Stats say a close game on Saturday at VCU

7,500 screaming fans await Bama...
bama better be ready for an underrated vcu team

Alabama's methodical offensive setup

      Two seasons ago was a cinderalla run for VCU in the NCAA. The coach, Shaka Smart, could have named his job at any of a dozen openings. He carefully considered each opportunity and decided on VCU. The Rams started garnering national attention under Anthony Grant. Coach Grant used his success at VCU to parlay it into a job at Alabama. Grant had his choice of several high profile jobs. He chose the Tide. Smart couldn't have walked into a better position. Grant had left the Rams with a solid team and lots of talent. That is no way short changing Shaka. He took good and made it better. On the other hand, Grant was stepping into a tar pit. Mark Gottfried had a lot of success in Tuscaloosa but left the program in a free fall. Grant has righted the ship, unfurled a few sails, and has made steady, if slow progress. Grant has a process of selecting just the right players to fit his system. Imagine you were the new football coach at Kentucky. How long do you think it would take to fix the program. Okay, Alabama basketball is not as bad as Kentucky football, but Grant was dealt a bad hand and he's on the way up. I'm not sure that most Bama fans understand what was left after MG left. Being kind we could say "no much". He left some second hand players, a couple of disgruntled prime players, and no point guard. He took a two guard and made him into a point guard who dazzled Tide fans with his play. Play that Mark Gottfried never recognized I'd like to point out. He finally got Green on track. Mitchell was on the way to stardom until he a a three year olds tantrum. Mitchell got the boot. Green got the message and Alabama made it to the NCAA.

       This all goes to show just what a great coach we had in Wimp Sanderson. The worst mistake any Alabama AD ever made at Alabama was not having the guts to stand behind Sanderson. Luckily, the Tide had a few good years under MG before he lost his focus, and then we found Grant. If Tide fans will hang in there with him for two more seasons and stop the negativity he will deliver us to some places our basketball team has not visited heretofore. None of that may seem appararnt this Saturday. The Tide is short handed against a veteren team whose losses have come against national powerhouses. VCU is not exactly a pit, but it's not heaven for visiting teams either. The two teams mirror each other statistic wise. The problem in this game are two players named Juvonte Riddic (6-9) and Trevon Graham (6-5). Alabama has no one two match up with either. Levi Randolph will probably get Graham. Randolph has the quickness to stay with Graham but not the power. Alabama's best chance for a good matchup with Riddic is prayer. Riddic is a great player and he is going to slice and dice his way inside against the Tide unless Geuye and Jaccobs decide to man up a little. Riddic might foul both out of the with his interior play. 

        Alabama matches up relatively well against the VCU three guard offense. Briante Weber is a 6-2 guard who generally plays the point. He is averaging 8 ppg and 2.2 assists.Rob Brandenber is also 6-2. The junior, along with senior Troy Daniels are averaging 10 ppg. Riddic and Graham are the big dogs with 14.5 and 15.0 ppg. Four of the five starters average in double figures. The bench is deep and fast. The three point shot is a huge weapon for the Rams. VCU had 14 against ODU. On  the back of their warmups is the word HAVOC. These two teams closely match one another. Alabama's defensive idea is teh same as VCU. So the difference is one team has depth and an inside game. Playing at home doesn't hurt. This one might get to double digits in a loss. Hope not.