TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Last week was one to forget for Alabama basketball, and no one wants to do that more than John Petty Jr.

Five days ago, the junior guard was flying. Petty entered a crucial road game at LSU averaging 18.4 points on 51.7 percent shooting over his past 10 outings. During that span, he had recorded nine double-digit scoring performances and helped lead the Crimson Tide to seven wins.

Then everything came crashing down.

Petty came off the bench during Alabama’s trip to Baton Rouge, La., after head coach Nate Oats looked to make a statement on the team’s leadership. The result was a humiliating 90-76 defeat in which Petty scored a season-low 4 points on 1 of 7 shooting.

Following the game, the junior held a one-on-one meeting with his head coach ensuring him that he would show more effort moving forward. Petty was then re-inserted into the starting lineup against Arkansas over the weekend. However, his troubles on the bayou followed him back to Tuscaloosa as he accounted for 8 points on 3 of 8 shooting, including 1 of 5 from beyond the arc in an 82-78 loss to the Razorbacks.

In total, the former five-star’s shooting slump on the week looked like this: 6 points per game, 26.7 percent from the floor, 12.5 percent from 3.

“It’s been a rough week, but there’s ups and downs in basketball. There’s ups and downs everywhere,” Petty said. “The good thing is, we’ve got more games to come. We still got a lot left, so I just got to put it behind me and keep playing.”

Since sitting Petty early against LSU, Oats noted a change in focus from his star guard. Following Monday’s practice, Petty owned up to his recent poor performances, stating he was “loping around” and needed to be a better role model for his teammates. Those leadership qualities will prove even more essential with the absence of starting forward Herbert Jones, who will miss the next few weeks with a fractured wrist.

Along with being Alabama’s best defender, Jones is one of the Crimson Tide’s biggest leaders both on the floor and in the locker room. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound wing tops Alabama’s chart in blue-collar points and leads the team in dunks (13), charges taken (18) and floor dives (23). More often than not, he serves as the team’s organizer on defense, informing his teammates where to be on the court at all times.

“It affects guys a lot,” Petty said of Jones’ absence. “Guys are going to have to step up harder and play defense at a higher level, even though we should be playing at a higher level as it is. Just like Coach said, That’s a guy who takes away mistakes, who comes in and gives his all. He’s like a lockdown corner, just like Coach said.

“His absence really affects us, but we’ve got his back, so we’re going to do the best we can until he gets back.”

So far, things are looking promising.

“I thought JP was really good today,” Oats said following Monday’s practice. “He talked through everything. He was talking to guys. His voice was loud, it was active. He’s got a high IQ, so I anticipate JP really stepping up in that regard.”

Along with his increased leadership, Alabama will also need Petty to step in for Jones on the defensive end. Petty, 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, has primarily gone up against guards and smaller forwards this season but will now be asked to defend bigs when Alabama elects to use its smaller lineup.

“He’s kind of got to take over that big wing,” Oats said. “If we play small, he’s going to have to play the 4… I think Petty can be a guy who takes up a lot of that.”

Petty leads Alabama with 7.2 rebounds per game but acknowledged his job will get a bit more difficult without Jones on the floor.

“Nine times out of 10 when you come into a game our scouting report, you automatically know the best player in the game who has him,” he said referring to Jones. “Now he’s out, so I’m going to have to take in and fill in his shoes and do the best I can until he gets back.”

As for his offensive struggles, those are the least of Petty’s concerns. Despite his disappointing week, the sharp-shooting guard still ranks No. 8 in the nation hitting 45.8 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also ninth in the SEC in scoring averaging 15.4 points per game.

“My confidence is never shook,” Petty said. “I’ve just got to take better shots and keep putting up more shots. That’s nothing that I really worry about because I know I’ve been shooting the ball pretty good all year, and I know there’s going to be some times where you don’t make shots.

“There’s going to be some droughts, so I don’t really let that affect me.”

Petty and Alabama (12-9, 4-4 in the SEC) will have an opportunity to turn the page Tuesday as the Crimson Tide hosts Tennessee (12-9, 4-4 in the SEC) at 6 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

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