Tide refuses to die but fall short in the end...

Staff and players elevated their games...

     Sitting on the sidelines watching the Alabama coaching staff was inspiring in the loss to UCLA. I've never seen them so animated and involved. Grant put together a masterpiece game plan that scared the hell out of the UCLA Bruins. When Alabama went on a late 9-0 run to tie the game with under a minute Pauley Pavilion became as quiet as church mouse on a food mission. Not a sound. A little rag tag team from the SEC that had only one player who could have even made the Bruin roster,  was on the verge of college basketball's biggest upset of the season. Alabama reached for the golden ring and just missed it. Bama falls to 5-7. I believe this is the first time a Grant team has been two games under five hundred at Bama.

     With the score tied with 56 seconds left, UCLA's Tony Parker a season 44% free throw shooter made a one and one and the Tide never recovered. The Bruins had already been recipients of several gifts on 'blocked' shots by Nick Jacobs and Trevor Releford under the the baskets. A clear foul on a Jacobs put back wasn't called and Parker went to the other end to make is two big free throws. UCLA scored their last eight points on free throws.

      In the first half when it looked like the Tide was looking a real thumping, the team pulled itself together and played the best basketball of their season. Led by Releford, the Tide went on a 15-4 run to take a 34-33 lead. I have to tell you their were some concerned faces in the UCLA crowd.  Releford didn't start for missing a practice, led the first half comeback  with key three point baskets and a couple of nifty defensive plays. The Bruins scored only 33 points in the first half. They were clearly frustrated by the pace of play and Alabama's defensive tenacity. The Bruin players whined to the officials about Bama's rough play. Of course, that cut both ways. Had Bama  had the benefit of even handed officiating in the second half the Tide might have won. A UCLA fan sitting next to me said the PAC 12 officials clearly didn't want a league team to lose. The officiating wasn't that bad, but it was full of some timely UCLA calls that hurt the Tide.

     Hats off to Trevor Releford. When the game was over Releford was bent over at half court. His hands were on his knees and he was hurting. When he left the floor the Bruin fans, who are some of the most knowledgeable fans in the NCAA gave him a nice ovation. He finished with 34 points including 6 three point baskets. UCLA clearly had the edge in talent. I have to say that Bama's coaches did an excellent job.  I am just as disenchanted with Grant as a  lot of Bama fans, and I'm a Grant fan. He isn't losing because of the coaching. It's his recruiting that is killing us. We will have a lot more talent on the floor next season and a better inside game. I told fans that losing Moussa Gueye would hurt. His absence in the paint is obvious. Jimmy Taylor played well.  When he gets bigger and has some bulk he will be a load. The UCLA crowed were wowed at a couple of his well timed blocked shots.

    Once again the boards killed us. We were down 12 on the boards, but the number of offensive boards we gave up were fatal. Five second chance baskets in the last 7 minutes were the difference in the game. Bama has to have Releford play well, but someone else has to step up and help. Shannon Hale had 9 rebounds and some nice baskets. Jacobs chipped in some but he simply isn't big enough to dominate inside. He's a power forward and not a post player. Taylor's inexperience caused him to disappeared, although in all fairness, he is getting better. Cooper, for whatever reason has simply vanished. His outside shooting has chance. He has no arc on his shots, and often short arms the ball. He doesn't get square to the basket. Without a return to form from Cooper it will be hard to win.

    I've given a lot of long hard thought  on Grant. it's unfair to say he can't coach. Steve Alford said it was as good a coaching job as he's seen in a while. I don't disagree. Regardless of how well you coach you still lose if he can't recruit. The loss of Gueye and Lacey have started to hurt.  Obasahan's slump makes Lacey's departure more noticeable. Regardless of who is coming in next season Grant needs to find a juco big man in the nature of Chris Hines. If he needs to terminate a scholarship to make room he needs to do that. I talked with Bill Walton after the game. He said the coaching is fine. The talent level and size is lacking. I agree. Should Grant be given another year? Probably. But let me say this - he better recruit some size and power or it won't matter. I'd vote to keep him one more season but if it isn't a great one he should just resign and save himself the embarrassment of being fired. Part of coaching is recruiting. It is at least half, if not more than half, the battle. It is a battle he's lost. I understand Walton acknowledged that our program was 3rd best in the SEC behind Kentucky and Florida. That's a fair assessment. Coach Grant has run out of excuses. His failure to recruit is the reason. But it cannot be allowed to make excuses.

