Mizzou Tigers basketball takes on new-look Alabama in crucial SEC showdown
It’s no secret what Alabama wants to do on offense: Make three-pointers rain. The Tide have vanquished every foe on their SEC schedule, coming into Saturday’s game at Missouri with a 10-0 conference record.
It will be a premier showdown of top SEC teams at 11 a.m. in Mizzou Arena, once the No. 18-ranked Tigers tip off against No. 10 Alabama. The Tide have a healthy lead in the standings over the Tigers, who sit at 5-3.
That success has been courtesy of Alabama shooting threes at one of the top rates in the country. Coach Nate Oats’ squad is more than willing to run, too, leaving teams scrambling and trying to guard the unmarked shooter.
But Alabama has coupled that success with a new weapon: defense. The Tide rank third in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. Bama’s defense has the Tide surging up the polls and makes them a bonafide March contender.
“They’re just playing hard on the defensive end,” MU guard Dru Smith said. “They’re able to switch a lot of one through four, one through five. They have a lot of little guys who can guard each position. That’s kind of helped them out a lot. They don’t necessarily have a traditional big so they’ve been able to disrupt offenses with those switches.”
While some stout defensive teams slow down the pace (like Tennessee) to contain opponents, Alabama has done the opposite. The Tide still plays at one of the fastest paces in the country, which is also what Mizzou coach Cuonzo Martin has incorporated into his offense.
The Tigers have been willing to run all season, MU forward Mitchell Smith said. It’s an opportunity for easy transition buckets, which unlocks other facets of the Mizzou offense. But Dru Smith said getting stuck in Bama’s pace can be detrimental.
“We’ll just kind of go with the flow of the game,” Dru Smith said. “If we have chances to run, obviously we get it out and run. If there’s times we need to slow down and set up our offense, then we’ll also do that. Let us dictate the pace but go with the flow of the game.”
Alabama’s three-point success goes beyond the percentages. The Tide convert on 35.5% from threes; above average, but not the best in the nation.
The answer lies in volume. And dribble penetration. Mitchell Smith said the Tide are so deadly once they can beat defenders off the dribble. Once they’re in the paint — and the help defender creeps toward the ball-handler — Alabama kicks it out to the open shooter.
Dru Smith said that’s when the Tide offense leaves defenders scrambling. Close-outs are necessary, but a step or two too slow and the threes are flying.
Martin said there’s a certain psychological effect to those threes, pointing to former Ole Miss guard Marshall Henderson. Even when a player like Henderson misses four straight threes, Martin said, he can knock down a three-pointer from way behind the line. Then the defender is forced to creep up to account for that long three … but that means open driving lanes in the paint.
The Bama offense can get hot, and because three-pointers put more pressure on the score, it’s crucial to keep them from getting great looks, he said.
It’ll also be a game between two experienced teams. Mizzou’s the oldest team in the SEC while Bama features seniors like John Petty Jr., Herb Jones and Alex Reese, all in-state products who have paid their dues. Martin said it’s oftentimes easier to form a defensive identity with successful seniors like Bama’s.
“You are who you are at this point,” Martin said. “Whoever does what they do best has the best chance to win games. You gotta cut down on turnovers. You gotta cut down on the other guy getting offensive rebounds. You gotta cut down on whoever makes the key play. It’s all those things that makes these games special.”