Alabama basketball

Mar 10, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Jamaine Mann (23) celebrates after they beat the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at ...

Officiating didn't cost Alabama the game on Thursday night. Poor defense, poor decision-making and lack of effort did the job.

Obviously, the turnovers, that's something that needs to be shut — that's something that needs to be cut down." I think you're taking care of the ball, stepping to the free-throw line, making free-throws. I think we were 10 of 18 in the first half. In the final 20 minutes, Vanderbilt shot exactly 50 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from deep, boosting its overall percentage to 39.6 percent on the game and 34.6 percent from 3-point territory. "Like Coach Oats said, being more locked into the scouting report, not giving shooters open threes off of actions that we've gone over multiple times in practice, and really just locking in and getting stops," Shackelford said. In the Crimson Tide's 82-76 loss that sent the team packing out of the arena, the team's defense provided a resolute first half.

Alabama basketball needs a "mindset shift" on defense in the NCAA Tournament after unraveling vs. Vanderbilt.

"We've proven we can play with anybody in the country," Oats said. Alabama had let itself down again with deplorable defense, which will make the Crimson Tide vulnerable against sharp-shooting NCAA Tournament underdogs. We didn't do a very good job of guarding him without fouling." "We just kept fouling Pippen," a frustrated Alabama coach Nate Oats said. Alabama basketball, once again, was a victim of its own defensive inconsistency Thursday night in a premature exit from the SEC Tournament. The next time Alabama plays, it'll be an elimination game. Alabama lost 82-76 to No. 11 seed Vanderbilt after giving 28 points in the first half.

It's been a roller-coaster of a season for Alabama, but none of that matters now. Last March's star, Jahvon Quinerly, said it best: New season.

The winner of tonight’s game will get the best team in the conference - the #5 Kentucky Wildcats - in the Quarterfinals on Friday. Due to Auburn playing the easiest schedule in the SEC and Tennessee having a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Wildcats for beating Auburn, Alabama and Vandy have the misfortunate of drawing Kentucky as the 3-seed. Not only are they fully healthy for the first time this season, but they are playing every game as though it is their last. The Tide, of course, were swept by the ‘Cats in their prior two meetings this season - a defensive battle in Tuscaloosa and a shootout in Lexington. It’ll take Alabama’s absolute best to beat a fully healthy Kentucky team in Tampa. The ‘Dores actually only shoot 69.0% from the line, but when you get to the charity stripe 40% of the time you get a shot off on a possession, you get a lot of freebies. Jahvon Quinerly had one of his best games in a Tide uniform - scoring 19 points on 6/12 shooting and dishing out three assists, Alabama was getting after it on the glass, playing tough defense - and then the Scotty Pippen show took over. His usage rate is top-ten in the country, and his share of the overall shots taken for his team is 19th in college basketball, despite the fact that he has an above 30% AST%. It’s going to be really difficult for Jahvon Quinerly or J.D. Davison to stop Pippen much, so this will have to be a team effort. I know the great Scottie Pippen named his son after himself, but he might as well named him after James Harden the way Junior started flopping around, baiting for fouls in the last few minutes of the game. After an ugly first half, where Alabama had more turnovers than made shots, the Tide came out and played an inspiring first fifteen minutes of the second stanza - which pushed ‘Bama out to a 10-point, 66-56 lead. Alabama opens up SEC Tournament play a day earlier this year, as the Tide earned the 6-seed in Tampa. The guys will face off with a team they beat just a couple of weeks back - the Vanderbilt Commodores (16-15, 7-11 SEC; NET: 71; Kenpom: 69). Vandy kicked off the tournament last night by routing the hapless Georgia Bulldogs to the tune of 86-51 - the fifth largest margin of victory in SEC Tournament history. If Vanderbilt is getting to the free throw line often, the Tide needs to counteract that efficiency by spamming extra possessions. The bigs will need to be ready to slide early when he initiates his drives, as well as be ready to hedge hard when they run PnR. When Pippen gives the ball up, whoever is his primary defender needs to play deny defense for the rest of the possession. Now, this year’s Tide team has been quite different than the group that writ its name in Crimson flame last season, but that doesn’t mean this year’s unit couldn’t do something similar - the chapter of the 2022 team has yet to be finished.

