The Crimson Tide’s Mens’ basketball team faces the Creighton Bluejays tomorrow. Alabama is working to repeat its success from last year when they made it all the way to the Final Four during March Madness. The Tide is coming off a win over North Carolina who Alabama faced during last year’s Sweet Sixteen. The Tuscaloosa campus has the reputation of being a football school. Streets are named for title winning coaches and Bryant-Denny Stadium considered the focal point of the campus. But basketball head coach Nate Oates says the southeastern conference is spending more on his sport and it shows.
“I think putting the resources that they need to going out, hiring great coaches that are able to recruit great talent," said Oates. "I mean, we've got more NBA players, I believe, than any other league, and typically have more NBA players in pretty much every draft."
In the Tide’s win over North Carolina, Mark Sears scored twenty points, Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon each had fifteen points and number ten Alabama beat number twenty Tarheels 94-79 in the ACC-SEC Challenge. Clifford Omoruyi and Derrion Reid each scored 11 points and Grant Nelson had 10 points to help the Crimson Tide beat three straight Top 25 opponents for the first time in three seasons. The rematch of Alabama's Sweet 16 victory last season wasn't close. Freshman Ian Jackson scored a season-high 23 points, RJ Davis had 18 and Seth Trimble added 12 points for the Tar Heels. Head coach Nate Oates says one thing he was looking for was for the players to space themselves better on the court. He talked about after the win North Carolina
“Way better the turnovers came on, some carelessness and this, and then against the press, so that the half court spacing was significantly better. You know, I thought we got guys better shots. You know, look, we were able to hit 12 threes, which we'd still like to get more off.”
After the Creighton Bluejays, The Tide will face North Dakota and Kent State.
