TIDE TURNS RED-HOT FROM THE FREE-THROW LINE...
Bama didn't win the Charleston Classic. They did, however, win a lot of Tide fans with two great performances against Ball State and Wichita State. After a zombie-like performance against Northeastern, Avery Johnson got the attention of his team. Believe it or not, the Tide iced the game against Wichita State with clutch free throw shooting. When you make 31 of 34 freebies you are going to win a lot of games. That performance raised the team season's free throw percentage to a nice 73%. Kira Lewis was 11-11 and Alex Reese was 9-10. It is almost like 'Bama had a consultant to talk with about shooting free-throws. Making some freebies builds confidence. A chink in Alabama's game seems to be on the road to recovery.
In the past two games, the Crimson Tide has been shown some real chemistry on the offensive end of the floor. John Petty has had two nice shooting nights from downtown Freddie Brown* territory. He wants to ball. That is a good sign. Petty is long and once he goes up no one can block his shot. These games were not true road games, but they weren't at home either. Kira Lewis drilled a three-point shot when Wichita State was making a run.
The Reece Piece...
Alex Reese played only three minutes against Ball State. If 'Bama was going to use an eight-person rotation, Reese looked like he was the odd man out. He played just 9 minutes against Northeastern. Perhaps the additional pine time caused Reese to think about his career at Alabama. Whatever happened, Reese turned into a huge asset against the 'Shockers. Reese wasn't the only breakout player in the Charleston Classic
Big Mack Attack...
Tevin Mack nailed 5 fo 9 three-pointers against Ball State. Mack proved he could indeed go home again. The South Carolina native got back some of his Texas Mojo to lead the Tide to their win over Ball State. Mack averaged over 15 points a game with the Longhorns. Alabama would love to have similar numbers from the forward. Sure, he has some rust on his game. He hasn't really played in 18 months but you can see the talent with his outside shooting and his slashing drives to the basketball. A defense has to cover the outside threat only to see Mack drive inside the paint. He should be back to his old self by the start of the SEC.
And a Child shall lead them...
When I was 17 going on 18 about the only things that concerned me was would my Pop let me use the car on Friday nights. Kira Lewis, Jr. should be a senior in his school. Instead, he "reclassified" and became the starting point guard for the Crimson Tide. That took a lot of courage. Lewis has shown the same courage on the floor leading the Tide to 4 wins in 5 games. He's done this with no offseason weight training or big-time competition. He is perfect from the free throw line, rebounds, and is a deadly shooter. He can shoot from beyond the arc and drive the basket. He handles a fast break with skill. Can he end up better than Sexton? He will be a different kind of great. Kira is Kira and any team in the nation would have been happy to have him. It is unlikely he will go to the NBA. One more season might make him a first-round draft choice. If 'Bama could convince him it is in the best interest to play for three seasons it would be great. Of course, I doubt it would be in best season. Kira the quick is quite a player. When he gets some experience other SEC teams will understand why every team in the SEC, ACC, Big Twelve, and Pac 12 wanted him
Not so Petty anymore...
John Petty was highly recruited. Some recruiting gurus had him a five-star prospect. It really doesn't matter. Last season he was as hot as a pepper patch. Other times he was the next ice age. Johnson wanted some consistency and other roles to play. This season he runs the break with the ball, rebounds like a post player, and is a dynamic shooter. When Petty is set to shoot he is deadly. He is going to get better. Sophomore seasons are the time when most players have their biggest jump in performance. I see no reason to believe he is different. The main thing I see is a player who wants the ball and wants to make a big difference. He reminds me of an old friend name Latrell Sprewell.
Upcoming...
Alabama takes on Murray State next Monday. The Racers are the defending champions of the Ohio Valley Conference last year. They were the regular season champions and winner of the OVC post-season Championship. The Racers were 26-6 and earned a berth into the NCAA National Championship Tournament. The lost in the First Round to West Virginia.
Murray State was picked to finish second in the OVC behind Belmont. The media experts gave Belmont six votes to 5 votes for Murray State. The Racers are not some cupcake team the Tide can take lightly. I expect a close game.
* Freddie Brown play 13 seasons with Seattle. He was a red-hot outside shooter. He got his nickname in high school from an opposing coach who bragged about his outside shooting.
In the past two games, the Crimson Tide has been shown some real chemistry on the offensive end of the floor. John Petty has had two nice shooting nights from downtown Freddie Brown* territory. He wants to ball. That is a good sign. Petty is long and once he goes up no one can block his shot. These games were not true road games, but they weren't at home either. Kira Lewis drilled a three-point shot when Wichita State was making a run.
The Reece Piece...
Big Mack Attack...
Tevin Mack nailed 5 fo 9 three-pointers against Ball State. Mack proved he could indeed go home again. The South Carolina native got back some of his Texas Mojo to lead the Tide to their win over Ball State. Mack averaged over 15 points a game with the Longhorns. Alabama would love to have similar numbers from the forward. Sure, he has some rust on his game. He hasn't really played in 18 months but you can see the talent with his outside shooting and his slashing drives to the basketball. A defense has to cover the outside threat only to see Mack drive inside the paint. He should be back to his old self by the start of the SEC.
And a Child shall lead them...
Not so Petty anymore...
John Petty was highly recruited. Some recruiting gurus had him a five-star prospect. It really doesn't matter. Last season he was as hot as a pepper patch. Other times he was the next ice age. Johnson wanted some consistency and other roles to play. This season he runs the break with the ball, rebounds like a post player, and is a dynamic shooter. When Petty is set to shoot he is deadly. He is going to get better. Sophomore seasons are the time when most players have their biggest jump in performance. I see no reason to believe he is different. The main thing I see is a player who wants the ball and wants to make a big difference. He reminds me of an old friend name Latrell Sprewell. Upcoming...
Alabama takes on Murray State next Monday. The Racers are the defending champions of the Ohio Valley Conference last year. They were the regular season champions and winner of the OVC post-season Championship. The Racers were 26-6 and earned a berth into the NCAA National Championship Tournament. The lost in the First Round to West Virginia.
Murray State was picked to finish second in the OVC behind Belmont. The media experts gave Belmont six votes to 5 votes for Murray State. The Racers are not some cupcake team the Tide can take lightly. I expect a close game.
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