March Madness: Tide rolls but Alabama basketball reveals potential fatal flaws vs. Iona

Alabama basketball surged in the final minutes to top Iona but the Gaels may have revealed how to topple the Crimson Tide.

Alabama basketball’s return to March Madness wasn’t as smooth as Crimson Tide fans would have hoped. The Iona Gaels put up one hell of a fight against Alabama, keeping the game close for a long time before the Crimson Tide’s depth made the difference in a 68-55 win to help Nate Oats’ squad reach the Round of 32 in the East Region.

The contest was tight until a critical sequence with 8:55 to go when Alabama was up by just a point. Jahvon Quinnerly hit a layup and Alex Reese hit a three before Herbert Jones stole a pass and dunked it on the other end, putting the Crimson Tide up eight.

What made this game so close for Alabama?

This game exposed a lot of flaws for the Crimson Tide because Iona managed to significantly slow the tempo, largely preventing Alabama from getting out in transition and turning the contest into a track meet. Alabama was getting frustrated early, committing 10 turnovers in the first half and shooting just 5-of-16 from beyond the arc.

Free throw shooting was also poor for Alabama, which missed 10 shots from the charity stripe this afternoon after entering the day shooting 72 percent from the free-throw line. Alabama’s defensive intensity and deep bench made the difference against an Iona team that was essentially playing its starters heavy minutes, allowing the Crimson Tide to wear down the Gaels with their speed and length.

It is clear that Rick Pitino came up with a tremendous game plan to slow down Alabama and one that can beat the Crimson Tide with a tremendous defensive effort from a high-major school. Alabama awaits the winner of a matchup between UConn and Maryland in the Round of 32.

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