By Zicpraiz 
Alabama basketball’s three-point shooting has trended upward in the last two games, raising the team’s ceiling. The Crimson Tide has struggled this season from three-point range, coming into this week shooting just 32.4% from three, a mark that ranked sub-200 in the nation.
Despite this, Alabama has been the nation’s 2nd best offense in terms of KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ranking. This has been due to the Crimson Tide shooting better than 60% from two-point range and relentless attacks to the rim leading to a high volume of free throws.
However, in the last two games, Alabama’s three-point shooting has surged. The Crimson Tide connected on 15/31 from three in a win over Mississippi State and 11/26 in a blowout win over Georgia. This was only the fourth and fifth times this season that Alabama shot above 40% from three-point range.
Alabama is 5-0 in those games with an average margin of victory of 21.2 points per game. The ability to knock down threes at a consistently high level raises the ceiling of this team.
The last two games have raised the team’s three-point percentage by a full point, up from 32.4% to 33.6%. Alabama’s No. 1 overall seed team led by Brandon Miller two years ago connected on 33.5% of their attempts. However, that team was demonstrably better on defense.
Players like Aden Holloway, Chris Youngblood, and Mark Sears have been key contributors to the team’s improved three-point shooting. Holloway has connected on 48.7% of his attempts from deep in SEC play, while Youngblood has gone 9/13 from three in the last two games. Youngblood is now shooting 42.8% from three and is now up to 37% on the season.
Sears struggled with his shot in the non-conference schedule but has shot 38.4% from three in SEC play, raising his season percentage to 36%. Sears and Youngblood are as proven collegiate shooters as it gets.
Alabama still needs some others to step up. They’ve gotten that in the last two games. Grant Nelson connected on a huge three down the stretch of the Tide’s win over Mississippi State on Wednesday. Against Georgia, Alabama got multiple made threes from unlikely sources: Jarin Stevenson and Aiden Sherrell, who combined to hit four of five attempts.
There are capable shooters on this team, and if Alabama can continue this recent uptick in made shots, the offense becomes close to unstoppable, and the ceiling for what this team can do rises even more.