The Crimson Tide basketball team bounced back from their nightmare trip to the Virgin Islands by picking up an easy 76-50 home win over Alabama A&M on Saturday afternoon. The biggest news of the day however wasn't Bama improving to 3-3 on the season, but rather the announced "indefinite suspension" of Bama's top player JaMychal Green for "conduct detrimental to the team". There is no word as to how long Green's suspension will last, or what exactly provoked it. What we do know is that the suspension is "basketball-related".
In Green's absence, freshman Charles Hankerson got the start, giving the Tide a smaller look in the starting lineup. Bama also posted it's most balanced scoring numbers of the season: all five players in the new-look starting lineup scored between 7 and 15 points. Tony Mitchell stepped up and posted career-high rebounding numbers as he spent more time in the post to fill in for Green. Freshman Carl Engstrom saw a significant increase in minutes to help shore up the Tide's size in the post, while Charvez Davis, Ben Eblen, and Jason Carter helped to contribute 24 bench points in the effort.
As a team, Bama shot just over 50% for the game with 17 assists on 31 made field goals, healthy numbers offensively. Bama also outrebounded Alabama A&M 42-27 despite missing its best post player. The one big negative statistically was the 17 turnovers.
The Alabama men's basketball team evened its record at 3-3 following a 76-50 win over Alabama A&M Saturday at Coleman Coliseum.
Senior guard Senario Hillman led a balanced Crimson Tide scoring attack with a game-high 15 points. Sophomore forward Tony Mitchell notched his first double-double of the season with a 12-point, 15-rebound performance, helping overcome the absence of junior JaMychal Green who is suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. Senior guard Charvez Davis scored 11 points, while senior forward Chris Hines added 10 points and 7 rebounds for Alabama.
Alabama beats Alabama A&M, 76-50 | UA media relations
After three straight losses and the suspension of a star player just before tip-off, the University of Alabama men’s basketball team found just what it needed Saturday afternoon — an easy win.
The Crimson Tide (3-3) overpowered Alabama A&M 76-50, putting four players in double figures. Despite the fact that junior forward JaMychal Green was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team," as coach Anthony Grant announced before tip-off, UA dominated the backboards and held Alabama A&M to just 35 percent shooting.
Alabama wins easy without star | Cecil Hurt, Tuscaloosa News
Is it possible the Alabama basketball team can play better without one of its leading scorers?
"They played better without him (Saturday)," Alabama A&M coach Vann Pettaway said of junior forward JaMychal Green, who has been suspended indefinitely by coach Anthony Grant for conduct detrimental to the team.
Alabama beats Alabama A&M without suspended star | Don Kausler Jr., Birmingham News
In all likelihood, we won't play an easier opponent than Alabama A&M the rest of the season, so winning--even in impressive fashion without a star player--shouldn't be seen as a turnaround or anything like that. However it was an important step in putting the Paradise Jam disaster in the rearview mirror, and if we can follow it up with a win on Wednesday night against a tougher South Alabama team and have Green buy back in to this team, maybe we can begin to turn things around in time to pick up a win or two during out brutal December road schedule.