Rylan Griffen, Alabama basketball hit reset, crush Eastern Kentucky
Consider Saturday's game against Eastern Kentucky a palate cleanser for Alabama basketball. A badly needed palate cleanser.
Before the matchup with the Colonels, the Crimson Tide had just wrapped up a gauntlet of a stretch that included zero wins, albeit against three top-10 teams.
A victory vs. Eastern Kentucky wasn't going to erase that stretch, but it could provide a reset of sorts ahead of conference play.
And it did. Alabama cruised to a 111-67 victory over the Colonels at Coleman Coliseum. Grant Nelson and Rylan Griffen led Alabama with 19 points each.
Here are observations from the game between Alabama (7-5) and Eastern Kentucky (4-8).
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3-point shooting back on track
If Alabama couldn't hit triples against this defense, it was going to have trouble sinking 3-pointers against most teams. Eastern Kentucky entered the game ranked No. 362 in the country in 3-point defense, per KenPom.
It showed Saturday; the Crimson Tide sunk triples, and in bunches in the first half. It started from the jump; Mark Sears drained a 3-pointer 16 seconds into the game on Alabama's first attempt.
The 3-point shooting came from all over, too; six different players hit triples in the first half.
That helped Alabama grab a lead quickly, and the Crimson Tide never looked back. Alabama finished 19 of 38 (50%) from deep.
The reliable shooting from beyond the arc was a welcomed change from the past few games. Against Arizona, Alabama only hit 8 of 40 (20%). Against Creighton, the Crimson Tide finished 4-for-22 (18.2%).
Now, the key will be continuing Saturday's perimeter shooting against higher-level competition once SEC play starts.
Rylan Griffen has career night
On Friday, Alabama coach Nate Oats praised Griffen for his defense. Then vs. Eastern Kentucky, Griffen put together an offensive showcase.
The sophomore was especially effective in the corner from beyond the arc. He sat there and time after time drained triples. Griffen's 3-point shooting helped Alabama in the first half and the second.
By the end of the game, Griffen scored a career-high 19 points. His contributions spanned far past 3-point shooting, though. Griffen tallied six rebounds to go with three assists and one steal.
What's next?
Alabama has one more nonconference game on the schedule before SEC play begins. The Crimson Tide will play Liberty at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30 in Birmingham. Then Alabama will travel to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Jan. 6 (2:30 p.m., SEC Network). The first conference home game will be against South Carolina on Jan. 9 (6 p.m., SEC Network).
Nick Kelly covers Alabama football and men's basketball for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball: Rylan Griffen, Grant Nelson crush Eastern Kentucky
