Men vs Alabama Game Thread

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,671]

3 hours ago, jared52 said:

But wouldn’t forcing them to drive rather than put up threes be better? They would then have to contend with Wiley and Maclemore in the paint. 

Read: the last time we played Alabama

that'll give you the answer to that question 

[tgrogan21 6,198]

54 minutes ago, Tiger said:

What do you guys think we do as far as rotation goes? When Danjel was out vs LSU we waved off any of the guys who haven't been contributing this year and just buckled down with an 8 man rotation. Do you guys think we stick with that and pull Cambridge or Al Flan to start in his spot? Or do you think we see some Jaylin Williams or Javon Franklin? 

Jaylin has shown some athletic prowess but Bruce doesn't trust him at all it seems.

I like what Bruce said about how usually when we play Bama it feels like a rivalry game but last night it felt like we're trying to fight our way to a championship and Bama was trying to take it away. Bruce has his eye on getting rings and hanging banners he's going to put the best guys out there that he thinks will help us accomplish that. I don't think he believes Jaylin, Turbo, Stretch, or Javon are in those plans for 2020.

I worry that Purifoy isn't gonna be 100% by Saturday. Having the flu you never know just how long it's gonna stick with you. If we're down to a 7 man rotation with Flan having to play 20 or so minutes I don't like our chances. Another reason why I would have loved to get Jaylin some more playing time throughout the season because 1 or 2 injuries/illnesses and now you have to start thinking about playing them now. No matter what happens, JJ and Flan HAVE to step up more then they have been the past several games.

JJ hasn't made a shot in 5 games. Yes, you read that correctly. Flan has only made 3 shots in those same 5 games while shooting 3-17 from the field. If we have any shot of winning games while Okoro is resting his hamstring both of them need to start playing better.

[doverstutts 1,643]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Jaylin has shown some athletic prowess but Bruce doesn't trust him at all it seems.

I heard CBP in an interview a while back talk about J. Williams. Its his defense that is the issue. CBP said that Williams is going to be a great player at AU, but you have to play defense and that he is having to learn that, but he is not complaining and working hard. His attitude is good, and he knows he is behind two seniors and taking it in stride. Sounds like next year is his time

[tgrogan21 6,198]

15 hours ago, bigbird said:

Besides his scoring and rebounding, Wiley was absolutely huge in this game. His back picks and shielding opened up so many drives for Samir and J'von.  I wish we could make an entry pass early in the clock. I think he would be able to make the pass out of the post when the double team came.  I think we are at our best playing inside out when we are drifting and cutting.

Every announcer that covers Auburn always mentions the increase in scoring for Doughty but Wiley has easily been the most improved player on this team. Wiley averaged 7.8 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting around 53% from the line in his first two years. This year he is averaging 10 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting almost 69% from the line. He had 2 double-doubles in his first 2 years and has had 10 this year alone with 10 or so more games left to play. All of this while showing he can play 30 minutes a game and not get into foul trouble. Against bama he played 31 minutes and only had 1 foul. If the refs would call the foul every time he gets hacked, he would go to the line about 20 times a game.

The amount of work he did in the offseason to get himself into shape is so great and he doesn't get enough respect, IMO. The most I read ab

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,671]

1 hour ago, tgrogan21 said:

I worry that Purifoy isn't gonna be 100% by Saturday. Having the flu you never know just how long it's gonna stick with you. If we're down to a 7 man rotation with Flan having to play 20 or so minutes I don't like our chances. Another reason why I would have loved to get Jaylin some more playing time throughout the season because 1 or 2 injuries/illnesses and now you have to start thinking about playing them now. No matter what happens, JJ and Flan HAVE to step up more then they have been the past several games.

JJ hasn't made a shot in 5 games. Yes, you read that correctly. Flan has only made 3 shots in those same 5 games while shooting 3-17 from the field. If we have any shot of winning games while Okoro is resting his hamstring both of them need to start playing better.

