorer Deandre Burnett (16.5 PPG) only scored two points on the night and didn’t make a single field goal on seven shot attempts.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide were fueled by freshmen Dazon Ingram and Braxton Key. Ingram had 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the floor, and Key added 19.
Freshman guard Breein Tyree paced Ole Miss with 14 points.
Blake’s Analysis:
This was a significant win for Alabama for several reasons.
For starters, it continued the theme of the Crimson Tide being able to bounce back when facing adversity. Avery Johnson has talked about that aspect many times this season, and Alabama answered the bell when most (myself included) thought a third straight loss was coming.
There was also the part about holding Burnett to zero field goals and two points. Burnett is one of the most dynamic scorers in the SEC, and it was his lowest scoring game of the entire season. Holding him down is no easy feat.
And then there’s Ingram and Key’s contributions. These two lead the Crimson Tide in scoring (Key at 12.3 PPG and Ingram at 10.4 PPG), and here’s a friendly reminder if you forgot:
They’re both freshmen.
Being able to get this kind of productivity out of these two players has not only been huge for Johnson’s team this season, but it’ll be even bigger for them heading into next season.
Why? Because Ingram and Key will be even better, and the Crimson Tide will be adding two dynamic playmakers to go along with them.
For those that don’t follow college basketball recruiting closely, know this: Collin Sexton and John Petty are the real deal.
Sexton will be able to change the game at a moment’s notice due to his incredible scoring ability and court awareness. Petty will add similar playmaking skills and be a great asset on the defensive end of the floor due to his size and athleticism.
Alabama also adds 4-star forward Alex Reese, who can score from multiple areas on the floor.
Adding those three players to the Ingram/Key combo should solve this team’s biggest weakness, which is scoring the ball on a consistent basis.
I’ve already discussed why this was never “the year” for Alabama basketball.
However, finishing strong this season with a win at Tennessee could give the Crimson Tide plenty of momentum heading into what could be “the year” if all goes according to plan.