Alabama basketball now 16-2 after impressive win over Vandy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Alabama men’s basketball team moved to 16-2 (6-0 SEC) on Tuesday night after soundly beating Vanderbilt (9-9, 2-3 SEC) 78-66. This was the Crimson Tide’s seventh-straight victory with the last loss coming against No. 6 Gonzaga exactly one month ago today.
This is also the first time Alabama basketball has started its season 16-2 since the 1976-77 season. That squad started its season 19-2. The season before, they started even better with a 20-2 record. In other words, Nate Oats has the current team off to one of the best starts in program history.
Yes, the Commodores now sit with a .500 record, but they had an impressive 77-68 road win against No. 9 Tennessee just last week. In fact, Alabama was their fourth consecutive game against a top-20 opponent, so the recent schedule hasn’t been easy for them.
After Tuesday’s win, the Crimson Tide now have seven-straight wins of 11 points or more. Here’s what that run looks like:
- Jackson State (W 84-64)
- at Mississippi State (W 78-67)
- Ole Miss (W 84-62)
- Kentucky (W 78-52)
- at Arkansas (W 84-69)
- Vanderbilt (W 78-66)
Impressive run, right?
Freshman phenom Brandon Miller continues to lead the way for Alabama. The former five-star recruit led both teams in scoring with 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and an assist. It was his third game this season with 30 points of more. This was only Miller’s fourth double-double of the season, too.
That also gives him 61 points and 19 rebounds over his last two games.
Mark Sears had an off night, only scoring three points while hitting just one of five three-point attempts. It was the first time the Ohio transfer hadn’t broken double-digits since that loss to Gonzaga on Jan. 17. His season-high was the 26 points he put up against Arkansas a week ago.
Fellow freshman Jaden Bradley had arguably his best game in awhile.
Up next, Alabama will have a road game against Missouri on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET). Then, the Crimson Tide will welcome the Mississippi State Bulldogs to Coleman Coliseum next Wednesday night at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. ET).
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