bama's team is young and talented...
Cooper starting to take bigger role...

Cooper has stepped it up

          Seems to me this young bunch at Alabama has been playing together forever. Last season a combination of injuries and discipline problems threw these players into the fray. It was a tough year for Alabama. The Tide made it to the NCAA only to get beat in the first round by Creighton. When this season started I'm not sure what anyone really expected from the Tide. Green was gone. Mitchell was gone as well.  Both were great players and their didn't seem to be anyone to take their places. The media picked Alabama 5th or 6th depending on which poll you liked. I remember thinking that seems pretty high for a team without a proven big man. I believe the Tide has proven my wrong.

        Bama hasn't solved their big man problem although Carl Engstrom and Nick Jacobs have been playing better. The Big Swede hurt his knee against Cincinnati. His injury didn't appears serious but he didn't return for the last 37 minutes of the game. I am not sure of his status for the Dayton game, but precaution will probably keep him on the bench. Jacobs, who has been limited by a foot injury, is starting to show some of the good play he had late last season. Don't get me started about Moussa Gueye. He has just been disappointing. So with all these young rug rats running around with no post player many wondered what was going to happen? The Tide has jumped off to a surprising 6-1 start. That number includes wins over Oregon State and Villanova. It also includes a last shot loss to Cincinnati on the road. Slowly, Anthony Grant has found some surprising ways to outrun some shortcomings:

• Four guard offense has worked surprisingly well, and by committing an extra man to the glass the Tide has done okay under the boards. They did particularly well against the Cincinnati Bearcats who were leading the nation's leading rebounding team.
• Carl Engstrom has learned a lot. He's come a long way. He's not going to play in the NBA, but he has taken up a lot of space and has chipped in a few baskets and boards.
• Alabama's outside shooting has been redhot from the outside. Last season the Tide was next to last in the NCAA in outside shooting. This season the playing rotation is shooting almost 40%. Only Rodney Cooper seems to struggle, but he has a way of making the big three. He hit the game winner against Oregon State.
• Playing time has been spread out more. This is because Retin Obasahan and Engstrom have added a lot of good minutes.
• Pollard, while not yet playing to his potential is not hurting the team with mistakes. He also can play defense.

       But the heart and soul of this team remains defense. Alabama's stifling defense has kept the team winnng. Turnovers have been fairly low, and forcing turnovers have been quite high. Free throw shooting has been disappointing but I'm not concerned right now because we have good shooters. Retin Obahasan has shown he can play defense and is a good outside shooter. He is 3/8 from the outside. He is one tough kid. He's built like a treestump but is very athletic. All things considered, this team is overachieving in many ways, but has room for growth because of Jacobs, Engstrom, Obasahan, and  Pollard.

       What all this shows me is just how good Grant and his coaching staff really are. We are just a couple of players away from greatness. All our bright young stars will stay four years. That will help us tremendously in the next two seasons. For all those who criticize the coach you are off base in my opinion. Let me ask a question. Where do you think our last coach would have us right now?