On Jan. 13, the Alabama basketball team traveled to Baton Rouge and picked up its first true road win of the season, knocking off LSU, 74-66.
On Monday, Crimson Tide head coach Avery Johnson said that effort won’t be good enough in the second meeting.
“What we did in the last game (against LSU) will not work,” Johnson said in his Monday prep conference. “We had 19 turnovers in that game. That’s 19 possessions where we didn’t get a shot. We have to clean that up (and) do a much better job of playing efficient offense.
“LSU is a different team than they were last year,” Johnson added. “They play hard, they’re talented. They have a young freshman point guard in Tremont Waters who can dominate a game by himself.”
The Tigers, who were picked last in the league in preseason media polling, are 5-7 in SEC play and come to Tuscaloosa after drubbing Ole Miss 84-66 last Saturday.
Looking to Ingram for versatility
Dazon Ingram had one of his best performances of the year in the Crimson Tide’s January win in Baton Rouge. He led Alabama with 18 points, making every shot he attempted (4-for-4 from the floor, 10-for-10 from the foul line) and grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double. Ingram is coming off a quiet but effective performance against Tennessee, and Johnson says the sophomore guard will again play an important role against the Tigers.
“From Dazon, we look for versatility,” Johnson said. “It’s his whole all-around game. We need him to rebound, to play defense. He usually guards one of the better scorers. Against Tennessee, we had him guarding (6-foot-5, 235-pound Admiral) Schofield and that was important. Without getting into the advanced metrics that we use, it’s not about him scoring 20 points every night. When he rebounds, when he defends and has a good turnover/assist ratio, that’s what we look for.”
Alabama will have Donta Hall, who missed the first game against LSU with a broken bone in his wrist, back in the lineup.
Schaffer back at practice
Lawson Schaffer, the Crimson Tide junior walk-on guard from Cullman, was back at practice on Monday after missing several days — including the Tennessee game — due to illness.
“He wanted to come back yesterday, but (the medical staff) wanted to wait one more day,” Johnson said.
“He’s a big part of our preparation. He’s excited to be back. He’s been missed by our players and staff.”
Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.
LSU at Alabama
When: 8 p.m. CT
Where: Coleman Coliseum
Records: Alabama 16-9 (7-5 SEC), LSU (14-10, 5-7 SEC)
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (95.3 FM locally)
