Jaden Shackelford reacts to career night vs. Ole Miss
It was a huge night for Jaden Shackelford and Alabama. The junior had a career-high 30 points and went 8 for 13 from the three-point line to lead the Crimson Tide to a 97-83 win over Ole Miss Wednesday night.
The win gave Alabama some much-needed momentum after back-to-back losses to Auburn and Kentucky. But Shackelford wasn’t worried considering the Crimson Tide have one of the toughest schedules in the country this year — and the team usually responds well to adversity.
“We’re going to give our best when our back’s against the wall,” Shackelford told SEC Now. “That’s not always the best thing to have, but I know my guys are going to fight when the pressure’s on us. We’ve been in some tough battles this season, but I commend my guys for going and battling every single night.”
Shackelford wasn’t surprised by the three-point success considering Ole Miss came out in a zone defense, which allows for more three-point chances. Factor in Oats’ confidence in his players to shoot open shots, and that’s the recipe for a big shooting night as Alabama shot 60% from the field as a team.
“Going into the game, coach always wants us to have confidence, so he tells us shoot every open shot that we get,” Shackelford said. “That gives us a little leeway and confidence with our shot. But we knew they played a lot of zone, too, so we knew we would see zone going through the game. So obviously, that opened up a few three-point opportunities with us playing fast. A lot played into it, but I feel like the overall thing is just trust the confidence in us.”
More on Jaden Shackelford’s big night
When a team shoots as well as Alabama did, there are plenty of options to score — especially when someone has a night like Shackelford did. He said the Crimson Tide tend to be unselfish, but they know how to find the guy who’s on a roll.
“It’s kind of just natural for them to find me once I get going,” Shackelford said. “That’s natural for our team, honestly. If JQ gets going or Keon gets going or me, we just kind of go to the guy that’s getting hot. If he’s open, we’re going to give it to him and find him. Obviously, I let him know if I’m open or I feel like I’m going. It’s kind of just natural. We kind of just find the guy that’s going, that’s hot.”
Alabama has a tough task at hand in its next game when Auburn comes to Coleman Coliseum. Tuesday night, the Tigers lost to Arkansas, meaning they’re going to likely want to avenge that defeat. That’s why Shackelford is calling for a raucous atmosphere from the fans in Tuscaloosa.
“We need them there loud and ready,” Shackelford said. “They’ve done an amazing job throughout the year. It’s going to be a big game for us and we need the environment to be top.”