Alabama Scouting Report

The Crimson Tide brings a 6-2 record into their bout with Purdue in Toronto. The previous number one overall seed in last years NCAA tournament has solid wins over Oregon and Indiana State. Their two losses have come against Ohio State and Clemson. Stylistically, Alabama is extremely unique with a NBA style offense focusing on tempo and getting shots from the three point line, rim, and free throw line.

Roll Tide

Starters:

Point Guard - Mark Sears

Shooting Guard - Aaron Estrada

Small Forward - Rylan Griffen

Power Forward - Grant Nelson Center - Mohamed Wague

Offensive Structure:

• Transition

  • Flexibility 1-4 with ball handlers and shooters that are aggressive in transition

  • Outlet passes from the guards to the strong side wings

  • Passing and driving leading to corner threes

• Offensive Motion

  • Drag screens in semi transition with a hard roll leading to kickout threes

  • Guard to guard actions (dribble handoffs, ghost screens)
    

Transition Motion for a Guard -

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxOdsbDnUI90yStqEg6_xC5nz-GYQg2Xgu?si=sBEVMRL275LE9LUx…

Transition Motion for Nelson -

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfORlorVpCa381j7zeQNInSOVeQ33zBPX?si=_RB4_32ahENyJTj3…

• Offensive Sets

  • Actions involving two of Nelson, Sears, or Estrada together

• Offensive Rebounding

Offensive Player Profiles

#1 - Mark Sears

Sears is a talented scorer that will shoot a lot of threes at a high percentage, get to the rim if the defense allows it, and is very crafty at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. He is a smart guard who takes what the defense gives him, either driving to the rim or kickout passes for threes. Alabama uses Sears in a ton of different actions like ghost screens, flares, setting screens, and normal ball screens.

#2 - Grant Nelson

The new transfer has struggled at times with his new team. He is a long, athletic wing who has given Alabama a lot of offensive flexibility. On the perimeter, he creates driving angles with a ton of shot fakes or shoots a three of the catch. He will be utilized in the post where he is primarily a passer. Overall, he is not a strong athlete that has shown he can consistently finish through contact.

#3 - Rylan Griffen

He wants to get threes off at a high clip and Alabama gets him going off of kickouts. He does not drive as much, but if he does he is wanting to put his head down and score. Griffen is not used in primary actions for the Crimson Tide.

#55 - Aaron Estrada

Another transfer for Alabama was a legit scorer at Hofstra and brings some of that scoring to Alabama. He is very aggressive shooting or driving the ball in transition. In the half court, he will pull up if his defender goes under screens or will attack the paint to get his shoot off. Alabama is going to use him in their offensive sets with Nelson and Sears.

#11 - Mohamed Wague

The big man that Alabama has used to set screens and roll hard. He is not a strong player and will try to avoid contact on his finishes when up against a solid contest.

#12 - Latrell Wrightsell

A senior guard who has shot the ball from three well and really, really struggled inside the arc. Want to take away his perimeter shots and force him to create his own shot in the paint.

#24 - Sam Walters

A lefty shooter who is very aggressive getting his shot off.

Alabama Defense

The Alabma defense plays complementary to their offense. They are going to apply ball pressure for 94 feet while trying to speed opposing offenses into the pace Alabama wants to play at.

Project Matchups

Braden Smith - Mark Sears

Fletcher Loyer - Aaron Estrada

Lance Jones - Rylan Griffen

Kauffman-Renn - Grant Nelson

Zach Edey - Mohammed Wague

Purdue's Offensive Stratety

• Pick and Roll (Semi-drop)

  • Purdue bigs sealing a weaker roll defender allowing for Smith to get to the rim

  • Exploit Sears struggles with screen navigation throughout the game

  • Ball handlers cannot be pushed around by Alabama defenders

• Low Post Offense (Doubling from the weakside low man)

  • Bigs doing the work early, the better positioning the better the offense

  • Realistic shot fakes to exploit Alabama's bigs block chasing

  • Guards looking for shallow drives to make the entry pass shorter and easier

• Transition Offense

  • Controlled tempo probing into the paint to create rim pressure

  • PF spacing during the semi-transition Edey-Smith drag screen

  • Bigs running the floor for early post ups

• Perimter Offense (ball pressure)

  • Ball handlers on the attack, expose less athletic defenders trying to pressure

  • Be PATIENT, using pump fakes and lay down passes in the lane against aggressive bigs

• Off Ball Screeens (Switching)

  • Avoid simple pin downs that Alabama easily switches, deception = confusion

  • 45 cuts to the rim can create open corner threes

  • Skip spots, making unorthodox cuts behind help defenders.

    • The cut is a sign for the cutters defender to switch, but by cutting behind other defenders, it adds confusion to the defense.

Keys for Purdue

• Convert shots in the paint at a high clip

  • Easy misses lead to easy transition baskets

• Set the tone with controlled physicality

  • Owning space and punishing an undisciplined Alabama defense by drawing fouls

• Win the offensive glass and defense glass

• Stay solid on defense

  • Get back and matchup in transition

  • Don't foul on drives, vertical contests will bother this team

  • STAY ON YOUR FEET