Tide men have busy week off as they prepare for Oregon
The University of Alabama men's basketball team had more than a week off from game action following a loss to the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 2. But between finals, practice, players-only meetings and a cross-country trip to play a ranked opponent, it was anything but relaxing.
The Crimson Tide, by the admission of head coach Avery Johnson, has not had an auspicious beginning to the 2016-17 season. Alabama is off to a 4-3 start, but none of the wins have been against Top 100 competition and the losses have indicated a difficulty in finishing games, among other issues.
"We had a full 40-minute scrimmage on Wednesday," Johnson said on Thursday, prior to the team's departure for a game at No. 24 Oregon. "I was concerned about our stamina as a team after the loss at Texas. We went after hard, just like a game. Some of our young men, the ones who are going to be in the rotation on Sunday, played 35 minutes.
"We've played seven games and there are still things we need to find out about our team. Our lineup is still evolving. We are going to have to find out eventually what kind of production Donta Hall can give us (at center). We haven't reached a point where we have put him in the starting lineup to see what he can do, but we are approaching that point. At 4 (power forward), we've tried Shannon (Hale), Braxton (Key) and Bola (Olaniyan). In the scrimmage, Bola had 16 points and 11 rebounds. We need that on the boards. We were winning the rebounding battle at Texas (17-14) at the half and we ended up losing the rebounding and not coincidentally, we lost the game. We've probably been a little too concerned with matchups, worrying who Bola was going to guard. Maybe we need to be worrying about rebounding the ball."
Oregon, a preseason Final Four pick by many publications (including Sports Illustrated), struggled in early-season losses to Baylor and Georgetown. The Ducks have since turned things around and enter the Alabama game on a five-game winning streak.
"We realize no one's going to take it easy on us," Johnson said. "Oregon has a significant home winning streak that we are well aware of. We have to improve in a number of areas."
Alabama will be without the services of forward Nick King. The Memphis transfer had been a part of recent UA starting lineups but did not make the trip to Oregon as he continues to undergo diagnosis for symptoms that have included severe headache and weight loss in the past two weeks.
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.
Alabama vs. No. 24 Oregon
When: 5 p.m. CT
Where: Matthew Knight Center, Eugene, OR
Records: Alabama 4-3, Oregon 7-2
TV: ESPNU
Radio: 95.3 FM
