Alabama Basketball Loses to Kentucky: Free Throws Doom Tide

Alabama Basketball fell to the Kentucky Wildcats 67-58. Free Throw Shooting of 34.6 percent doomed the Tide.

Alabama Basketball lost to a very good, but not great Kentucky team Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa. The Wildcats are one of the most talented teams in the nation. So much so, that even at a seasonal record of 20-5, the Cats are in the discussion as a potential Final Four team.

The talent disparity between the Tide and the Cats is undeniable. But talent did not primarily determine the outcome of Saturday’s game; neither did coaching nor officiating. The determinative factor in the game was one team beat themselves, and the other team did not.

Kentucky did not beat Alabama; Alabama beat Alabama.

The nine-point gap between the teams did not come from poor three-point shooting from the Tide. Alabama was only 3-14 from outside the arc; Kentucky was worse at 3-15. Alabama was out-rebounded but the difference was only three, 41-38 for Kentucky.

Alabama beat itself shooting 34.6 percent from the foul line and coughing up at least nine, self-inflicted turnovers. In summary, Alabama lost because it wasted more possessions than Kentucky.

Let’s take a close look at those two game categories and explain how they determined the outcome.

Free Throw Shooting

Alabama made 9 of 26 attempts at the charity stripe. At least 3 of those 17 misses were on the front end of a 1 and 1. On the season Alabama is No. 304 (out of 347 teams) in the nation making foul shots – 65.2 percent.

The Tide only needed to be No. 301 in the nation at foul shooting Saturday and shoot 65.4 percent against the Cats. Shooting 65.4 percent from the line would have earned Alabama 8 additional points.

Yes, that alone would not have been enough. An additional 8 points would have made the final score UK- 67, UA 66. But don’t forget the additional point opportunities lost by missing 1 and 1 front-ends.

Self-Inflicted Turnovers

Alabama made 16 turnovers to Kentucky’s 12. Four turnovers can determine the outcome of an otherwise even game. More importantly, Alabama is a team that has to treat possessions as precious jewels. Alabama struggles too often in scoring to waste any possessions.

Absent detailed turnover information from the box score, we must rely on our viewing of the game. Bill Rafferty talked about the Tide’s turnover propensity several times. A good estimate is that at least half of the turnovers were self-inflicted. Using self-inflicted rather than unforced as a turnover description is more precise. Too often opponents’ steals come from the Tide mishandling the ball under minimal pressure. Those turnovers are not unforced, but they are self-inflicted.

My guess is a careful review of the game would show roughly half of the Tide’s 16 turnovers were self-inflicted. Whether it was 7 or 9 unnecessary turnover miscues, the resulting lost possessions could have resulted in 2-3 more Tide points.

Without Alabama Beating Itself, the Projected Final Score:

Alabama – 58 Official pts., plus 8 pts. from additional made free throws, plus 2 pts. from 4 more Tide possessions and the Tide would have scored 68 pts.

Kentucky – 67 Official pts.

The Tide could have won 68-67. Let’s be clear. Kentucky is the better team. The better team won the game. They won it 67-58. But they won because Alabama, despite its tough defense and admirable determination, beat itself.