Tide heads to VCU

injury riddled tide heads north...
grant should call wimp or gene hackman...

     Back in the days of Wimp Sanderson it was normal to play eight or nine men all season long. Wimp didn't press the way that Grant likes to do, but Bama's half court intensity was just as great. Playing eight or nine is not your best option, but it will work. I'd bet there is going of shuffling of players in and out of the lineup. The real problem is not the fatigue the players might face, but foul trouble. Alabama can slow it down on offense (if getting any slower is possible) and press in certain situations. What Grant can't do is find another player take the place of someone who fouls out. The movie "Hoosiers" included a scene where Hackman only sent four players to the floor. That was a great moment for a film. I'm sure Alabama won't get down to four on the floor. Finding five NCAA calibre players should a couple foul out is going to be tough.

Dakota Slaughter

       Nick Jacobs and Moussa Gueye are going to get in foul trouble. That's just who they are. Alabama can play a zone to help the fould situation but will get ripped to shreds under their defensive boards doing so. So who is going to come off the bench to help Alabama? My best hunch is Dakota Slaughter, who has gotten a few playing minutes but has really made the most of his chances. He is 6-6 and is a small forward. He has shown some skill. He played at a great Indiana high school program so he knows the game. As a senior he was ranked 889 in recruiting. Still, when you watch the kid play he has the instincts to contribute. Here is what we have left of our scholly players.

• Trevor Releford
• Trevor Lacey
• Rodney Cooper
• Levi Randolph
• Nick Jacobs
• Moussa Gueye
• Devonta Pollard
• Retin Obahason

     Those kids can all play. But they can't play forty minutes under almost any circumstance. Gueye just can't play long stretches of time. Same goes for Jacobs. So what does Alabama do if both get in foul trouble? The option is to put Slaughter in the lineup or play five guards. Five guards will be on the floor at some time on Saturday for Alabama.  
       
        You can see where Obahason is going to come in and out at positions other than the point guard. He can play the two and has a decent outside shot. Pollard needs to get with the program now. He needs to just let go and not worry about mistakes. I know that Alabama coaches have been working with him to step up more on offense. Randolph is going to be more involved on the offense now. Cooper, who has never seen a bad shot, is going to increase his shots. The key to Bama staying competitive is for the two Trevors to play well. We need 20 from each of them. The Tide is going to penetrate like they are kamikaze pilots. We need to shot 20 or more free throws. Keep the turnovers below 10 and that will keep us in a place where we can win. Let's be honest though - Bama is close to being torn apart due to lack of depth. I bet Grant coaches them up. He'll be earning his salary the hard way now. I think VCU at home is going to way to much for this depleted Bama team. After the Dayton game it was made clear that you play hard or you hardly play. Bama will hang tough.