The Extra Point: How Will Alabama Basketball Respond Against Vanderbilt?

Alabama basketball is 5-0 in the SEC and coming off a dominant win against LSU, but may now have one of their most challenging games with turmoil surrounding the team.

Clay Miller | Jan 16, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama basketball team is rolling.

The Crimson Tide sit at 15-2 overall, 5-0 in the SEC, and are currently ranked as the No. 4 team in the country according to the AP poll. And with their recent dominance, the potential of this team and their dreams have only grown.

Through 17 games, Nate Oats' squad has continued to prove themselves and shown they have all the makings of a team that can win a national championship.

They have depth, play tough defense, shoot the ball well, and most importantly have a star player in Brandon Miller that can carry the team and score almost at will.

Coming off a dominant 40-point win against the LSU Tigers on Saturday, the team seems to be playing at their highest level with fans and media all across the country taking notice.

Then, on Sunday morning, shocking news came when Alabama forward Darius Miles was charged with capital murder in a fatal shooting that took place in Tuscaloosa near campus. According to a statement released by the university, Miles has been removed from the university as a student and as a player on the basketball team.

While any serious news about a teammate can affect the team, news of this magnitude will certainly have a big impact on the Crimson Tide basketball team and suddenly makes the idea of playing basketball seem extremely small and insignificant.

However, head coach Nate Oats said the remaining players are all available and will travel to Nashville to take on the Commodores on Tuesday.

It will be interesting to see how Alabama responds on Tuesday night but regardless of the result, hopefully, the players will be able to comfort and rally around each other and find some solace in playing the game they all love.

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