     Not one bad word about our team  last night though. They kept hanging around, and hanging around, and almost won. The final score was 75-67 and that was no indication of how close the game was played. Last night talent beat coaching. No doubt in my mind about that. If Grant could recruit the type talent that UCLA had I have no doubt we'd be a top five team in the near future.

THE BOX:

Did you know that Bama out rebounded UCLA 17-11 in the first half?
Did you know that Trevor Releford was personally congratulated by Bill Walton?
Did you know that Anthony Grant recieved four warnings from the offiicals to calm down?
Did you know that at least 100 Bama fans were on hand?

Alabama MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA OR DR TOT A PF ST TO BL PTS Carl Engstrom 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Shannon Hale 29 3 7 1 4 2 5 3 6 9 0 2 0 3 0 9 Levi Randolph 34 5 14 2 6 0 0 0 3 3 3 2 0 3 0 12 Rodney Cooper 20 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 0 3 1 0 Retin Obasohan 24 1 6 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 3 2 0 2 Algie Key 11 0 1 0 0 2 4 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 0 2 Jimmie Taylor 22 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 0 3 1 1 2 2 Trevor Releford 34 11 15 6 9 6 6 0 2 2 1 3 5 3 0 34 Nick Jacobs 20 2 4 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 6 Dakota Slaughter 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 TEAM TOTALS 200 23 52 9 22 12 17 4 22 26 7 20 10 16 3 67 PERCENTAGES FG: 44.2% 3PT: 40.9% FT: 70.6%   TOTAL TO: 16

UCLA MIN FG FGA 3P 3PA FT FTA OR DR TOT A PF ST TO BL PTS Jordan Adams 35 5 13 2 4 2 2 1 8 9 3 3 4 4 0 14 Norman Powell 23 4 7 0 1 5 6 2 4 6 1 1 2 0 0 13 Kyle Anderson 33 5 11 0 2 3 4 1 5 6 7 1 2 3 1 13 David Wear 18 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 2 1 4 Travis Wear 33 4 10 0 0 2 2 2 3 5 2 2 0 1 0 10 Nick Kazemi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zach LaVine 20 2 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 0 5 Bryce Alford 19 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 Tony Parker 19 6 7 0 0 4 5 4 1 5 0 2 0 1 2 16 Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 TEAM TOTALS 200 28 59 3 9 16 20 12 25 37 18 15 9 14 4 75 PERCENTAGES FG: 47.5% 3PT: 33.3% FT: 80%   TOTAL TO: 14

Grant could prove a lot with good game in Westwood...

UCLA is playing well...

Bama on the verge of collapse?

Bama hits the lights of LA ...

(Los Angeles, Cal) - The Alabama Crimson Tide may be playing the most important game of the Anthony Grant era on Friday night. After losing the last two games at home the Tide hopes to turn things around in Pauley Pavilion. The Crimson and White are now 5-6 and headed where? Alabama fans are losing faith as the SEC season looms around the corner. Hope springs eternal, but common sense tells me that Alabama is likely to be 5-7 pretty soon. Alabama and Anthony Grant can give fans hope with a win over the Bruins. Even another close game might even give the fans something resembling hope. That's not likely to happen though. UCLA might not be the Bruins of old but at Pauley they are still hard to beat. College basketball fans still put UCLA at the top of the hierarchy in the modern era. The Bruins are off to a good start at 10-2. The Westwood team are 2nd in the NCAA in shooting percentage at 53%. They are 7th at scoring with 86.5 ppg. Perhaps the most impressive stat is that the Bruins are averaging 18.2 assists per game. For the record that is 3rd best.

