March Sadness Alabama Basketball Concludes Season With 0-4 ...
In a heartbreaking end to their season, the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team concluded their March Madness run with a disappointing 0-4 record. Despite a strong regular season and high hopes entering the tournament, the Tide struggled to find their rhythm and ultimately fell short on the national stage.
Disappointing Results in March Madness
Alabama entered the tournament as a 2-seed and was expected to make a deep run. However, they faced a series of tough opponents and failed to win a single game. Their first matchup was against 15-seed Iona, a team many predicted would be a blowout for the Tide. However, they struggled early and remained neck-and-neck throughout the game, ultimately falling 55-68.
Next up was a matchup with 10-seed UConn, another team many expected Alabama to handle with ease. However, the game was tightly contested from start to finish, and the Tide once again fell short, losing 71-72 in overtime.
Alabama's third game in the tournament was against 11-seed UCLA, a team that had already pulled off a major upset over 6-seed BYU in the first round. Despite their underdog status, UCLA outplayed Alabama throughout the game, ultimately winning 88-78.
The final game of Alabama's season was a consolation matchup against 7-seed Maryland. However, even this game proved too much for the struggling Tide, and they fell to the Terps 61-96.
Analysis of Alabama's Struggles
Many factors contributed to Alabama's struggles in the tournament. One issue was their inconsistent shooting, particularly from beyond the arc. The Tide shot just 30% from three-point range in their four games, well below their season average of 35.7%.
Another factor was their struggles on the defensive end. Alabama allowed an average of 75.8 points per game in the tournament, a significant increase from their season average of 70.3 points per game. They also struggled to contain opposing players, particularly in the paint.
Finally, some have pointed to the pressure of the tournament as a contributing factor to Alabama's struggles. The Tide had not advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2004, and the expectations surrounding this team may have been too high for them to handle.
Looking Ahead for Alabama Basketball
Despite their disappointing end to the season, Alabama basketball has much to be proud of. They finished the regular season with a 24-7 record and won the SEC regular season and tournament championships. They also earned a 2-seed in the tournament, a significant accomplishment for the program.
Looking ahead, the Tide will lose several key players to graduation and the NBA draft, including starters Herbert Jones and John Petty Jr. However, they will return several talented players, including Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly, and will look to build on their success from this season.
Conclusion
March Sadness has come to a close for Alabama basketball, but the program still has much to celebrate. Despite their struggles in the tournament, the Tide had a successful season and showed that they are a team to be reckoned with in the SEC and beyond. As they look ahead to next season, they will undoubtedly learn from their mistakes and work to come back stronger in 2022.