Welcome to the first edition of The Buzzer-Beater, my weekly Monday column about college basketball and what’s going on around the country. This past weekend, I was at home spending some time with family before I hit the road broadcasting Alabama softball until May. It was my last weekend without any plans until Summer, so I watched as much basketball as possible (plus the Super Bowl and This Is Us…and yes, I did cry). A lot happened this week on the hardwood, so let’s dive right in to the first version of The Buzzer-Beater.
The opening line of the Alabama state song says this: “Alabama, Alabama, We will aye be true to thee.” I’m all about loyalty, and I do love my home state, but the Alabama basketball team is making it very tough to be “true to thee.” Avery Johnson’s team has zero rhyme or reason this season, and that’s making Alabama fans were weary. After the Crimson Tide went on the road and beat Florida 68-50 on Saturday, I received texts that said, “I don’t understand,” “LOL what,” and “I can’t with this team.” That’s because, earlier this week, Alabama lost at home to Missouri 69-60 in a game that honestly wasn’t even that close (the Tide shot 35.4% from the field in that game; the visiting Tigers fired a crisp 53.2%).
The inconsistency of Alabama basketball has made this season very trying for fans, as the youth and inexperience of this team continue to rear their ugly heads at inopportune times. Take a look at sharp-shooter John Petty, who earlier this year knocked down ten three-pointers in one game. In Coleman Coliseum during SEC play, Petty is firing at 45% from deep; on the road in conference play, he’s 16% from beyond the arc. If that stat doesn’t personify the Crimson Tide’s year, I don’t know what does. Let’s break down Alabama’s resume, and you’ll see what I mean.
Overall Record: 15-8
SEC Record: 6-4
Top 50 RPI Wins: Rhode Island (by four), Texas A&M (by twenty-two), Auburn (by five), Oklahoma (by seven), and at Florida (by eighteen)
Sub-75 RPI Losses: at Ole Miss (by twelve), vs. Minnesota (by five), and at Vanderbilt (by one)
Last 12 Games: Wins over Top 25 teams Florida, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Texas A&M; Losses by double-digits to Texas in Birmingham, at Ole Miss, and at Georgia.
With Alabama’s upcoming schedule, a level of consistency must be reached.
I’m not saying that Alabama would miss the NCAA Tournament right now. I think the good heavily outweighs the bad. But with the schedule that’s coming up for the Crimson Tide, this level of inconsistency can’t happen or Avery Johnson and Co. might not hear their name on Selection Sunday. Considering this team, a road loss on Tuesday to a hot Mississippi State team isn’t out of the question, and the slate only gets tougher from there. The “easiest” game left is a home bout with LSU, and road contests at Kentucky, Auburn, and Texas A&M still loom. That’s tough for any team, but for this young squad led by superstar freshman Collin Sexton, I just hope it’s not asking for too much. A 4-4 record in the final eight games would put Alabama at 19-12 overall and 10-8 in conference play. Depending on who the losses are against, I think that’d be plenty to get the Crimson Tide into the NCAA Tournament. A final stretch below .500, though, and things could get very dicey. Avery Johnson needs his kids to reach some level of consistency during this final month and a half of the regular season if they want to accomplish any of the goals they set in the preseason.
Gray’s Top 10
Here’s my first Top 10 of the season, based on what I’ve seen this year. This doesn’t necessarily reflect where I think teams would be seeded in the NCAA Tournament.
- Virginia
- Villanova
- Purdue
- Michigan State
- Xavier
- Texas Tech
- Cincinnati
- Auburn
- St. Mary’s
- Kansas
Virginia takes my top spot because they’ve just been dominant over the last two months.
Virginia is the best team in the country, in my opinion.
Seriously, it’s been two months since they lost to West Virginia. Villanova also looks mighty good this year, and I’m pretty confident that those two will snag top seeds in the bracket barring disaster. Purdue and Michigan State come in at three and four, although I really don’t see either as a Final Four threat. I don’t think the Big Ten is providing enough of a challenge for either team. The biggest team missing from my Top 10 is Duke, who fell inexplicably to St. John’s on Saturday. This team is so talented, and I don’t understand why they have these moments of inconsistency. Major props to Auburn and Bruce Pearl, who I think is the front-runner for coach of the year this season.
Random Rankings
Random Rankings are back! After last night’s amazing Super Bowl LII (Congrats Eagles), there’s a lot to take in. The game was fantastic (one of the best I’ve ever seen) and Justin Timberlake was spectacular during halftime as well (although not as good as some in year’s past). Also great were the commercials, which I thought were much better across the board than the last few years. Today, I’m using Random Rankings to rank my Top Five Commercials from the 2018 Super Bowl. It was a lot tougher than I expected, and you might disagree with these rankings, but they’re my opinion. *Usual Disclaimer*: once Random Rankings are posted, they aren’t changing. Sorry.
