Casagrande: The 6 reasons Alabama’s NCAA tournament run has reason to believe
This is an opinion column.
Two games, two wins and two completely different vibes.
Alabama didn’t look great beating a man on Friday; better against a saint on Sunday.
For a team whose temperature is hard to take, the No. 2 seeded Crimson Tide left Cleveland with a bit of a tailwind.
Robert Morris put up more of a fight than St. Mary’s but Alabama also looked to be dialed in to another degree Sunday night.
This 80-66 win was less of an exhale.
In contrast to the 90-81 beating of Robert Morris, the Crimson Tide played more like a team capable of another Final Four run.
And it comes with a caveat no one can ignore.
How much better can they look when the program’s first unanimous All-American rediscovers how to shoot a 3-pointer?
Mark Sears missed all four of his 3s against St. Mary’s and is now 5-for-35 (14.3%) from deep over the past six games. None of his misses Sunday felt particularly close and there were a few times he had the space to pop another but opted against letting one rip.
The super senior from Muscle Shoals went 5-for-15 from the field as his overall shooting percentage over the past five games slid to 25.3% (16-for-63).
That’s a statistical anomaly that’s due to expire, right?
It’s hard to find another shooting slump this extended for the left-handed engine that’s powered the last two Crimson Tide journeys into previously uncharted territory.
That’s also where the last two Tide teams differed from the 2023 version that landed a No. 1 overall seed. That group leaned on All-American Brandon Miller, and when the lottery pick went 1-for-10 shooting 3s in the Sweet 16, nobody was there to pick up the slack. It might be an over-simplification to put that loss to San Diego State all on the Miller factor but it can’t be ignored.
Sears’ supporting cast on Sunday shouldn’t be either.
They offered six reasons to be less concerned about the trajectory of this team.
The nation’s top-scoring offense had six players score between 13 and 10 points against a St. Mary’s defense that ranked among the nation’s best.
- Chris Youngblood had all of his team-high 13 in the first 17:30 as he connected on each of his three 3s — one impossibly banked in from the corner.
- Grant Nelson gutted another one out with 12 points on 3-for-7 shooting and five made foul shots.
- Aden Holloway had just one double-figure night in the past five but had 12 points along with three assists.
- Mo Dioubate dropped 10 big ones, nailing both 3-pointers attempted in the first half.
- Cliff Omoruyi remains an ally-oop machine with five dunks and 10 points.
- And Sears had 8 of his 12 after halftime as he still couldn’t find the 3-point stroke but got into the lane for layups on consecutive possessions to keep St. Mary’s at bay.
Unlike Robert Morris, St. Mary’s never could overtop Alabama when there were mini-scoring flurries. The Gaels never got closer than 7 in the second half and only twice in the final 15 minutes did they score consecutive baskets.
Alabama had answers.
And they varied with the star player, a veteran capable of taking over a game, still lost in the woods with his shooting stroke.
This was a convincing win against a team that won 29 of its 34 games, and who didn’t turn the ball over for the first 26-plus minutes. The Gaels finished with six, the third-fewest of any Tide opponent with the top two handing Alabama losses.
It helped that St. Mary’s shooting was a disgrace. They didn’t make a 3-pointer until the 7:30 mark of the second half, and only two Alabama opponents had a shooting percentage lower than St. Mary’s 34.3%.
But there was life from the Gaels after halftime. It made 7 of its first 11 shots to open the second half but still only got within 8 after that little burst.
That’s because Sears’ teammates had his back.
They made 17 of 25 shots at the rim and scored on 56.1% of its possession (compared to St. Mary’s 44.4%). They were efficient, shooting 51.8%, with seven made 3s in 17 tries. From the foul line, Alabama was 10-for-12 after halftime.
Don’t mistake this for an immaculate performance, however.
Alabama played with too much speed early on as eight first-half turnovers left money on the table. It’s also worth noting they trimmed that down to three giveaways in the second half.
Offensive guard play was lacking in the first half as the group accounted for just 11 points of 5-for-16 shooting. That also improved after the break.
Bottom line: Alabama can leave Cleveland feeling good about something other than the fact it no longer has to wake up in Cleveland.
They found something against the saint that was missing against the guy.
Now it faces another guy/religious icon l next week in Newark. Brigham Young’s last loss to a team that isn’t a No. 1 seed came Feb. 8 so these Cougars come to the Cleveland of New Jersey feeling good.
The Crimson Tide would feel better if it had Sears cranking at full speed, but the fact it won by 14 Sunday with minimal contributions showed something about the cast around its All-American.
They’ve got his back.
And they’re on to a third straight Sweet 16 — a feat that was previously monumental before last year’s journey to the national semifinal.
Now, however, is a good time for that left-handed stroke to find its groove because it will be critical if they’re serious about another Final Four.
Right?
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.