Three Key Takeaways From Alabama Basketball’s SEC Tournament Blowout of Kentucky
The Crimson Tide dominated the Wildcats throughout the game, securing a spot in the semifinal against Florida.
NASHVILLE — No. 5 Alabama men’s basketball easily defeated No. 15 Kentucky 99-70 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday night. This win propels the Crimson Tide into the semifinal against No. 4 Florida on Saturday.
Though the SEC Tournament is held at a neutral location, Kentucky fans filled the arena, making it feel like a home game. The noise level was intense initially, but it quieted as the game went on.
There’s a lot to unpack from this performance at Bridgestone Arena. Here are three key takeaways:
Impressive Defensive Effort
Defense has been a point of concern for Alabama this season, but that wasn’t the case against Kentucky on Friday night, especially in the second meeting.
Alabama’s transition defense, which had been inconsistent recently, was solid in this game. Guard Labaron Philon played a key role, contributing 21 points, four assists, three steals, and a remarkable block.
“I call it lucky plays, ’cause when I’m guarding somebody else and I can just turn around and see the ball loose, grab it, see a blur in the open floor, that’s going to be easy for me,” Philon said in the postgame interview. “I credit my teammates the most for creating those opportunities.”
As in the previous matchup, Alabama focused on limiting Kentucky’s top player, Otega Oweh. Oweh had been a consistent double-digit scorer but struggled in this game, finishing with only two points on 1-for-9 shooting in their earlier meeting. Although he was injured during the game, Oweh played 21 minutes and finished with eight points on 1-for-6 shooting, four rebounds, no assists, and five turnovers.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats highlighted Kentucky’s lack of depth due to injuries, noting that Robinson was out for the season and Oweh was limited.
Despite Alabama’s usual struggles with turnovers, they were on the right side of the battle in this game, forcing 16 turnovers while committing only 10. The real dominance came after the turnovers, as Alabama scored 29 points off them, compared to Kentucky’s 6.
“Our plan was to try to keep them off transition, keep them off the three-point line, pressure them on defense,” Oats said. “I thought our transition could get to them, and we broke them in the second half.”
Strong Start Inside
Alabama had no major negatives during the game, though Kentucky briefly tied the score at 14 after capitalizing on some Crimson Tide mistakes.
Alabama struggled with its outside shooting, missing the first 10 three-pointers before making one, but Kentucky’s defense couldn’t keep up for long.
Offensively, Alabama was able to maintain its lead thanks to strong play inside. The game began with a lob from Labaron Philon to center Clifford Omoruyi for an alley-oop dunk, setting the tone for the night. They connected for another alley-oop shortly after, further energizing the team.
Other players like Grant Nelson and Mark Sears also contributed to the offense in the paint, with Mouhamed Dioubate particularly standing out. In just 11 minutes in the first half, Dioubate scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.
This inside dominance continued in the second half, with Alabama finishing the game with a total of 41 rebounds, including a strong performance on the defensive boards.