JJ is completely 3 ball dependent and is a turnstile on defense. He doesn’t make the bad play (on offense) but he doesn’t help you either. Might as well give Turbo another 3 minutes and see what he can do lol

[AUBwins 10,075]

Is it better to walk with a pulled hammy  or prop it up? Never dealt with a hamstring injury myself. 

[jared52 4,354]

34 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

Is it better to walk with a pulled hammy  or prop it up? Never dealt with a hamstring injury myself. 

I remember @passthebiscuits mentioning that early mobility was the key to recovery for a pulled hamstring but I might be mistaken. 

[AUBwins 10,075]

10 minutes ago, jared52 said:

I remember @passthebiscuits mentioning that early mobility was the key to recovery for a pulled hamstring but I might be mistaken. 

That’s what I was thinking. While not directly related, I learned a little something in college regarding lifting weights. I used to play basketball a few hours after lifting weights but would over shoot everything. A guy told me to go shoot immediately after lifting weights. To my surprise doing that allowed me to play just fine later on and actually didn’t even get sore the next day. 

[Maverick.AU 13,280]

😂😂😂

[AUBwins 10,075]

7 minutes ago, Maverick.AU said:

😂😂😂

We know that’s a lie, otherwise they don’t make 22 freaking threes. lol

[gr82be 14,425]

27 minutes ago, Maverick.AU said:

😂😂😂

I thought I heard some intermittent banging on the trash cans last night. It lasted until we got up 16-0. Then mysteriously it stopped. Hmmm.

[abw0004 10,113]

55 minutes ago, Maverick.AU said:

😂😂😂

Does he have a link..?  Link or it’s fake news!

[jared52 4,354]

9 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

Does she have a link..?  Link or it’s fake news!

Lol, Paul isn’t a she. He was actually quite the baller in his day. I played with him in HS but he was 2 years older than me. 

[abw0004 10,113]

2 minutes ago, jared52 said:

Lol, Paul isn’t a she. He was actually quite the baller in his day. I played with him in HS but he was 2 years older than me. 

Dang it!  I was so ready for that joke I rushed it.  I saw “Lilly” and a woman in the thumbnail.  I fixed the other statement

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

2 hours ago, jared52 said:

I remember @passthebiscuits mentioning that early mobility was the key to recovery for a pulled hamstring but I might be mistaken. 

Absolutely. Assuming that there’s no tear, early mobilization is key. Lots more therapies out there to help now including plasma replacement and others.

 

[IronMan70 3,277]

re: Okoro

https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Article/Update-on-injured-Auburn-basketball-starter-Isaac-Okoro-143771426/

 

Quote

 

Update on injured Auburn basketball starter Isaac Okoro

By MARK MURPHY 8 hours ago 

AUBURN, Alabama--Isaac Okoro, the player Coach Bruce Pearl called the 2019-20 Auburn basketball team’s top defender and most talented all-around performer, is in recovery mode after suffering an injury on Wednesday night in his team's victory over Alabama.

"He has got a hamstring pull and didn't practice today," Pearl told Inside the Auburn Tigers after Thursday's practice. "It is definitely too early to know how long he will be out."

Okoro watched video with his teammates prior to the Tigers going through a light workout of around 90 minutes at Auburn Arena. Okoro walked on to the court without a major limp, but moved carefully and sat on the sidelines while watching Pearl go over plays with the Tigers.

The freshman, who  has started every game this season, was injured late in regulation time on Wednesday night in Auburn’s exciting 95-91 overtime victory over Alabama. Scrambling for a loose ball on a fastbreak the six-foot-six freshman hit the floor and  had to be helped to get to the locker room for treatment. He did not return to the game.

"I doubt he practices tomorrow and that will determine if he can go on the trip (for Saturday's game vs. Missouri)," Pearl said. "We are still uncertain. These things can be...I don't want to put the number of days or weeks they could be. I am not trying to be tricky with it. Every hamstring pull is different. Some are longer vs. shooter as far as where it is on the muscle and they all heal very, very differently.

"Fortunately, we have as good a training staff and medical staff as there is in the country period. Our guys will know what to do. They know how to treat it. Of course, we will be cautious and we will not obviously use Isaac until he is healthy."

