Unhappy with No. 13 Alabama’s play, coach seeks salve at Miss. State
Alabama coach Nate Oats was livid with his team following the Crimson Tide's 92-88 home loss to Texas on Saturday. It marked No. 13 Alabama's second straight Southeastern Conference loss.
Oats and Alabama (11-5, 1-2 SEC) look to regroup against a Mississippi State team also bidding to bounce back when the Crimson Tide head to Starkville, Miss., to take on the Bulldogs on Tuesday.
After seeing his team lose to No. 11 Vanderbilt 96-90 on the road last Wednesday, Oats was hoping for a better performance versus the Longhorns.
The Crimson Tide allowed the Commodores' primary ball handler Tyler Tanner to collect 29 points and seven assists. Against Texas on Saturday, starting guard Jordan Pope put up 28 points with six made 3-pointers.
In both contests, Alabama trailed for more than 80% of the game.
"We got guys that don't care enough to lock in and follow a game plan," Oats said. "Losing doesn't bother them enough yet. I don't know how many losses it's going to take 'til 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."
While the Crimson Tide have one of the most prolific offenses in the nation (second in offensive efficiency through Sunday, according to KenPom), they have continued to struggle on the defensive end.
After the loss to Texas, the Crimson Tide dropped to 77th in defensive efficiency according to KenPom, and they rank in the bottom 30 in NCAA Division I in points allowed per game (82.7).
One key to improve on that end of the court could be 6-foot-10 forward Taylor Bol Bowen. Against Texas, Bol Bowen logged his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds and added two blocks in 27 minutes.
The junior has come off the bench the past two games after 10 earlier starts, and Oats has been pleased by what he's seen from him.
"I love the fact that he's met the challenge," Oats said. "He's making tough plays. He's going and getting rebounds up over the rim, showing his athleticism."
Along with Bol Bowen, Alabama will look to starting guards and leading scorers Labaron Philon Jr. (21.3 points per game, 5.1 assists per game) and Aden Holloway (18.7 ppg, 46.3% from 3) to lead the charge against the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State (10-6, 2-1) had a six-game win streak, including a 101-98 overtime win over host Texas on Jan. 3 and a 19-point home rout of Oklahoma last Wednesday. But that all came crashing to a halt on Saturday as the Bulldogs got manhandled by host Kentucky 92-68, getting outscored 48-29 in the second half.
The Wildcats took advantage of Mississippi State's miscues, scoring 27 points off of 15 Bulldog turnovers.
"These kids will regroup; hopefully, we'll have a great crowd," coach Chris Jans said in an interview with the Bulldog radio team after the game. "We'll get back on the court and I'm sure we'll be ready to go when we hit the court Tuesday night."
With high-scoring Alabama on tap, the Bulldogs surely will have to score more than 68 points to keep pace. That will fall on leading scorer Josh Hubbard, who notched 20 against Kentucky but shot just 7-for-16 from the field. The junior guard 22.8 points per game, which among the top 10 in the country.
In four career games against Alabama, all losses, Hubbard averages 20 points per game.
The Bulldogs have just one win against the Crimson Tide in their last 12 matchups, with their last win coming on Jan. 15, 2022.