Unlikely Heroes Stepped Up in Alabama's Win Over No. 1 Houston

The Crimson Tide showcased its depth once again in its second win over a No. 1-ranked team this season.

HOUSTON — When Brandon Miller was struggling, someone had to step up.

In No. 8 Alabama's marquee 71-65 win on the road against No. 1 Houston, its star player did not have a good game. It took some unlikely faces, albeit some that are becoming more and more common. 

Just a game after notching a career-high, freshman Noah Clowney led Alabama in scoring with 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed 11 rebounds to secure a double-double, which was huge on the way to a 44-39 rebounding advantage for the Crimson Tide over the very physical Cougars.

Freshman guard Jaden Bradley stepped up as well, scoring 12 points and adding five rebounds and four assists. 

"I thought we got some contributions from some new guys," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. "Rylan Griffen coming back to play in his home state of Texas, I thought he was huge in that run. Jaden Bradley was big on both sides of the ball, he ended up being our second leading scorer. [...] We talk about taking care of the ball and he did a great job."

Miller, who was Alabama's leading scorer entering the game averaging over 19 points per contest, finished the game with eight points and zero made field goals. His first point came when the clock said 7:33 in the second half.

"Obviously Brandon [Miller] is talented," Oats said. "For a freshman that's hardly played college basketball before you can't expect him to be Superman every night out. We've got to get production from lots of guys. [...] Lots of guys stepped up at different points and I think that shows our depth."

Clowney has slowly begun to emerge as a three-point threat for the Crimson Tide after a rough shooting start to the season. Against South Dakota State last Saturday he made five of his 12 attempts from 3-point range before shooting 2-for-6 today.

"Teams may decide that they can't sag off him anymore," Oats said. "He's making shots, he's hitting threes, he's all over the glass."

Oats mentioned sophomore guard Nimari Burnett and sophomore forward Nick Pringle as notable contributors well. 

Burnett scored eight points on 2-for-4 shooting from distance in the game and was tasked with guarding Houston's Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead at different points in the game. Pringle scored just three points but gave excellent defensive effort against Houston bigs Jarace Walker and J'Wan Roberts.

"Nick Pringle was great in practice all week," Oats said. "He came in and gave us decent minutes. [...] We got Nimari [Burnett] to knock down some threes, we've been seeing him do it in practice."

When asking what another win over a No. 1-ranked team meant to him, Clowney didn't hold back.

"I don't really look at the numbers [rankings] to be honest with you," Clowney said. "I want to beat every team that steps foot in front of us."

It's not necessarily normal for freshmen to be as polished and contribute as much as Clowney and Bradley have for Alabama this season. Despite the rarity of the situation, the two don't feel any different.

"I feel like it's basketball," Clowney said. "No matter how old, how young, what level, it's just basketball."

After securing its second win over a No. 1-ranked team this season, Alabama now turns its attention to a difficult week, with Memphis coming to Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday and No. 18 Gonzaga visiting Birmingham for the C.M. Newton Classic on Saturday.

The Crimson Tide's depth will once again be needed as the schedule just keeps getting tougher.

See also:

Instant Classic: No. 8 Alabama Basketball Topples No. 1 Houston on the Road, 71-65

What Alabama Basketball Remembers About Previous Matchup With Houston

Alabama Basketball Prepares for Grueling Three-Game Stretch

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