Chris Youngblood on Season-Best Showing: ‘The Game Rewards People That Respect It’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— There was a lot that went Alabama’s way on Tuesday night against Mississippi State, which tends to be a sentiment elicited in basketball when defeating a ranked team by 38 points.

The No. 6 Crimson Tide (23-5, 12-3 SEC) had a lot of help in that department from guard Chris Youngblood, who posted a season-high 27 points on seven made three-point baskets. He led all scorers from both teams and joined point guard Mark Sears in outscoring the No. 24 Bulldogs as a team in the first half.

“It’s easy when I got shooters like C.Y.,” Sears, who scored 21 points in the game, said. His 10 assists were undoubtedly a big help in what Youngblood was able to do, though not all 10 went the latter’s way.

Youngblood attributed his successful night in the 111-73 win to keeping it simple. To be specific, he wasn’t looking to press or force the game to go a certain way. As he’s gotten healthier, it has become more evident how he fits into the versatile (and volatile) offensive scheme.

“The game rewards people that respect it and play the right way,” he said. It also seems to respect Youngblood when he plays Mississippi State (19-9, 7-8 SEC). He had 23 (while also making seven shots from three-point land) in the teams’ game in Starkville on Jan. 29.

Head coach Nate Oats was impressed by the way Youngblood played on the other end of the floor. He continues to stress defense, which in turn improved once again (particularly in the first half) on Tuesday night.

“Youngblood was really locked in to getting stops and trying to hold guys accountable,” Oats said. “He was a positive-36 in his defensive leverage.”

The Bulldogs have had seven chances to knock off a top 10 team this season. Six of those tries have ended in a loss. Both Alabama matchups are in that category, and Youngblood is a big part of the reason why Mississippi State failed to take the Crimson Tide down twice.

“Youngblood looked great,” Oats said, adding that Youngblood had told Sears coming out of a late timeout that he was the man for the point guard to try to get the basketball to. “C.Y. was telling [Sears], ‘You know who to find.'”

It isn’t a question that scoring 27 points and shooting 7-for-11 from beyond the arc is among the principal reasons cited when pointing to what might have made a performance so memorable. Even so, Youngblood has not lost sight of Oats’ defensive focus, particularly related to guarding Bulldogs star Josh Hubbard.

He wants to see his team take the next step on defense, a facet in which forward progress has happened since last Saturday’s win over Kentucky. In addition to that, though, he was complimentary of Sears much in the way that his teammate had lauded him.

“That [defending Hubbard] was definitely a point of emphasis,” Youngblood said. “It’s the same thing every game. We’ve got to have fun, shoot open shots. We got Mark Sears getting into the paint whenever he want. He’s the center of focus, so it just makes my job 10 times easier.”