For Alabama Basketball, It's About The "Others"
As the Alabama Crimson prepares for its second SEC basketball home game against LSU, a lot of eyes will be on each team's top guys.
For Alabama, the stars are the 6-foot-9 wing Brandon Miller, who leads the league in scoring with a stellar shooting stroke, and Mark Sears, the second-leading scorer for the Crimson Tide who has recently proven his value as a defender, averaging four steals a game since SEC play started.
For LSU, it starts with KJ Williams, the 6-foot-10 forward who stretches the floor by shooting 3-pointers at a 44.1 percent clip (Miller is at 44.5 percent). The Tigers also have Adam Miller, who puts up 13 points per game, and Justice Hill, who is tied with Jaden Bradley with 59 total assists.
When each team has a strong core like the Crimson Tide and the Tigers have, the difference maker will likely come from those that aren't considered stars of the team, the "others."
That’s a strength for Alabama, as Nate Oats has put together a roster that can go 10 deep. But it's not just about maintaining a lead or not screwing up when the starters are resting: the second unit has the potential to build upon the momentum when they come in the game..
Barring an unexpected change, the starters for Alabama will be Miller, Sears, Bradley, Noah Clowney and Charles Bediako; Jahvon Quinerly is a 1,000-point scorer who's embraced his role off the bench with a better team around him; Noah Gurley is an experienced big who can stretch the floor and plays smart. Those are the usual suspects.
But beyond them are guys who have come along for Alabama the more the season goes along. Freshman Rylan Griffen has a positive plus-minus in every SEC game and looks more comfortable each time out. There are even times he's the first guard off the bench instead of Quinerly.
Nick Pringle has returned to spot minutes after playing extended time to open up SEC play, but in only four minutes against Kentucky, he got a rebound and two blocks. And with LSU expected to be more pace-and-space, there is a chance Pringle could be used in rotation more than Bediako.
Dom Welch is the last of the rotation as he is still getting his rhythm back, but the lid finally came off the basket after scoring four points against Arkansas.
In four conference games, every Alabama player has had a positive plus-minus twice. Quinerly's four turnovers led to a -11 against Mississippi State, and three players (Bradley, Welch and Pringle) were negative against the Razorbacks.
Oats being able to know that nine guys can positively contribute on a relatively consistent basis is a major advantage. And the biggest factor? All the success is coming without Nimari Burnett, who will hopefully make his return to the lineup in a couple of weeks.
Burnett's return will give Oats a full second unit, and it'll be a lot less pressure for the core of the team to produce on a nightly basis. Their production will still be necessary, of course, but having a reliable supporting cast behind them can take Alabama to a new level.
Not many teams can the 7th-10th man really push the first six, but that is the case in Tuscaloosa, and it'll be the "others" that will separate the Crimson Tide from everyone else.
See also: Jahvon Quinerly Adapting to New Role with Alabama Basketball
Defensive Coordinator Pete Golding is Leaving Alabama
Southern Miss Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong Joining Alabama
