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 senior guard John Petty Jr.
What did we expect?
Petty, the No. 28 recruit in the 2017 recruiting class, came to Alabama as a highly-anticipated prospect. Over his first three seasons with the Tide, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Petty was a projected second-round pick before removing his name from the 2020 NBA Draft and returning to school. He’s a talented shot-maker, but scouts were skeptical of his decision-making. Petty averaged 2.5 assists per game while committing 2.6 turnovers last season, a concerning ratio for a player who works primarily in a spot-up role.
When analyzing Petty’s skill set, he is a gifted scorer in catch-and-shoot situations. He shot 44 percent from 3 last year with 72.9 percent of those jumpers coming off assists. Petty shares similarities to NBA players such as J.J. Redick and Duncan Robinson, who unlock a team’s offensive potential with their movement shooting ability.
Petty Jr. was named to the preseason All-SEC first-team before this season. He was expected to be a contender for the SEC’s player of the year award.
What did we get?
Petty had an up-and-down senior season. He struggled in Alabama’s last three non-conference games averaging 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds on 24.1 percent shooting from the field. However, he scored more than 10 points in the nine games to follow, which’s the longest consecutive streak of his career. Petty averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds on 54.9 percent shooting over that stretch.
This season, Petty averaged 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 42.0 percent shooting from the field. The 6-foot-5 guard passed Brian Williams (1996-99) to become the program leader with 311 made 3-pointers over his career. Alabama’s success was taken to another level when Petty was clicking on all cylinders. The Crimson Tide was 13-1 in games that he made three or more jumpers from long distance.
Petty is a matchup nightmare after consecutive jumpers fall. During the Jan. 19 at LSU, the 6-foot-5 guard scored 21 points in the first half. He finished with 24 points and four rebounds on 72.7 percent (8 of 11) shooting in Alabama’s 105-75 victory.
In the play above, Herbert Jones leads the fastbreak with a pair of teammates trailing on both sides of the court. Jones hits Petty in stride for a 3 despite the strong contest from LSU’s Cameron Thomas (No. 24). Petty got into his shooting motion quickly with his momentum forcing to the baseline. This is a difficult shot that NBA teams will value at the next level.
On defense, Petty showed he can defend multiple positions by navigating through ball screens in the pick-and-roll. He’s got 3-and-D upside when using his rangy athleticism to disrupt opposing offenses. Petty also averaged 5.2 rebounds per game last season, a solid number for his size.
Here’s a possession from Alabama’s 66-61 loss at Oklahoma. Petty keeps Oklahoma guard De’Vion Harmon (No. 11) from creating separation before the Sooners set a ball screen to give Harmon space on the drive. Petty makes a strong recovery when blocking the dunk attempt, an impressive defensive stand where he illustrates his on-ball, off-ball, and rim protection ability.
Petty was second on the team with 449 blue-collar points, a metric that measures effort plays by compiling points for deflections, steals, blocks, rebounds, floor dives and charges. He earned Alabama’s “Hard Hat Award” four times.
Offseason outlook
Petty might not have had the season he was hoping for but should still anticipate a professional career with scouts projecting him as a possible late second-round pick in this year’s NBA draft. ESPN has Petty ranked as No. 25 shooting guard and No. 78 overall prospect. Meanwhile, Tankathon ranks him as the No. 15 shooting guard and No. 59 overall prospect.
Petty projects as an elite 3-point shooter but struggles to create his own shot. His one-dimensional offensive attack has caused scouts to have fluctuating viewpoints on his draft position. The Huntsville, Ala. native is a potential steal if the right organization selects him.
