Alabama basketball end-of-season reviews: Jaden Shackelford

As Alabama basketball moves into the offseason, BamaInsider is continuing its end-of-season reviews breaking down the Crimson Tide players’ performances based on expectations. Next up on our list is sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford.

Shackelford, a prolific scorer in the 2019 recruiting class, was expected to provide a scoring punch under head coach Nate Oats. He lived up to that billing, averaging 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds on 35.7 percent (84 of 235) shooting from 3 during his freshman season in 2019-20. That season, Shackelford ranked third in the SEC in 3-pointers made, trailing only Isaiah Joe and John Petty Jr.

When analyzing Shackelford’s strengths, he is a player who excels through contact. He is also a perfect fit in Alabama’s system with his ability to space the floor on offense.

Heading into this season Shackelford was expected to be a candidate for the All-SEC teams after his stellar freshman campaign.

This season, Shackelford averaged 14.0 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 rebounds on 41 perfect shooting from the field. He was one of 14 sophomores to shoot above 34 percent from three on more than 150 attempts, joining former Alabama guard Jaylen Forbes.

Shackelford is a high-volume scorer, and his shot selection lacks at times. He went from shooting 34.5 percent from the field in Alabama’s first five games to 41.7 percent in the next five outings. Despite that, Shackelford scored more than 10 points in 79 percent of his games this year. He was second on the team in field-goal attempts at the rim this season while having great touch around the basket.

Shackelford’s best performance came against Maryland in the NCAA tournament when he led all scorers with 21 points on 55 percent (6 of 11) shooting from the field.

In the play above, John Petty Jr. comes off a ram screen from Shackelford before setting a ghost screen at the top of the key. This allows Petty to penetrate into the lane as Juwan Gary sets an off-ball screen for Shackelford. This offensive set is known as Ram Ghost Exit.

Shackelford can play alongside ball-dominant players as 95.2 percent of his 3-point attempts were assisted last season. He’s an elite spot-up shooter with the ability to score in bunches.

Here’s how Shackelford fairs on uncontested and contested jumpers. He ranks eighth on Alabama’s roster in contested field-goal percentage and is the third-best shooter on uncontested attempts. For reference, 1.000 is viewed as the benchmark for a good points per possession total. Shackelford has a unique shooting motion that takes longer to get into his release which attributes to this lopsided data.

On defense, Shackelford has struggled due to his size and awareness. However, he bought into improving his defense after the coaching staff challenged him last offseason. This season, he was a more physical defender with an increase in charges drawn. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard averaged 3.1 defensive rebounds per game, a solid number for his stature.

Shackelford is expected to return to Alabama for his third season. With Herbert Jones and Jordan Bruner graduating, he must provide a leadership role as the longest-tenured player on the team.

Shackelford has scored 927 points over the past two seasons, which is more than any other SEC player. He will likely be named to the preseason All-SEC first-team with national recognition on the horizon.