 

     

The only "weakness" the Bruins have is rebounding. The are only averaging 36.4 boards a game. That is only 145th in the NCAA. Of course, when you shoot 53% there are not that many boards to go around. Alabama's stats are horrible. The Tide is shooting only 46%. That ranks 119th. That is the highest ranking in stats for Alabama.  Seriously, 119th.  If you want to know why the Tide isn't winning just look at the numbers. Right now the numbers for season wins are looking pretty bleak. The best thing the Tide has going for themselves at this point is just how bad a lot SEC teams are. Bama isn't going to beat Florida, Missouri, and Kentucky twice. I'm sure most of you watched the UCLA / Missou game. The Tigers dismantled UCLA. Florida is a top notch team, and Kentucky is only going to get better. Even Auburn seems much improved. I don't see a winning SEC season

       Duke didn't beat Alabama as bad as they did UCLA. That gives me some hope that Bama can hang tough with the Bruins. If Bama can keep the score in the low 70's they might have a chance. I've seen the UCLA Bruins play a dozen games in Westwood, and they are hard to beat. It is one of the best home court advantages in the NCAA. All of the current Alabama players don't understand the sheer audacity of a team winning so many national champions in a row. They'll have a better idea when they tour Pauley today and see the trophy case. I personally wouldn't let our guys within a hundred yards of the place. UCLA isn't the powerhouse of old. But Alabama is nowhere near their peak years either.

      The questions about Grant are not going away regardless of a win tonight though. A win will give the fans something talk about. My real question is whether this team is on the verge of collapsing. UCLA by 12.

 

Tide goes cold in the last ten minutes...

Alabama loses another close game...




    The difference between a good team and an average one isn't very much. Once again Alabama define that to be the case. 77-74. With 2 field goals in the last 9:45 of a game you aren't going to win any basketball games.  Only the hustle and heart of the players allowed this game to be close. Alabama has no margin for error. None. It may well be that when the history of this team is recorded they will be remembered as underachieving. Not in my book or experience. These are a bunch of kids that play as hard and as long as they can. There just is such a lack of inside offense and rebounding they have two hands tied behind their backs when they step on the floor. That's the coach's fault.  He needs to recruit as well as he coaches. None of us should blame the players for that. That one falls squarely on the shoulders of the head coach.  If you asked Grant himself he'd own up to that one.

Hale plays a great game...

     Two good things about tonight's game - Shannon Hale had a breakout game, and the team continues to play hard.  Both of those things will pay off sometime this season. Perhaps what this team needs  is a good road trip where they have nothing to lose might be what the doctor orders.  It is hard to write about this team in a lot of ways. It's always easier to say nice things about a winning team. This team is doing all they can do when you consider their substantial limitations.

     Bama missed too many free throws, got sloppy with the ball, and once again just stood around with no movement in the second half. Alabama just doesn't have the size or strength to match up with anyone in the paint.  Alabama has lost to every good team they've played this season.  That's the bad part.  Alabama has played each of those teams tough games. The hopes for Alabama to make it to the NCAA as an at-large team are essentially over. The NIT looks like a long shot unless the Tide  ramps it up through the SEC. A good start would be by beating a good UCLA team at Pauley Pavilion. That's only a slim possibility looking at this team. UCLA is still the mecca of college hoops. A win over the Bruins means a great deal to any program. I've seen the Bruins play 7 games this season. We have some serious match up problems. That doesn't matter. The Tide needs to tip it off and play their hearts out. They will. Maybe something great and unexpected will happen. You never really know. Just when you think you know something happens that proves you wrong.

Tide can't finish off the Shockers

Bama falters down the stretch...

 I'll say this - Alabama got close to pulling off the big one. At around the three minute mark Retin Obasahan missed a layup. Cleanthony Early then slammed one on the other end, and the Tide couldn't recover. After playing the worst 10 minutes at the start of the game I've ever seen, Alabama stuck out their chest and played like men. The final score was 72-67, and it was a blood bath. No  doubt the Tide could have won this one. A win over Wichita State would have been big for Alabama's quickly vanishing NCAA Tournament hopes. You might not like the execution of Grant's team but you couldn't deny the effort. It was as intense a defensive struggle as I've watched in a long time. If you can't play good, then play mean, and Alabama delivered on that point. Once again the almost complete absence of an inside game killed the Tide. That aspect of the Tide's game is not likely to improve much.
     

    I know that everyone think Grant is a poor offensive coach. That isn't true. He gets as much out of his talent as anyone can. Not everyone likes milking the shot clock but Bama has not other choice. Add the in your grill defense and the Tide has the ability to win some games. The question is can they win enough. It is going to take Releford and Lacy to develop something on the inside. Last night, Releford had six assists and everyone of them kept the Tide close or gave them the lead.

