More Good than Bad this Year...
Alabama fans are pretty much drama queens. They also demand perfection and will not settle for less than the very best. When things don't go our way we whine, carry on, blame the refs, and curse the fates. I think there are two ways you can look at this year. One, it was disappointing to most Tide fans. Second, the coach lost two key players he could not replace and then got rid of a third. It just never does any good to say that losing Hillman and Hines were a big, big deal. Hillman was your drop dead defender, and Hines was the man who did all the little dirty things around the basket which allowed other Tide players to excel. I think we might have endured the loss of Hillman because Grant has a penchant for teaching defense. You can't coach what Hines brought to the floor. Leadership, hardwork, the knack of getting not just rebounds but important rebounds. He also made his share of baskets when Green was shackled.
I felt that Bama would be hard pressed to win 25 games and match last year's number. Here's a few things that happened.
All the crap this team went through, endured, caused, and had to live with ended up with a bid the NCAA. Some questionable calls (blame the ref, right?) hurt down the stretch of the Creighton game, but I don't seriously think we could have competed UNC. But it would have been neat to see them held to a season low in shooting and scoring. Alabama lost its season when they lost Mitchell and Green. Grant made a tough decision. He stuck with it and still got team in the NCAA. People want to fire him? Last year I thought we deserved the NCAA. This season we got the dance but I wonder if the NIT might have served us better. I think you go with the NCAA bid in the long run.
Many fans are concerned with the lack of recruits. Good point and you can't ignore it. Pollard has become the roundball version of Tim Tebow. We've worked hard, we've done the right things, we could have signed another player for Pollard's natural position, but didn't. For a long time it was Bama, State, and Kentucky. We are at certain recruiting disadvantages with John Calipari that has nothing to do with hoops. I'm not sure you can teach an old state bulldogs new tricks. It could be business as usual in the Magnoliaville. I think that Pollard loves Grant, but the kid is a MSU fan, and it's the economy stupid. He might win the lottery and go to Kentucky. A couple of Kentucky kids say they are not leaving after their freshman year. Would you turn down millions to got to chemistry class another year?
If Frank Martin thought playing in the shadow of Kansas was bad try Kentucky. Martin is a great coach, but Columbia? It had to be the money because the challange of overtaking Kentucky, Vandy, Florida, and perhaps Tennessee is a load.
I felt that Bama would be hard pressed to win 25 games and match last year's number. Here's a few things that happened.
- No Kentucky studs in the bunch. Solid play from Randolph was consistent. Cooper and Lacey had their moments but were really disappointing in a lot of ways. Jacobs stepped up and showed he is going to be the man one day. All in all the talented freshmen didn't shine.
- Tony Mitchell. What do you say. This man started off like a fighter pilot. He ended up being ground for crimes against the good of the program. How a kid can have this amount of talent and end up as he did is horrible. The team never recovered the level of play that opened the season. I'm not sure I've ever seen a player argue with a coach the way Mitchell did over a three game stretch.
- In the long run (which Alabama fans refuse to acknowledge) all the minutes that the four freshman logged in will be a big deal next season.
- Moussa Gueye returned from a knee injury but he never got in any type of flow that showed his potential. He will be the most 'surprising' player on the Tide roster next season. Carl has a chance to be like Hines if he continues to work. He did a lot better than most thought.
- Andrew Steele returned from his head injury. I often wonder what would have happened to the Tide if he never returned. He was a leader despite being benched for one game. He got the ball to people who scored, and was fearless driving to the basket. I love the guy
- Releford had another good season. His shooting seemed better but I'm not sure the numbers backed that up. He still isn't spreading the ball around like he can. Next year the assists go up because the shooters will have more confidence. At least I hope they do. I sometimes wonder if some dark shadow covers Coleman in regards to our shooting.
- Green was up and down. The Tide star didn't live up to his billing due to his behavior on and off the floor.
All the crap this team went through, endured, caused, and had to live with ended up with a bid the NCAA. Some questionable calls (blame the ref, right?) hurt down the stretch of the Creighton game, but I don't seriously think we could have competed UNC. But it would have been neat to see them held to a season low in shooting and scoring. Alabama lost its season when they lost Mitchell and Green. Grant made a tough decision. He stuck with it and still got team in the NCAA. People want to fire him? Last year I thought we deserved the NCAA. This season we got the dance but I wonder if the NIT might have served us better. I think you go with the NCAA bid in the long run.
Many fans are concerned with the lack of recruits. Good point and you can't ignore it. Pollard has become the roundball version of Tim Tebow. We've worked hard, we've done the right things, we could have signed another player for Pollard's natural position, but didn't. For a long time it was Bama, State, and Kentucky. We are at certain recruiting disadvantages with John Calipari that has nothing to do with hoops. I'm not sure you can teach an old state bulldogs new tricks. It could be business as usual in the Magnoliaville. I think that Pollard loves Grant, but the kid is a MSU fan, and it's the economy stupid. He might win the lottery and go to Kentucky. A couple of Kentucky kids say they are not leaving after their freshman year. Would you turn down millions to got to chemistry class another year?
If Frank Martin thought playing in the shadow of Kansas was bad try Kentucky. Martin is a great coach, but Columbia? It had to be the money because the challange of overtaking Kentucky, Vandy, Florida, and perhaps Tennessee is a load.
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