By Zicpraiz 
The No. 3 Crimson Tide outlasted the Razorbacks 85-81 after nearly blowing an 18-point lead in the second half.
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats and Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari shook hands after the game. The Crimson Tide built an 18-point lead in the second half but Arkansas trimmed the margin to just three points.
Here are three takeaways:
- Alabama is All But Certainly America’s New No. 1 Team
No. 1 Auburn fell to No. 6 Florida 90-81 at home, giving the Tigers their first loss in SEC play. Alabama head coach Nate Oats doesn’t seem to invest much thought into the number placed before his team on every score bug.
“I don’t really care, to be honest with you,” Oats said. “We’ve got full control of our own destiny to win the SEC right now.”
- Crimson Tide Nearly Blows 18-Point Lead in Second Half
Alabama head coach Nate Oats has been outspoken about the Crimson Tide’s starts to the second halves of games throughout SEC play. After a first half that featured nine turnovers by Alabama and a stellar 15-point start for Arkansas forward Zvonimir Ivisic, the Crimson Tide locked in coming out of the halftime locker room.
However, a switch flipped in Calipari and company shortly after as the Razorbacks proceeded to go on a 12-0 run led by Ivisic. Alabama was back to turning the ball over and missing opportunities.
- Alabama Dominates in Two Stat Categories
Since his arrival in 2019, Oats has built Alabama’s offense around a fast-paced system that heavily involves shots taken from behind the arc. Alabama finished the night just a few points below their absurd average, as it was still a very respectable tally.
However, the Tide only made five of its 19 attempts from deep. Instead of threes, Oats’ crew found its rhythm on the interior as Alabama scored 56 points in the paint compared to the Razorbacks’ 36.
The Crimson Tide didn’t even attempt a non-rim two for the entire game and forward Grant Nelson and guards Chris Youngblood and Mark Sears were some of the leaders in this category.