tide falls apart on home floor...
No sugar coating this one - Alabama fell apart at home against a talented Dayton Flyer team 81-76. The score makes it seem like it must have been a pretty competitive game. It wasn't. Alabama was humiliated in every phase of the game except shooting free throws. We looked like a cheap suit after a rain storm. We literally fell apart at the seams. But regardless of what some of the posters on Tider Insider Forum posters believe, the world has not fallen apart. Basketball is not like football. We'll learn from this and move on. Anger and criticism have their place after a loss. The loss bothered me as much as any of you, but the Tide learned some valuable lessons from this loss.
Here's a few things I learned. It's really difficult to competitive when you don't have a bench. This isn't saying the guys off the bench try to play hard, but essentially we have no bench. Engstrom and Steele are hurt. When they will return is anyone's guess. A groin injury like the one Steele is suffering is problamatic at best. Engstrom, who has been playing well for his talent level, was really missed last night. I've come to believe we may getting more out of him than we thought possible He might be back for the VCU game. Moussa Gueye is simply not playing at as an SEC calibre player. It is what it is for Grant. When you finish second in recruiting for the best prospects and finish second it hurts. That is what has happened to Grant.
One thing is clear you can't take off the first 10 minutes of every game and expect to win them all. I have to admit this game took me by surprise.
My A-10 friends told me that Dayton was a tough team. I knew that, but I thought our defense would make the difference. In a sense the defense did make the difference. It was like opening the gates of heaven for uncontested shots and wide open looks the entire game for the Flyers. This game was a step backward for Alabama, but perhaps this was essential to show the team how close to the edge of disaster they play.
We also learned that when Releford is not on the floor we are going to struggle with the offense. In talking with the coach's office this morning I think it is safe to assume that happiness is not reigning supreme today. Saturday against VCU will be harder. We will play better this weekend. We might not win but when you watch the game, and bookmark this remark, we will play hard. The starters will play like their jobs depend on their effort. That is not an idle statement. They will play hard or they will sit. Grant is not going to allow some of the things that happened last night to occur. I told you that Dayton's guards where good. They are better than good. The A-10 can play with anyone in the SEC and hold their own. We didn't get beat because Engstrom didn't play. We lost because this team must play up to its potential to even have a chance to win. Losing Steele was really big because of what he brings to floor in terms of leadership and steady play.
So everyone make their negative comments, spout out the anger, and let's move on. One thing I've observed about Coach Grant - his playersl learn through their mistakes. We made a comeback. It was just too late. The balls didn't bounce our way very much last night. But there was some clear lack of hardness last night. Hard play will fix much of what happened against Dayton. By the way, a lot of fans have asked me if Dayton's Kevin Dillard is as good as he played last night. He's the top point guard in the A-10. So the answer is yes, but we could have survived Dillard's night. It was Josh Benson's inside play (6-7 from the floor) that beat the Tide. We fought back but the hole was too deep. We burned ourselves down in cutting down the first half Dayton lead. You can only come back so many times. The person who had the worst game in the arena was official Tony Greene. Horrible. He's normally a good ref. Let's get behind Grant for the VCU game. Send him a supportive email. Roll Tide
Here's a few things I learned. It's really difficult to competitive when you don't have a bench. This isn't saying the guys off the bench try to play hard, but essentially we have no bench. Engstrom and Steele are hurt. When they will return is anyone's guess. A groin injury like the one Steele is suffering is problamatic at best. Engstrom, who has been playing well for his talent level, was really missed last night. I've come to believe we may getting more out of him than we thought possible He might be back for the VCU game. Moussa Gueye is simply not playing at as an SEC calibre player. It is what it is for Grant. When you finish second in recruiting for the best prospects and finish second it hurts. That is what has happened to Grant.
One thing is clear you can't take off the first 10 minutes of every game and expect to win them all. I have to admit this game took me by surprise.
My A-10 friends told me that Dayton was a tough team. I knew that, but I thought our defense would make the difference. In a sense the defense did make the difference. It was like opening the gates of heaven for uncontested shots and wide open looks the entire game for the Flyers. This game was a step backward for Alabama, but perhaps this was essential to show the team how close to the edge of disaster they play.
So everyone make their negative comments, spout out the anger, and let's move on. One thing I've observed about Coach Grant - his playersl learn through their mistakes. We made a comeback. It was just too late. The balls didn't bounce our way very much last night. But there was some clear lack of hardness last night. Hard play will fix much of what happened against Dayton. By the way, a lot of fans have asked me if Dayton's Kevin Dillard is as good as he played last night. He's the top point guard in the A-10. So the answer is yes, but we could have survived Dillard's night. It was Josh Benson's inside play (6-7 from the floor) that beat the Tide. We fought back but the hole was too deep. We burned ourselves down in cutting down the first half Dayton lead. You can only come back so many times. The person who had the worst game in the arena was official Tony Greene. Horrible. He's normally a good ref. Let's get behind Grant for the VCU game. Send him a supportive email. Roll Tide
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