1. “It’s a Tide Ad”
Tide wins best commercial because of the running joke that got funnier every single time. Featuring your favorite police chief from Stranger Things, David Harbour kept popping up in other commercials explaining that it was actually an ad for Tide detergent. The ads were place sporadically throughout the game, and got laughs every time. The line “Does this make every Super Bowl ad a Tide ad?” blew my mind. Spectacular job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gGXnE1Dbh0
2. “Time of My Life”
The Dirty Dancing parody featuring Odell Beckham, Jr. and Eli Manning was an absolute slam dunk that had me and some friends on the floor laughing. Major props to both Eli and Odell for committing to the gag, plus the backup dancing lineman stepping in behind Eli. What put this commercial over the top was the lift, with Eli perfectly hoisting Odell towards the heavens. It was a classic that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
3. “Alexa Loses Her Voice”
“You’re in the bush. And you’re just sooo duhhhtyyy.” Amazon utilized multiple celebrities the best of any other commercial as this ad showed what would happen if famous people took over for Alexa. Featuring hilarious segments from chef Gordon Ramsey, Cardi B, the hilarious Rebel Wilson, and the ever weird Anthony Hopkins, this commercial was really well done. Each different portion was fantastically funny, although Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow” playing after an annoyed middle-aged man requests “Country Music” was a personal favorite. Fantastic job.
4. “Doritos Blaze vs. Mountain Dew Ice”
A rap/lip-sync battle for the ages featured Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman spouting out the hip-hop stylings of Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott, respectively. Both actors committed and gave hilarious turns, particularly when turning to the real artists of the songs they were rapping (both of whom were featured as pieces of art to the side). It was really funny, and I’m glad to see Doritos getting back into the Super Bowl ad game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eKYR_iL5eU
5. “This is Getting Old”
There’s a clear gap between the Top Four and number five, but I’ll give the final slot to ETRADE, who featured senior citizens in a commercial without being mean. Showing old people still working because they can’t afford retirement, this one led to lots of laughs. Special shout-out to DJ Nana. Keep spinning those sick beats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ILxrRlf3KY
SEC Bubble Watch
The SEC is one of the Top Two deepest conferences along with the Big 12, and there are plenty of tournament contenders. Let’s break down how each SEC team stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament Bubble.
Safely In
Auburn
Overall: 21-2
Conference: 9-1
RPI: 5
SOS: 59
Non-Con SOS: 95
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-2
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Kentucky
Overall: 17-6
Conference: 6-4
RPI: 16
SOS: 11
Non-Con SOS: 7
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 3-4
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Tennessee
Overall: 17-5
Conference: 7-3
RPI: 13
SOS: 24
Non-Con SOS: 22
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 3-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Florida
Overall: 15-8
Conference: 6-4
RPI: 46
SOS: 31
Non-Con SOS: 39
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 6-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Feeling Good
Texas A&M
Overall: 15-8
Conference: 4-6
RPI: 25
SOS: 9
Non-Con SOS: 14
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 5-6
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
On the Right Side of the Bubble
Alabama
Overall: 15-8
Conference: 6-4
RPI: 36
SOS: 15
Non-Con SOS: 19
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 5-3
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. Minnesota, at Vanderbilt
Arkansas
Overall: 15-8
Conference: 4-6
RPI: 34
SOS: 32
Non-Con SOS: 86
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 3-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Missouri
Overall: 15-8
Conference: 5-5
RPI: 31
SOS: 12
Non-Con SOS: 72
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 3-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. Illinois
Work Left to Do
Georgia
Overall: 13-9
Conference: 4-6
RPI: 57
SOS: 57
Non-Con SOS: 191
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-4
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. San Diego State, at Massachusetts
South Carolina
Overall: 13-10
Conference: 4-6
RPI: 63
SOS: 37
Non-Con SOS: 71
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 2-7
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Mississippi State
Overall: 17-6
Conference: 5-5
RPI: 52
SOS: 117
Non-Con SOS: 299
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 2-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
LSU
Overall: 13-9
Conference: 4-6
RPI: 73
SOS: 61
Non-Con SOS: 204
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 6-4
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): Stephen F. Austin, at Vanderbilt
No Shot: Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
W2W4 This Week
So what’s happening this week in college basketball? Here are the match-ups worth your attention.
Monday
#19 West Virginia at #17 Oklahoma
Tuesday
#5 Xavier at Butler
#15 Tennessee at #24 Kentucky
Wednesday
Texas A&M at #8 Auburn
#2 Virginia at Florida State
#14 Ohio State at #3 Purdue
Thursday
#9 Duke at #21 North Carolina
Saturday
#15 Tennessee at Alabama
#24 Kentucky at Texas A&M
#21 North Carolina at NC State
#8 Auburn at Georgia
#3 Purdue at #4 Michigan State
Thanks for reading! Check back next Monday for another edition of The Buzzer Beater. Have a fantastic week!