Okoro contributed to Auburn’s victory over Alabama in a major way with 19 points plus nine rebounds, which tied his season-high. Okoro added two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

 

Isaac Okoro battles for a loose ball in Auburn's SEC basketball victory over Alabama. (Photo: Johnny Lawrence, Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

 

A steady performer, the freshman has scored in double figures 17 times for the Tigers, who are 22-2 going into Saturday’s road game vs. Missouri. Auburn is 9-2 in the SEC, which puts the team in a three-way tie for first place in the league with Kentucky and LSU.

For the season Okoro is second on the team in scoring at 13.1 points per contest while averaging 4.8 rebounds.

 

[BHDAU1 240]

12 hours ago, cole256 said:

We couldn't stay in front of them so that adjustment made them get out of sync a bit and cause some slight confusion and made them strictly rely on the 3 but now with a hand up. 

Bad thing is teams will definitely make a point to try and exploit us. They'll probably going at us and expose our mismatches. We'll at least will have to slow down a bit with the pressing

It seemed to me that AU really slowed Bamas scoring down when they went man to man but I will have to go back and watch it again like I normally do without all the emotion involved when watching it live.  I might be totally wrong about that. I was getting so frustrated watching them shoot wide open shots from either corner and left of center from the top of the key.  There was definitely a big drop off on defense from what we normally get from Purifoy to Cambridge. Cambridge seemed to be too far off his man or not quick enough to slide to the corner. With that said, they were regularly hitting shots from 2 feet behind the 3 point line so there is no way you can realistically play zone effectively when that is going on, no matter who was in the game.  The general rule that you always hear is that you play zone until they prove they can shoot you out of it and then you have to do something else, but AU did not. Despite Alabama's record night shooting the 3 ball, that game would never have even gone to overtime if we had hit just 3 free throws out of the last six. Instead they went 2 for 6!  

[boomstick 1,315]

Flanigan posted a video on his IG story yesterday of Okoro walking around before practice with no crutch and no limp. He's since deleted that video. From all the talk, it sounds like he won't be out too long. Will probably miss the next two games but could be back next Saturday, depending on how he responds to treatment and how he feels late next week.

[gravejd 3,270]

7 hours ago, BHDAU1 said:

It seemed to me that AU really slowed Bamas scoring down when they went man to man but I will have to go back and watch it again like I normally do without all the emotion involved when watching it live.  I might be totally wrong about that. I was getting so frustrated watching them shoot wide open shots from either corner and left of center from the top of the key.  There was definitely a big drop off on defense from what we normally get from Purifoy to Cambridge. Cambridge seemed to be too far off his man or not quick enough to slide to the corner. With that said, they were regularly hitting shots from 2 feet behind the 3 point line so there is no way you can realistically play zone effectively when that is going on, no matter who was in the game.  The general rule that you always hear is that you play zone until they prove they can shoot you out of it and then you have to do something else, but AU did not. Despite Alabama's record night shooting the 3 ball, that game would never have even gone to overtime if we had hit just 3 free throws out of the last six. Instead they went 2 for 6!  

I agree....i haven't gone back and watched it but if i was making the calls i would have told everyone to get in the pocket of the guy they are playing and if they beat us of the dribble so be it. They could not stop us from scoring so imo we would have been better off trading 2s instead of us getting 2s and them getting 3s. Glad it worked out though so not complaining too much. 

Happy to hear positive news about Okoro. I hope they let him get plenty of rest and don't rush him back if we struggle without him. Regular season SEC title is great and all but i'd rather go for the SEC tourney title and deep NCAA run with a healthy Okoro. 

[thewhiz7 273]

He really needs to make sure that hammy is completely healed before playing. There is a big difference between walking with no pain and playing basketball at a high level. If there was a "good time" for him to be out, this is probably that time. Hopefully DP will be back to feeling normal for tomorrow's game.

