Bama Basketball Breakdown and Game Thread: Liberty

I’ve been telling anybody that would listen that this year’s Tide Hoops squad would be the most Oats-inspired one to date, and man, was that evident in the opening night 75-54 easy win over the Big South favorites, Longwood. The difference in size and athleticism was apparent from the opening tip, as the 20th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0; Kenpom: 16) absolutely stifled the Lancers on the defensive end and dominated the paint on the offensive side of the court. Sure, the turnovers and poor shooting were worrying, but you’d have to expect turnover issues early on with this being a team of guys mostly playing together for the first time.

With that all being said, the Tide don’t have time to…