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The Tuscaloosa News
13 things we learned from Alabama basketball vs. Arkansas State
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- 13 things we learned from Alabama basketball vs. Arkansas State
Alabama basketball defeated Arkansas State, 88-79, in the second game of its season opening homestand at Coleman Coliseum.
Coach Nate Oats expressed looking forward to seeing former assistant Bryan Hodgson back in Tuscaloosa as head coach of the Red Wolves.
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Like Wake Forest and Memphis in preseason exhibitions, along with UNC-Asheville on Monday, Arkansas State (1-1) fell victim to the Crimson Tide 's detrimental depth on Friday.
Nov 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi (11) dunks against Arkansas State Red Wolves forward Rashaud Marshall (0) during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
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Alabama (2-0) moves its series record to 4-0 following an 89-65 downing of Arkansas State last December.
Here are 13 takeaways from the rematch:
Who made the starting five?
Alabama listed guards Labaron Philon and Mark Sears , forward Jarin Stevenson and Derrion Reid, along with center Clifford Omoruyi . Arkansas State starters included guards Derrian Ford, Taryn Todd and Terrance Ford Jr. with Rashaud Marshall and Kobe Julien at forward.
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Alabama basketball injury report
The bench didn't change this week. Grant Nelson, Aiden Sherrell and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. stayed healthy enough to get minutes, while USF guard transfer Chris Youngblood (ankle) is expected to remain out until December.
Derrion Reid puts Alabama on the board
One of two freshman in the starting five, Reid made an immediate impact putting Alabama on the board with a second-chance layup. He also sank a second-half trey to re-establish a 10-point lead against a nagging Arkansas State.
Crimson Tide struggles to find 3-point magic
After shooting upwards of 40% against the likes of Wake Forest and Memphis, balls weren't going in from downtown for Alabama in the first half. The Crimson Tide sank just 4 of 16 3-point attempts.
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Alabama offense finds success in the paint
Smaller size for Arkansas State helped Alabama find 14 first-half points in the paint. Seven offensive rebounds for the Crimson Tide contributed.
Free-throw fears rear head early
Despite nine team fouls mounting for Arkansas State before the first media timeout of the game at 15:15, Alabama only capitalized on 6 of 13 free throw attempts. However, the Crimson Tide shaped up a bit by halftime, completing 62.6%.
Labaron Philon still looking fresh on the scene
Philon had a few plays of note, including a 3-pointer for an 18-9 lead, making it a 10-point advantage after a free throw with 12:28 to halftime. He ripped the lid off of Coleman with a steal that resulted in a layup for a 51-46 lead to start the second half.
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First-half highlight for Alabama defense
The changes are clear under new hire and defensive mind Brian Adams. With about 11 minutes to halftime, Arkansas State hadn't scored on any field goal shots in the previous three minutes and had only capitalized on 1 of its last 9 attempts.
What's the update on Grant Nelson?
There were times where the 6-foot-11 forward still looked like a guy coming back from injury. However, he shined in the second half with a tip-in dunk and a layup off a rebound pass from Derrion Reid to edge Alabama ahead 72-68 with less than six minutes to go.
Will passing be a problem for Alabama through non-conference gauntlet?
In the first half, there were three turnovers from bad passes. One misfired by Nelson, another from Mouhamed Dioubate and the other from Wrightsell, which resulted in a dunk that saw Arkansas State make it a single-digit game with about five minutes to halftime.
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Another top-scoring night for Mark Sears
Despite a streaky first-half, going 3-for-8 and missing all three 3-point attempts, Sears still finished as the night's top scorer with 19 total points, led by 11 free throws.
Cliff Omoruyi helps ease rim protection woes
Of 35 defensive rebounds for the team, the "Big Crimson Dog" from Rutgers led Alabama with eight. His big second-half block riled up the Crimson Chaos student section as Alabama held a 66-53 lead.
How did Alabama do giving up points off turnovers?
On 13 Arkansas State turnovers, Alabama scored just 10 points. While Alabama had less turnovers than the Red Wolves, totaling 11, Hodgson's crew still outscored the Crimson Tide with 16 points.
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Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 13 things we learned from Alabama basketball vs. Arkansas State
