Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of Alabama
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Syracuse got back on track the weekend following its first loss of the season, an 83-81 defeat to then-No. 20 Maryland. It traveled to Las Vegas, NV, for the South Point Shootout and took on Northern Iowa and Iowa State. Both contests ended in resounding victories.
Against UNI, the Orange never looked back from the 15-7 lead they built up in the first quarter. Georgia Woolley’s game-high 22 points, which included an 11-for-11 performance from the free-throw line, carried SU to a 71-54 win over the Panthers.
Then, Syracuse battled ISU — its second Power Five matchup of the young season. Locked at 39-39 through 20 minutes, the Orange outscored the Cyclones by 12 in the second half en route to an 81-69 victory. Dyaisha Fair (29) and Alaina Rice (26) led the way by combining for 55 points.
Next, SU faces Alabama in its third nonconference Power Five test of the season. The Crimson Tide suffered their first loss of 2023-24 to Gonzaga on Nov. 25 during the Betty Chancellor Classic in Katy, TX.
Here’s everything you need to know about Alabama (7-1, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) before it takes on Syracuse (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) Thursday evening:
All-time series
Thursday is the first-ever matchup between Syracuse and Alabama.
The Crimson Tide report
In 2022-23, Alabama was dominant through its first 26 games, holding a 20-6 record. But the Crimson Tide ended the season on a five game losing skid, which included first round exits in both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Early on this season, Alabama is off to another hot start.
The Crimson Tide are 7-1, facing off against a slate that’s been mostly made up of throttling non-Power Five opponents. Though they do have one thing that Syracuse doesn’t: a ranked win.
To open the Betty Chancellor Classic on Nov. 24, Alabama defeated then-No. 17 Louisville 78-73. The Crimson Tide had five scorers in double figures while shooting nearly a 50% clip from the field. They knocked down 9-of-24 3-pointers and held the Cardinals to a lowly 3-of-14 performance from long range.
The win over Louisville was the most points Alabama has allowed all season. Through eight games, it averages 50.1 opponent points per game which, according to HerHoopStats, is the 10th-best mark in the country. Its 24.6 average margin of victory ranks 19th in Division I, and its steal rate of 12.7% is the 35th-highest in the nation.
The Crimson Tide have an imposing offense as well, with five players averaging 8.0 points per game or more. Much of their damage comes from inside the arc, shooting 54% on 2-pointers (31st-best in the country). Alabama also regularly gets to the line, attempting the second-most free throws in the nation (184) and making the third-most (125).
How Syracuse beats Alabama
This will be SU’s second-toughest challenge to date. The Crimson Tide enter the JMA Wireless Dome Thursday with the No. 23 HerHoopStats rating, the highest rated team by the site that Syracuse has faced this season.
But the Orange are at home, where they possess an 18-3 record under head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. And more importantly, they have a much deeper offense. SU’s backcourt trio of Fair, Rice and Woolley are all dropping over 15.0 points per game. Since Woolley’s return, she’s averaged 5.0 assists per game in 3 appearances, a team high.
Fair and Woolley were the expected offensive leaders heading into 2023-24, but Rice’s breakout makes Syracuse much more dangerous. Her 15.3 points per game, 53.0% shooting clip and whopping 55.0% success rate from deep are all career-highs thus far.
Having three high-level scoring options takes pressure off SU’s offense and allows it to have improved spacing from 2022-23. Though Alabama has one of the top defenses in the country through eight contests, it hasn’t faced an offense as strong as Syracuse’s.
Stat to know: 39.6%
Alabama has an assisted shot rate of 39.6% — the 20th-worst mark in the country for that category. Syracuse doesn’t have a glowing assist rate either, coming in at 46.8%, the 74th-lowest overall. But the Orange are equipped to exploit the Crimson Tide’s lack of fluid passing. They have a great base of solid one-on-one defenders, who should excel against a team like Alabama with a methodical offense reliant on scoring inside.
Forwards Alyssa Latham, Kyra Wood and Izabel Varejão have led what’s been so far a stout SU frontcourt, averaging the 26th-most rebounds per game in the country. Latham can step out and guard the perimeter while Wood and Varejão utilize their size to fortify the paint. The Orange have advantages in the backcourt, too. Fair (2.2), Rice, (1.7) and Woolley (3.0) are all averaging nearly two or more steals per game.
Syracuse falters defensively during matchups against fast-paced offenses that consistently spread the ball. Maryland, which holds a 56.2% assisted shot rate, dropped 83 points on the Orange in their lone loss of the season thus far. But versus Alabama, SU’s defense serves as a threat to its offensive playstyle.
Player to watch: Sarah Ashlee Barker, guard, No. 3
After earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors at Georgia in 2020-21 and starting in all 31 games the following season, Sarah Ashlee Barker entered the transfer portal. She ventured to Alabama and has been with the Crimson Tide since 2022-23. In her senior season, Barker has exploded, increasing her points per game total from 6.9 to 15.3 from year one to year two with Alabama.
The 6-foot guard produces well inside the arc, shooting 71.9% from 2-point range. Barker also displays defensive tenacity, pulling in 6.0 boards per game (second on the Crimson Tide) and registering two or more steals in 6-of-8 outings. As Barker’s tall frame at guard makes this a mismatch versus Fair, Syracuse will likely send Latham out on Alabama’s leading scorer.
