"Some of the dumbest basketball I've ever seen": NBA legend Charles Barkley fumes over No. 12 Grand Canyon's loss vs. No. 4 Alabama
Charles Barkley is back at it. One of the most outspoken names in the basketball space today, Barkley, took issue with the NCAA March Madness second-round matchup pitting #12 Grand Canyon against #4 Alabama.
While the game was close for most of the night before the Crimson Tide pulled away to win 72-61 to advance to the Sweet 16, it was worse for Charles Barkley. According to the NBA Hall of Famer, the playcalling and basketball displays were well below par.
Mike Rodak, a reporter and writer for Alabama, 247Sports, and CBS, gave the full quote on his X.
"I want to congratulate Alabama University on advancing. It was a heck of a game. Grand Canyon -- that was the dumbest game of basketball I think I may have ever seen. Like everyone went 1-on-1. They missed how many free throws?
Despite shooting 15 more free throws, 37 to 22, the Grand Canyon Alopes only made 7 more, finishing with a 22-37. On an inefficient night from both sides (36.9% from the field for Alabama and 32.1 for Grand Canyon), the Alopes' 2/20 from 3-point range further stuck out.
The Auburn alumni, too, were confused about the offensive product on display. He felt like the team resorted to isolations and hero ball while not running a single play throughout the night.
"I'm not sure what they were doing offensively. I don't think they ran a play the entire second half...That was some of the dumbest basketball I've ever seen from grown, college men."
While he did give props to Alabama and head coach Nate Oats, he wasn't willing to give Grand Canyon an inch.
" Congratulations to Alabama University. It's a great school. Nate Oats does a great job. But man, Grand Canyon...that some of the worst basketball decisions that you're ever going to see a college team make out there."
Late surge fuels Alabama to clinch a win over GCU
For most of the night, it was Mark Spears who kept the Alabama Crimson Tide in play. Scoring 26 points while adding 12 rebounds, Spears carried the team for nearly 35 minutes. Unexpectedly, he found a running mate in Mouhamed Dioubate for the final stretch.
A 9-point flurry in the final 5 1/2 minutes from "Mo" gave the team an additional jolt to pull away for the 72-61 victory.
Dioubate got some unexpected playing time thanks to foul trouble for Alabama, combined with Latrell Washington Jr. being out with a head injury suffered in the first half, and made the most of his opportunity.
For GCU, it was the Tyon Grant-Foster show, as he scored 29 on the night, despite some excellent defense from Dioubate. However, in the final 4:40, Tyon couldn't get anything to fall as the 6'7" freshman for Alabama went on his run.
Up next, the Crimson Tide are in for a showdown against the top-seeded North Carolina squad in their 10th Sweet 16 appearance. It also marks their third in the last four years, but they haven't made it ahead in any of those appearances.
Do you think this is the year Alabama can break their 20-year Elite Eight draught? Let us know in the comments below.