Scouting Report: Alabama Crimson Tide

   

Kentucky Basketball Scouting Report

Opponent: University of Alabama                Date: 1/17/15

General

• 12-4, 2-1 on the season. Coming off a tough loss @ South Carolina.
• #20 Levi Randolph is one of the best players in the SEC.
• Very physical team; they will look to get into you defensively and bother the ball.
• Good team with a veteran, talented backcourt. Very capable of beating us.

Personnel #20      G         Levi Randolph: 6’5’’ 208                  SR. [caption id="attachment_171805" align="alignright" width="300"] Randolph is an all-around player who has been around forever.
Photo Courtesy of 247 Sports[/caption] Randolph has had an outstanding 4-year career for the Tide and is one of the SEC’s most improved players so far this season. He is a do-everything guard averaging 15.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He is a good athlete with very good size on the perimeter. Randolph has turned himself into a good shooter, knocking in 32% of his 3’s and connecting on 85% of his foul shots. He is definitely still more aggressive as a driver than a shooter though. #2        G         Ricky Tarrant: 6’2’’ 190                   JR. He is a very aggressive guard who is really looking to score it when he has the ball in his hands. Tarrant is shooting just 30% from 3-point range, but has taken by far the most on the team. He is really finding his rhythm now in SEC play as he learns and becomes more comfortable playing alongside Levi Randolph. Averaging 13.3 points per game. #21      G         Rodney Cooper: 6’6’’ 218                SR. Cooper is super athletic and does a great job of rebounding from the perimeter; he led Alabama in rebounding as a junior. He is their best 3-point shooter so we have to take away his catch-and-shoot, he is shooting over 40% on the season from 3. Averaging 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. #3        F          Michael Kessens: 6’9’’ 223               SO. After an outstanding freshman season at Longwood, Kessens transferred to Alabama and sat out last year. He is a strong kid with good feet in the post. He is averaging 7.5 points and a team-leading 5.6 rebounds per game. He works very hard and has good instincts on the offensive glass. #10      F          Jimmie Taylor: 6’10’’ 240                 SO. Taylor is a big, strong presence on the low block. He isn’t overly skilled or aggressive offensively, but he is a great finisher and cleans up a lot on the offensive glass. Defensively he is blocking nearly 2 shots a game and is improving on really impacting the game without fouling. __________________________________________________________________________________________ #5        G         Justin Coleman: 5’10’’ 160               FR. Coleman is having a solid freshman season in his role as the backup point guard. His scoring ability allows him to play off the ball at times as well if he has too. He is an aggressive offensive player and will look to make plays when he is in the game. We have to just use our size and make him score contested 2’s over us. #1        G/F      Riley Norris: 6’7’’ 207                      FR. [caption id="attachment_171806" align="alignright" width="156"] Norris was a highly recruited high school player with a lot of skill offensively.[/caption] He was a highly rated recruit out of high school and has made an impact off the bench in his first year at Alabama. Norris is a great 3-point shooter, connecting on 45.8% of his 3’s so far this season. He is a good athlete and plays with a very high motor and basketball IQ. Averaging 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds. #32      G         Retin Obasohan: 6’1’’ 208                RS JR. After being the 3^rd leading scorer a year ago, Retin has taken on a smaller roll off the bench for the Tide so far this season. He is a very strong guard who will really get after it defensively. Good shooter. #11      F          Shannon Hale: 6’8’’ 226                    SO. A back up forward, Hale has picked up right where he left off after a strong freshman season. The skilled face-up 4 man has yet to find his stroke from beyond the arc, but is very capable of knocking it in from deep. Very skilled offensively and can’t let him getting going from 3-point range. Averaging 7.8 points per game. Keys to the Game

• Contain Levi Randolph. There isn’t a player in the country that is good enough to beat us on his own, but Randolph is the type of player who can give UK a lot of problems. He is big and physical and is an absolute playmaker. If he is allowed to get going he could play like the best player on the floor.
• Be tough. This is an overly general point, but it is applicable. Alabama is a very strong, physical team that will look to use that to their advantage. Our guys, especially Andrew Harrison/Tyler Ulis running the point and our big men down low will have to be ready to be strong with the ball and play through contact.
• Don’t let them get rolling. As Kentucky fans we talk a lot about being everybody’s Super Bowl. Well, that is absolutely true and for Alabama this is their first sellout since we came to town 2 years ago. The crowd will be rocking, the players will be confident, and this is the type of game where a role player can have a career night. We need to be ready to play right away and show them that we are the better team.

Brandon Ramsey @Coach_BRamsey