To guard Chris Youngblood, the answer to the question was simple. That made the problem all the more infuriating.

No. 2 Alabama men’s basketball struggled to make layups all day against No. 1 Auburn. What should in theory be one of the easier and more efficient shots to make was anything but for one of the country’s top offenses. Alabama finished 14 of 30 at the rim in a 94-85 loss to the Tigers on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum.

The shooting from beyond the arc could have been much better. Alabama finished 5 of 26 from deep, a paltry 19%. But the Crimson Tide’s three-point problems could have been overcome if it had made its layups.

So, what could have been done differently at the rim?

“It might sound a little petty,” Youngblood said, “but make the layups.”

The comment wasn’t meant to be snippy or rude. Youngblood was right. Alabama’s problem wasn’t complex or some puzzle that can’t be solved. The Crimson Tide (21-4, 10-2 SEC) just struggled to finish on a day where it could ill-afford to squander prime opportunities.

“We missed a lot of reads,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to move the ball better. We’ve got to be a little more unselfish moving forward.”

Mark Sears went 2-for-6 at the rim. Mouhamed Dioubate finished 4 of 9. Aden Holloway was 1 of 3. Grant Nelson was 5 of 10. That’s how Alabama charted each player on layups.

Auburn deserves some credit. The Tigers had the No. 17 defense in adjusted defensive efficiency entering the game, per KenPom. And that defense gave Alabama some problems. Especially near the rim.

“We didn’t make great rim reads, but they got us off the three-point line,” Oats said. “Pushed us in. Made big plays at the rim.”

Auburn blocked six shots. Johni Broome, a national player of the year candidate for the Tigers, tallied two of those. It was part of an overall defensive effort that limited the nation’s No. 2 offense in adjusted efficiency to 1.076 points per possession. That’s not near the number Alabama wants or of what it’s capable.

The 3-pointers, or lack thereof, are an easy issue at which to point for why Alabama lost to Auburn. But the issues making layups belong higher on the list of problems.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.