Mark Sears' shocking decision that lifted Alabama to win vs. Illinois
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Coming off of a brutal road loss against Purdue on Friday, Alabama didn’t have any time to sulk. Playing difficult games against ranked opponents in non-conference play has become a staple of the Nate Oats era in Tuscaloosa and this season is no different.
On Wednesday, Alabama took on No. 25 Illinois at a neutral site that was anything but neutral in Birmingham. Thanks to a massive offensive explosion, the Crimson Tide picked up a huge 100-87 win to get back on the winning track.
Alabama’s monster scoring output didn’t come the way that it usually does. Superstar guard Mark Sears was held scoreless for just the second time in his career and the first time since he got to Alabama. The Preseason All-American only played 21 minutes despite not struggling with an injury or foul trouble. After the game, Oats revealed that Sears volunteered to sit in the second half because the group on the floor was playing so well, according to Nick Kelly of AL.com.
“He said, ‘Leave these guys in. They're playing pretty well.’ He was right,” Oats said, per Kelly. “So we left them in.”
Sears took just five shots in this one, missing all of them. Despite his poor showing, Oats isn’t worried about his best player moving forward.
“He was struggling,” Oats said, per Kelly. “There's a lot of pressure on him, being a home-state kid that came back. Preseason player of the year. He's trying to do well. Teams are gearing their defense toward him. He had some good looks. Just didn't go.”
Alabama shows why its one of the best teams in the country
The sign of a great team is one that can win without its stars playing great every single night. On Wednesday, Nate Oats and Alabama showed off their depth and they talent up and down the roster in order to pull off a big win against Illinois.
Grant Nelson, who is having an award-worthy season himself, was on fire to start this one. The sharpshooting big man drilled three 3-pointers right out of the gates and finished with 23 points to lead all scorers. Nelson also patrolled the paint, adding eight rebounds and four blocked shots.
Senior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. added 16 points on just six shot attempts as he looks to rebound from the end of last season where he was bothered by injuries.
Two new additions also had big nights for the Crimson Tide. Auburn transfer Aden Holloway scored 18 points and knocked down three triples and true freshman Labaron Philon stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Alabama can take a lot of confidence from this win, not only because Sears didn’t provide his usual scoring output but because the Crimson Tide didn’t shoot the lights out from the 3-point line. Alabama finished just 11-for-34 from beyond the arc, which is slightly below average for it in both volume and efficiency. If they can boost those numbers and Sears gets back on track, Alabama will be a dangerous team moving forward.
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