There are a lot of holes in the Alabama Crimson Tide's gameplan, and it was showcased front and center in Gainesville against the Florida Gators.
When the Alabama Crimson Tide arrived in Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators, no one expected to witness a brutal beatdown.
Florida ran roughshod over the Tide, with a dominating 100-77 win and it cast a white-hot light on the mishaps and miscues of this team.
While the game started off as a close battle between SEC juggernauts, Florida quickly ran away with this game, ending the first half on a 13-2 run, and then opening the second half with a 12-0 run.
Even worse was how careless Alabama played once the game ran away from it. For the entirety of the game, Alabama had committed 18 turnovers, while Florida only turned the ball over twice.
And when Florida pulled away from this game, the players had quickly seemed uninterested.
It goes back to the postgame rant that coach Nate Oats gave on January 11th, following a loss to Texas:
“We got guys that don’t care enough to lock in and follow a game plan. Losing doesn’t bother them enough yet. I don’t know how many losses it’s going to take ‘till it bothers them, but it’s bothering me. It bothers the coaching staff, and as soon as it starts bothering the players enough, I’m sure they’ll change.”
But here’s the problem with that sentiment.
Hope isn’t a strategy.
Because when you hope something happens, you get total stinkers like Sunday afternoon.
This is a team that doesn’t know how to protect the ball when things get tough, attempts to play hero ball, and uses the 3-point basket as a need rather than a luxury.
And while I was watching the game, ESPN had dropped this nugget that only confirmed my suspicions on just why the Tide have continued to fall against programs that are either on their level or above it.
For a team that is shooting 51% of their shots from deep, but only making 35% of those shots, which is 110th in the country, it’s deeply concerning.
If you haven’t read our “Behind the Numbers” piece here on BamaRoundtable, it precisely breaks down more of the miscues this team has dealt with all season, and where Alabama falls short.
It’s worked in the past for Oats as he’s taken Alabama to the Elite Eight and the program’s first ever Final Four.
But this team? This team needs a gameplan restructure, and they need it pronto.
Firstly, there needs to be more of an emphasis on easy baskets. This isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Take the points and worry about the 3 later.
There is only one elite shooter from deep, and that’s Aden Holloway, who shoots an SEC-leading 45% from 3 on 108 attempts. Following him is LaBaron Philon and Amari Allen, both at 37%.
While 37% is hardly nothing to sneeze at, it’s not considered elite. Philon has one of the more innate abilities to score the rock from anywhere on the court, while also possessing elite vision.
Allen, who's currently dealing with an injury, is a fundamental workhorse, who Oats values deeply, due to his relentlessness on defense and aggressiveness on the glass.
The belief was that Houston Mallette was supposed to be Alabama’s sharpshooter from deep, but in extended minutes, Mallette’s offensive ceiling has failed to show up, only shooting 33% from 3 on 101 attempts.
Based on what we all saw, this team runs on momentum, and when they run the table, they become vulnerable.
Which is why easy buckets matter. Create down low, find a mid-range jumper, and open 3s are encouraged. The key is to know your personnel, and right now, the long balls are not falling.
So given the struggles that this team faces, for a team with championship aspirations, the Tide couldn’t be further from their goal, even if they tried.
The gameplan has to change. Otherwise? Potentially more disappointing showcases like Sunday afternoon.