Do you—YOU—feel like I do?
If you’re Alabama’s Grant Nelson, you must be feeling pretty good. There’s probably a little more pep in your step as you negotiate the Capstone sidewalks this brisk Monday. Perhaps you get a few extra winks from giggly admirers as they think about your elite performance against Auburn on Saturday—the elevating slams, the brazen smack-talk, and the general way you balled out in the most hostile of hostile environments. Yes, it must feel good to check Instagram and your highlights are splashed all over the platform. To know you showed up and showed out against your bitter rival who just happens to be the No. 1 team in the country…
Champagne for breakfast, and a Sherman in my hand.
Alabama must be feeling good, too. Their second-leading scorer snapped out of a several-game slumber and had one of the best performances of his career. Look at the stat line: 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 3-for-6 from behind the arc, 8 rebounds, 1 block, 1 posterizing dunk, and one Crimson Crane heard round-the-world.
The story the stat line didn’t tell, though, was of Nelson’s grit and courage. It was as if he’d finally had enough and said, “Fellas, get on my back. We’re going for a ride.” The Tide had been struggling, losing four out of the last six contests, Nelson himself had been struggling, and he decided that in order to fix things, he had to morph from Dr. Jekyll into his alter ego, Mr. Hyde.
And Hyde was very, very good.
Oats said in his postgame press conference, “I challenged our guys to be the hardest playing team and the toughest team” and Nelson answered the bell.
What’s also encouraging for the big man from Devils Lake, ND, is that he logged 35 minutes on the afternoon, his third-highest minute total of the season (Houston – 40 minutes, North Dakota – 36 minutes). But what’s more encouraging was that Nelson played with a fire that has not been on display in the last several contests. If he can keep that intensity over the next several games, Alabama will be awfully hard to handle.
Tide fans should also be feeling good because their team played well—and won—without its show horse having a great game. Mark Sears finished with 9 points, 7 assists, and the game-winner, but it was not his best offensive output of the year. Auburn did a great job of taking away Sears’ left-hand and limiting him to only nine field goal attempts on Saturday.
Similar to Nelson, Alabama big man Clifford Omoruyi had an outstanding game against Auburn. He was perfect from the field (7-for-7), had 8 rebounds, and had several thundering dunks that, like Nelson’s, reverberated to places like Lanett and Little Texas.
Another reason for optimism: freshman phenom Labaron Philon is playing some of his best basketball of the season. Philon brings a toughness to the floor that the Tide will need in postseason play and takes the ballhandling load off Sears. He’s a playmaker, a ball thief, and a game-changer, and because his stock is continuing to rise, don’t be surprised if the NBA Draft limits him to only one season with the Tide.
With all that said, what can we expect out of Alabama in the SEC tournament? First, the Tide is getting some much-needed rest. In his postgame presser, Oats alluded to the gauntlet his team had to endure to end the season, as well as the overall weariness of his squad—“we have to get our legs back up under us,” he said. So, a few days off won’t hurt the Tide.
Alabama is seeded third and, barring an upset, will likely face Kentucky for the third time this season in the tournament quarterfinals on Friday. Some might feel like this is a good draw, but it is indeed difficult to beat a team three times in one season. Kentucky is not playing well and is probably a little bit down on its luck, but rest-assured, Blue Nation will turn out this week in Nashville.
If the Tide wins, its likely opponent in the semis will either be Missouri or Florida, and this offers the possibility of redemption against two squads that got the best of Alabama earlier in the season. I like Alabama’s chances against Missouri, but Florida offers a different test. The Gators have the size and swagger to run the table, both in the SEC tournament and in The Big Dance. Thus, Alabama will need the Mr. Hyde version of the entire team to upend the Todd Golden’s Gators.
Not that you want to look too far into the future, but don’t be surprised if Alabama and Auburn face each other two more times this season. I’m talking about in the SEC Tournament Finals and in the Final Four. Both teams are that good. And I believe both teams (and coaches) are using the other team as extra motivation. It’s clear that Bruce Pearl and Nate Oats have respect for what the other coach is doing, but neither wants to be called the second-best coach in the state.
Thanks to Grant Nelson and others, the Alabama-Auburn series is tied 1-1. Now that ‘Bama has evened the score, questions still remain: Who will go farther in the NCAA tournament? As the credits play and the confetti falls, will Alabama—or will Auburn—be hoisting their first national title trophy in school history?
Who knows? But it’ll sure be fun to find out. TG