Scottie Pippen Jr., had notable words for Alabama a day before beating the Crimson Tide and he said a coach had something to say before Thursday's SEC ...

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Assuming Alabama Basketball takes care of business against Vanderbilt, the Tide has a huge game on Friday against a very good Kentucky team Alabama can.

Admittedly, of the five keys for the Tide to beat the Cats, probably four are essential. Alabama must play one of its best games of the season to win. - Jahvon Quinerly and Jaden Shackleford are due to be hot in the same game. Too much reliance on perimeter shooting contributed to the Tide shooting only nine foul shots in Lexington. Unlike the last game, John Calipari will also have his full group of regular players. The Crimson Tide is second among SEC teams with seven SEC Tournament championships.

Live updates and analysis from Alabama-Vanderbilt in the 2022 SEC tournament in Tampa.

-- Alabama 24, Vanderbilt 16 (7:51): Vandy still hasn’t made a 2-point basket as Scotty Pippen has 5 of his 8 from the FT line. -- Alabama 51, Vanderbilt 44 (12:45): Vandy on an 8-0 run after Alabama took its biggest lead of the game at 15 points. -- Alabama 17, Vanderbilt 11 (11:30): Alabama missed five straight shots before Juwan Gary finished an ally-opp for a 17-11 lead. Scotty Pippen Jr. is 1-for-9 from the field and 8-for-10 from the FT line. -- Alabama 63, Vanderbilt 59 (7:59): Vanderbilt took its first lead of the game with 9:11 left on Pippen Jr.’s two foul shots. The Crimson Tide (19-12) is safely in the NCAA tournament but would like to reverse the negative trajectory after losing two straight to close the regular season.

The No. 6 seed Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 11 seed Vanderbilt Commodores in the second round of the SEC Tournament Thursday night.

"I think our guys are in a good place mentally, and they feel good about who they are as a team right now. Coming in every day, all the guys on the court working out and he's on the sideline rehabbing and trying to get back for this moment. That was right in the three-game stretch there that we lost that could have easily changed our season. I think those type of situations that you have during the course of a season, they help you in moments like that when you see those opportunities in those moments come up again. "I don't spend a whole lot of time on (it). I know we had some moments in the stretch where we didn't handle the pressure well. That's how we pretty much got back in the game, the way we guarded. Alabama was led by Jahvon Quinnerly in the win, scoring 19 points off the bench. It left a sour taste in our mouth, the way we went out the last game. The effort that we had those last four minutes really helped us get in position to have a chance to tie the game up at the end. The No. 6 seed Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 11 seed Vanderbilt Commodores in the second round of the SEC Tournament Thursday night. In Vanderbilt's 74-72 loss to Alabama back on Feb. 22, Pippen Jr. went off for 26 points, eight assists, and six steals. Vanderbilt defeated No. 14 seed Georgia, 86-51, Wednesday to move on to play the Crimson Tide in the second round.

The Crimson Tide (19-12) defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 on Feb. 22. The Commodores (16-15) started the SEC Tournament off Wednesday with a 86-51 victory over Georgia ...

The game will be televised on SEC Network. The Crimson Tide had a first-round bye. Alabama basketball looks to score another victory against Vanderbilt this season when it faces the Commodores in the SEC Tournament on Thursday.

Alabama basketball lost to Vanderbilt at the SEC Tournament, leaving without a win in the event it won the year before. Here's how fans reacted.

The Commodores were led by Scotty Pippen Jr. with 26 points and seven assists. Shackelford and Quinerly both fouled out late for the Crimson Tide and Vanderbilt was able to put the game away. Alabama faded in the second half.