Kentucky Basketball Preview – Know Your Enemy: Alabama Crimson Tide

GAME 32

MARCH 12, 2011 – 1 PM

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE  21-10  (12-4)

GEORGIA DOME – ATLANTA, GA
SEC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

TV – ABC

SERIES HISTORY

KENTUCKY LEADS 102-36

LAST FIVE GAMES
1/18/2011:  Alabama 68  KENTUCKY  66

3/12/2010:  KENTUCKY  73  Alabama 67 *

2/9/2010:  KENTUCKY  66  Alabama 55

1/24/2009:  KENTUCKY  61  Alabama 51

2/9/2008:  KENTUCKY 62  Alabama 52

* indicates SEC Tournament games

Kentucky is 4-0 now in their SEC redemption tour as they have have successfuly avenged a loss each time they have had an opportunity to do so.  Whether it is becaaaause of the home type atmospheres that Kentucky is getting, or if this team is correcting mistakes the second time around.  Regardless, Kentucky has been successful, but Alabama may be one of the sterner tests.

Alabama has gone 10-3 since they defeated Kentucky, but perhaps more impressively is the fact that they have been 16-4 over their past 20 games and they are doing it with defense.  Alabama is a physical, grind it out team that was up at one point 20 on Kentucky previously.  This game will show how much Kentucky has improved against big interior teams.  If Kentucky handles Alabama, we can believe the hype about this being a possible Elite 8 team.  If not …. well this is a team that will always fear the big frontcourts.

THE STARTERS

#12 – G – TREVOR RELEFORD – FR – 6’1  180

10.4 ppg, 3.4 apg, 3.3 rpg

#24 – G – CHARVEZ DAVIS – SR – 6’3  186

8.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.3 apg

#5 – F – TONY MITCHELL – SO – 6’6  210

15.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg

#1 – F – JaMYCHAL GREEN – JR – 6’8  228

16 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 apg

#44 – F – CHRIS HINES – SR – 6’8  227

5.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg

BACK COURT

Freshman Trevor Releford has been thrust into the starting PG position for the Tide this year and he has performed admirably.  He can be a tad bit inconsistent as a scorer and is not a huge 3-point threat, but he is very good at getting to the basket and creating his own shots. He seemed to emerge as a scorer after the Kentucky game,  scoring in double digits in eight straight games, but has cooled lately, only hitting that mark once in the last five games.  Releford is quick defensively but has struggled recently with turnovers.  If Alabama is going to atack the Cats with the 3-pointers, Charvez Davis is going to be the culprit.  Charvez is hitting 35% of his treys and to be honest is kind of a one dimensional player in that he does not rebound or pass the ball especially well.  Charvez had three treys against Kentucky, but then went on a long cold streak from long range.  He has hit 8 three pointers in his last two games however, both against Georgia.  Senario Hillman is an occasional starter for the Tide and brings senior leadership off the bench.  He is averaging 6.6 points a game, but his scoring has declined dramatically the second half of the season, with just one double digit scoring game in the SEC season.  Even with his scoring struggles, he is a very solid defender and will provide a good number of hustle plays and steals.  Ben Eblen will get some minutes backing up the back court, but at .7 points and .8 rebounds, he will not fill up the stat sheet.  At 6’5 Charles Hankerson Jr, can play both the guard and forward position.  He averages 10.8 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.3 boards a game, but he has been absent form the floor for two of the past five games.  

FRONT COURT

Tony Mitchell is building off a solid freshman player and has become a very solid front court player for the Tide.  He really does not get the credit that he deserves so   he may be playing with something to prove.  Mitchell is a consistent scorer, scoring in double digits in all but two games and is a good defender, as he ranks high on the Bama stat list for blocks and steals.  He has four double doubles on the season, and is good at scoring off the offensive rebound.  He also shoots 27.8% on 3-pointers, so he may take a few shots from downtown as well. He had two treys and 15 points versus UK previously.  JaMychal Green is blossoming into one of the top front court players in the SEC and is Alabama’s most consistent scorer with at least 14 points in 22 of his last 23 games.  He scored 18 versus Kentucky.  He is also a solid rebounder with seven double doubles in that time span.  He is a very solid scorer from 15 feet in and is a  defensive presence with 2.1 blocks a game.  About the only downside on Green is that he is prone to foul trouble and gets four fouls in about half his games.  Chris Hines is not going to score a whole lot, but he is a workhorse on the boards and is a solid rebounder with five double digit rebound games.  Most of his shots will come from 8-10 feet, but he has bought into Alabama’s defensive scheme and is a solid defender.  Like Green, he can rack up the fouls though as he has fouled out twice in his last three games.

TEAM STATS

POINTS PER GAME

KENTUCKY  76.8  Alabama  67

REBOUNDS PER GAME

KENTUCKY  38.3  Alabama  36.8

ASSISTS PER GAME

KENTUCKY  12.6  Alabama  12.6

FG %

KENTUCKY  46%  Alabama  44.8

3 pt %

KENTUCKY  39.9%  Alabama  29.7%

FT %

Alabama  72.3%  KENTUCKY  71.7%

OUTLOOK

As we mentioned previously, Alabama is a scrappy, defensive minded team and Green and Mitchell could give Kentucky some trouble, especially if they can get Terrence Jones or Josh Harrellson into foul trouble.  This time around, Kentucky knows what to expect and the Wildcats backcourt should be able to take advantage of and exploit the Alabama backcourt. 
It won’t be an easy win, as the Tide will look to control the pace of the game and grind it out.  Kentucky should see a lot of zone and also an major attempt to get some cheap fouls on Harrellson/Jones.  If that happens, the game falls the way the Tide wants it.  I think this is another case where Kentucky’s length will help decide the game and Charvez Davis can expect to get to know DeAndre Liggins very, very well.  Alabama may still need this game for the NCAA Tournament, but Kentucky is on a mission as well.  This time, expect a different outcome.   KENTUCKY 72  Alabama 64.

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