The first man off Alabama’s bench in the exhibition game against the Trevecca Trojans felt a little nervous.
Reigning Mr. Basketball, Dazon Ingram, or as his teammates call him Day, said he got all of his nerves out last week.
“I had a few open shots that I should have took, but I just drove it and assisted it to one of my teammates,” Ingram said.
Ingram will get a chance to prove he’s settled in against Kennesaw State Friday at 7:30 p.m. as Alabama looks to start the Avery Johnson era off with a win in Coleman Coliseum.
Sophomore Riley Norris said the team has focused on its defensive play this week.
“Last week we gave up too many easy buckets in transition and the half-court offense just mental breakdowns,” Norris said. “It’s always good to hold opponents under 60 I would say.”
Norris said he remembers running out of the tunnel for the first time last season. He felt nervous then too, but he said Ingram and the other freshman that saw time against the Trojans played well.
“Practice is nothing like the first game,” Norris said. “Until you actually get out there under the lights, the speed, the physicality of college basketball is just completely different than high school.”
Ingram got a taste of college basketball when he was the first one off the bench against Trevecca. Tomorrow night either Ingram or sophomore Justin Coleman will start Johnson’s first regular season game at the point guard position.
“Me and Justin we battle each day,” Ingram said. “Coach Avery said he is going to try to play us both at the same time and I feel like that will be good because he could run the wing and score or I could run the wing and score.”
Regardless of who gets the nod Friday, Ingram is ready to contribute whenever his number is called.
“[Last week] it was pretty good just to know that I was actually playing for the Tide,” Ingram said. “It should be a great experience [Friday].”
It’s not just new comers like Ingram that are excited to start the season off Friday. The excitement around campus has the team looking forward to tomorrow night.
“Around campus everybody’s hyped up, everybody’s looking forward to the game tomorrow so I think it’s going to be a good crowd,” Norris said. “We are really excited in the locker room.”
