It has been a mostly smooth road for Alabama men’s basketball this season, but it has suffered three losses to this point. In each of those losses, the Crimson Tide has showcased a strong ability to bounce back with statement wins.
The loss to Ole Miss in an ugly 74-64 showing last Tuesday, saw a complete offensive collapse, with the team having more turnovers (21) than shots made (20).
There was no time for Alabama to think about what exactly went wrong in the loss, as its next game was a tough road trip to Lexington to play No. 8 Kentucky. It was important for the Crimson Tide to respond strongly and wash away that ugly loss to the Rebels.
The team did just that, handing Kentucky its first home loss of the season and winning 102-97 in Rupp Arena. Guard Mark Sears and forward Grant Nelson stepped up in the win, combining for 49 points after a lowly 20 against Ole Miss.
The group as a whole played much better basketball, turning the ball over only 10 times and nearly doubling the second half point total from the Ole Miss game, scoring 55 after only scoring 28 against the Rebels. Head coach Nate Oats credited the group for its strong response and emphasised the importance of getting the win.
“After Ole Miss, I told them that we are going in there and we are getting a win by any means necessary,” Oats said. “If you’re not planning on getting a win, just pack your bag, because you ain’t coming back on that plane.”
The win in Lexington has been a continuation of strong responses after tough losses. Earlier in the season, the team had a chance to win the Players Era Festival against Oregon but lost 83-81.
Next up for the Crimson Tide was a road game in Chapel Hill against then-No. 20 North Carolina. Similarly to what happened in Lexington, the team responded well, winning 94-79 in a game it was in control of throughout.
“I thought our guys showed a lot of toughness, resilience,” Oats said. “We came off a tough loss against Oregon and easily could have let that loss turn into two, but I thought they got their minds right, ready to play.”
Even after Alabama’s first loss of the season against Purdue, the team fought back with a 100-87 win over Illinois in a Top 25 matchup.
After the win against Kentucky, Oats put an emphasis on learning important lessons in losses, and even mentioned how hiccups like the loss against Ole Miss may be the “best thing” to happen to a team down the road.
“Sometimes you need a loss to learn some lessons,” Oats said. “I’ve tried to study coach Saban and football, and you go look at most of his championship teams. They took a loss early, got them focused, and locked in.”
Alabama’s next game will be against LSU on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. It will start at 7:30 p.m. CT and can be streamed on SEC Network.