[boomstick 1,315]

9 hours ago, BHDAU1 said:

It seemed to me that AU really slowed Bamas scoring down when they went man to man but I will have to go back and watch it again like I normally do without all the emotion involved when watching it live.  I might be totally wrong about that. I was getting so frustrated watching them shoot wide open shots from either corner and left of center from the top of the key.  There was definitely a big drop off on defense from what we normally get from Purifoy to Cambridge. Cambridge seemed to be too far off his man or not quick enough to slide to the corner. With that said, they were regularly hitting shots from 2 feet behind the 3 point line so there is no way you can realistically play zone effectively when that is going on, no matter who was in the game.  The general rule that you always hear is that you play zone until they prove they can shoot you out of it and then you have to do something else, but AU did not. Despite Alabama's record night shooting the 3 ball, that game would never have even gone to overtime if we had hit just 3 free throws out of the last six. Instead they went 2 for 6!  

Bruce talked about it some postgame. It seemed he didn't think we could stay in front of them in man-to-man, which would've led to paint points or fouls or easy kickouts when our help collapsed down. Also, by being in man, they were using their big to set high ball screens, thus pulling our big away from the rim and not allowing us to have Wiley block or alter shots. Staying in the zone took away their ability to get to the rim or draw fouls or get to the FT line, which kept Wiley out of foul trouble and kept them off the FT line (a spot where they killed us in the first meeting). Unfortunately, they stayed hot all night from 3, and we didn't execute the zone very well IMO. But I think staying in zone is what won us the game. Had we gone back to man, I'm not sure we win that game.

[Tiger 8,827]

18 hours ago, tgrogan21 said:

I worry that Purifoy isn't gonna be 100% by Saturday. Having the flu you never know just how long it's gonna stick with you. If we're down to a 7 man rotation with Flan having to play 20 or so minutes I don't like our chances. Another reason why I would have loved to get Jaylin some more playing time throughout the season because 1 or 2 injuries/illnesses and now you have to start thinking about playing them now. No matter what happens, JJ and Flan HAVE to step up more then they have been the past several games.

JJ hasn't made a shot in 5 games. Yes, you read that correctly. Flan has only made 3 shots in those same 5 games while shooting 3-17 from the field. If we have any shot of winning games while Okoro is resting his hamstring both of them need to start playing better.

Good points. Damn, FIVE games since a made shot for Jamal??? Yikes.

18 hours ago, doverstutts said:

I heard CBP in an interview a while back talk about J. Williams. Its his defense that is the issue. CBP said that Williams is going to be a great player at AU, but you have to play defense and that he is having to learn that, but he is not complaining and working hard. His attitude is good, and he knows he is behind two seniors and taking it in stride. Sounds like next year is his time

While I get what you/Bruce is saying regarding his defense and that he's behind 2 seniors it seems telling that when one of those seniors went down and a hole opened up in the rotation he was not asked to fill it. I'm interested in seeing his development because he has wowed offensively in what little minutes we've seen from him. 

[gravejd 3,270]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Good points. Damn, FIVE games since a made shot for Jamal??? Yikes.

While I get what you/Bruce is saying regarding his defense and that he's behind 2 seniors it seems telling that when one of those seniors went down and a hole opened up in the rotation he was not asked to fill it. I'm interested in seeing his development because he has wowed offensively in what little minutes we've seen from him. 

I don't wanna throw anyone under the bus but if defense is keeping the young guys from playing then how the hell is JJ still running out there 😆

[BigSammyK 171]

For people worried that Jamal Johnson hasn't made a shot in the last 5 games -- he's only taken a combined 9 shots in those games. 

0/2

0/3

0/2

0/1

0/1

With his stroke he'll be fine if he gets more shots.

[boomstick 1,315]

28 minutes ago, BigSammyK said:

For people worried that Jamal Johnson hasn't made a shot in the last 5 games -- he's only taken a combined 9 shots in those games. 

0/2

0/3

0/2

0/1

0/1

With his stroke he'll be fine if he gets more shots.

Bu the thing is, with the rotation depth, he's not going to get many more shot opportunities than he's getting now. We need him to be more efficient when he gets the few he's getting. Otherwise, he's not effective on offense and is a liability right now on defense.