Kentucky tried very hard.
Alabama coach Nate Oats made a point of praising his team’s troubled opponent on Tuesday night, as if the United Kingdom were some sort of bad luck that stood in line at the DMV for six hours.
“Too much credit for Kentucky,” said Oats. “Obviously, they are struggling. Credit to them that they competed as hard as they did. “
However, the UK has left its titles and reputation at home. Good luck meeting you again.
Can’t you just feel the love? It is so pure.
It’s delicious.
No.9 Alabama played terribly on the attack and defensively decent against the Wildcats, Oats continued to notice, but the Crimson Tide still brought down UK 70-59. Big Blue is a thrill in Kentucky these days, more than an alternative nickname for the SEC powerhouse, which has more wins in the program’s history than any other team in the country. Kentucky, young and low on hand, now has a record of 5-10 overall and 4-4 in the SEC.
Alabama’s last home win made sports journalists fight for the record books. The tomes of knowledge tell us that this is the first time that Alabama has taken two out of Kentucky in a season since the World Wide Web was invented (1989).
Don’t be shocked. The Crimson Tide is finally discovering its potential. Some tried to tell you that Alabama basketball would have better days ahead. It took a little longer than expected.
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At this point in my mind, I am visualizing Oats walking through an empty Coleman Coliseum and whispering “How about the apples?” as Matt Damon’s character in “Good Will Hunting”. This is Oats’ second season in Tuscaloosa, and former Detroit high school coach Wayne County is proving he can forge winners at all levels.
Alabama basketball has now won 10 consecutive wins, which is a bit unbelievable. It’s the Pistons to follow for Oats, right?
We could waste time and columns here in this space joking about how it all sounds bizarre and inverted, and that Alabama basketball is entering a golden age, or we could just start working. After all, we predicted this in Alabama months ago.
Alabama currently has the best basketball team in the SEC thanks to a combination of things, but mainly for these reasons: Herb Jones and John Petty are excellent senior leaders, Alabama has length in the wings to place defensive kibosh in teams at the end of games and enter On Tuesday, Crimson Tide led the SEC in virtually all important statistics.
I’m not kidding either.
Alabama started 8-0 in the SEC leading the league in all of these exclusive conference categories: attempts (243) and hits (528), three-point attempts (106), three-point hits (252) and three-point percentage (0.421), rebounds (329), assists (126), steals (76) and points (694).
And then Alabama won on a bad night against Kentucky and Oats credited the victory to Alabama’s team culture. Good teams win on bad nights. Great teams, however, know that winning the hard way is better than any record breaking.
“We said we were going to win the game in defense,” said Oats. “Our attack was really difficult.”
We already knew that Alabama was tough as a wheel wrench because Herb Jones demands it every night, but Crimson Tide corrected that fact with this ugly victory over the try-hards. Oats called Jones the best defender in the country at the post-game coach’s Zoom session, and I won’t be the hacker to disagree with that assessment.
Jones had gauze hanging from his left nostril from a bleeding nose before as he closed the game with free throws. In other words, your normal appearance.
It is impossible for me to love a player more than this guy. It puts your body at risk every time. Humble Herb, One-Hand Herb, Keith Askins reincarnated, as we will call him, he is writing a legacy this season that will last a long time in Tuscaloosa and courts around Alabama.
Many years from now, Jones’ commemorative Alabama bobblehead will come with all kinds of first aid and gym dirt.
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“I can’t say enough about Jones,” said Oats.
Don’t try me, coach.
While Oats bragged after the game, Jones had a rebound and two assists less than a triple-double (13-9-8), despite a back pain.
Alabama (14-3 overall and 9-0 in the SEC) now has Oklahoma 24 (10-4, 6-3) on the road this weekend, and Oats mentioned that an off-conference victory on Saturday may help to resume construction in March. The Sooners defeated Texas No. 5 80-79 on Tuesday. No one is ready to crown Alabama as the No.1 seed yet, but the talk of a high place in the NCAA Tournament is approaching with a few more victories.
In the end, this one against Kentucky probably won’t matter as much as a second dub against Auburn. The ‘Cats made a good effort, however.
Joseph Goodman is a columnist for Alabama Media Group. He is on twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.