Welcome back to Five-out Friday where Hunter Cruse breaks down five topics surrounding Alabama basketball. Today we’ll take a look at No. 2 seed Alabama as it enters the NCAA tournament.

Last season, Herbert Jones was Alabama’s only player capable of defending multiple positions consistently. Four additional players emerged this season with Keon Ellis, Juwan Gary, John Petty Jr., and Joshua Primo helping formulate an elite defense. Alabama (24-6) would’ve struggled to take this leap without improving its communication on ball reversals and switches.

In the first round of the NCAA tournament, No. 2 seed Alabama matches up against Rick Pitino and his No. 15 seed Iona Gaels (12-5) Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. Tide fans are familiar with Pitino in NCAA tournament showdowns. On this date in 1987, the Pitino-led Providence Friars dismantled Alabama by a score of 103-82 in the Sweet 16. Pitino became the first coach to bring three different schools to the Final Four with impressive stints at Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville.

The Gaels were a longshot to reach the tournament after its NCAA-record 51-day pause due to COVID-19. Although, they were able to run the table in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament led by senior guard Isaiah Ross, an All-MAAC first-team honoree. He averaged 18.4 points and 3.9 rebounds on 39.1 percent shooting from three this season.

Alabama will look to take advantage of Iona’s turnover woes in Saturday’s game. The Gaels average 15.6 turnovers per game which is the 31st highest in the country. Meanwhile, the Tide forces 15.8 turnovers per game. This will be a crucial factor for the Gaels in the game as they look to complete an improbable upset in Indianapolis.

Alabama forward Herbert Jones continued his stellar play into Nashville, Tenn. with three fulfilling performances in the SEC Tournament. This past weekend, the SEC player of the year averaged 14.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. He’s able to initiate Alabama’s offense while recording only six turnovers over a three-game stretch. That’s a promising development for Jones, who's struggled in this aspect over his collegiate career.

Let’s reference this possession from Alabama’s 73-68 victory over Tennessee on Saturday. Petty gets Keon Johnson (No. 45) to bite for a pump fake which causes Jaden Springer (No. 11) to rotate onto the driving Petty. Jones then attacks the basket and makes a tough behind-the-back pass to Alex Reese. He can create good positioning in the post without using an excessive dribble, it’s a difficult instinctive process on its own.

In the final minute of Sunday’s SEC championship game, Alabama trailed LSU by a point when Trendon Watford (No. 2) went to the free-throw line to extend the Tigers’ lead. Watford missed the first, Jones fought for the rebound and finished in transition by using a euro step. This basket helped Alabama close out its first conference championship since 1991. There’s no bigger moment than this.

Jahvon Quinerly has continued to perform at a consistent level with 12-straight games in double-figure points, while Juwan Gary emerged as a legitimate option for the Tide. In 14 minutes of play against Mississippi State on Friday, the forward recorded 11 points and two rebounds on 100 percent (4 of 4) shooting.

Quinerly and Gary have connected on multiple alley-oops throughout the season. Examining this sequence, Mississippi State first looks to catch Alabama slacking in transition as Quinerly makes a safety-like interception. The point guard then leads a favorable 2-on-1 fast-break against 6-foot-1 Deivon Smith (No. 5). From there, Quinerly throws a difficult one-handed alley-oop to Gary for the slam. This illustrates Alabama’s ability to turn defense into offense.

On Wednesday, Alabama was among the programs to contact Penn State transfer candidate Myreon Jones. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15.3 points and 2.7 rebounds on 39 percent shooting during his junior campaign. He entered the transfer portal after the hiring of Purdue assistant Micah Shrewberry. Jones, a Birmingham, Ala. native, has already received interest from Auburn and LSU.

The Tide has also been linked to Texas Tech transfer candidate Nimari Burnett. On Feb. 16, the 6-foot-4 guard announced his plans to decide between Alabama, Illinois, Oregon, USC, and Vanderbilt. Burnett was a priority target for the Tide in the 2020 recruiting class before joining Chris Beard and the Red Raiders. He’s expected to decide between those five programs in mid-April.