    Don't think for a minute that Wichita State would like a rematch later this season against the Tide. This one was slug fest. In the end the heavyweight put down the middleweight down in the final round. There is no doubt this team has some real problems. Despite that, Alabama continues to make every game competitive. Next season we have some real talent on hand, and a super little point guard to try to replace Trevor Releford. For the remainder of this season we need to see Randolph, Cooper, and Jacobs pick it up. If they can improve the Tide will be ready for next season. Cooper in particular needs to find a way to help the team. When Bama makes some threes and cuts down on turnovers they will give some teams a good run.

     In the meantime Grant continues to lose the confidence of a lot of Alabama fans. Last night a top ten team came to Coleman and the fans just didn't show up in big numbers. The ones who were in attendance made some real noise. I understand the students weren't in school. Honestly, they haven't filled up their section except for the true believers. When you look over the remainder of the schedule it's possible that the Tide might have a losing season. We play Kentucky, Missouri twice, and Florida twice. Let's hope the teams hard work will pay off in a few games. Coach Grant needs more players and that will make next season a good one. But for this season, I'm afraid it will be a lot of pain and suffering for Tide fans. But the SEC is such a bad league this year who really knows what might happen.

Wichita State Shockers
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Cleanthony Early, F	26	7-11	1-4	11-11	2	3	5	0	1	1	4	3	26
Chadrack Lufile, F	20	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	3	3	0	1	0	1	0	0
Fred VanVleet, G	31	4-9	1-2	2-2	1	3	4	1	1	0	1	3	11
Tekele Cotton, G	35	2-9	0-2	7-8	2	4	6	1	0	0	1	2	11
Ron Baker, G	16	3-6	1-2	1-1	0	4	4	4	1	0	2	4	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Darius Carter, F	26	3-6	0-0	3-3	1	6	7	0	1	0	0	2	9
Kadeem Coleby, C	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nick Wiggins, G	18	2-6	0-2	1-2	1	0	1	0	0	1	2	0	5
Evan Wessel, G	19	1-1	0-0	0-0	3	2	5	0	1	0	0	3	2
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		22-50	3-12	25-27	11	27	38	6	6	2	12	17	72
		44.0%	25.0%	92.6%
Alabama Crimson Tide
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Nick Jacobs, F	30	4-7	0-0	0-0	2	2	4	0	0	2	1	3	8
Jimmie Taylor, F	20	0-2	0-0	2-2	2	3	5	1	0	1	0	1	2
Retin Obasohan, G	34	2-10	1-5	3-4	0	3	3	2	1	0	2	4	8
Levi Randolph, G	30	3-6	1-3	0-0	1	2	3	1	0	0	2	1	7
Trevor Releford, G	38	7-15	3-8	5-6	1	2	3	6	1	0	1	3	22
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Carl Engstrom, C	4	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	0
Algie Key, G	14	2-3	0-0	2-3	0	2	2	0	0	1	1	3	6
Rodney Cooper, G	30	5-10	2-4	2-4	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	4	14
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		23-53	7-20	14-19	8	18	26	12	2	5	9	19	67
		43.4%	35.0%	73.7%

 Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: None - TEAMS: None
 Officials: Keith Kimble, Rick Hartzell, John Hampton
 Attendance: 9,918

Shockers will be big test for Alabama...

    Tide running out of chances to make NCAA ...

    

Baker may not play

    The Wichita State Shockers have won their first ten games this season. Alabama has won its last 15 home games in Coleman Coliseum. Somethings got to give one way or the other. If the Crimson Tide is going to do anything good this season they need to start tonight.  Alabama is listed as a five point underdog by the Vegas Line makers.

       Here are couple of stats they bear discussion. Rodney Cooper is our leading rebound with just over five per game. Retin Obasahan is our leading shot blocker at almost two per game. Does that sound as odd to you as it does me. Cooper is out boarding both Taylor and Jacobs? Obasahan to blocking more shots from the two position than our inside players?  Stats can be misleading. These stats show some real problems with our team.

       I'll give credit to the team for shutting down a high scoring team earlier without their leading scorer. From all reports it seems that Trevor will be ready to go full speed tonight. The Shockers have their own injury problem with leading scorer Ron Baker, the 6-3 shooter, limping from a bad ankle injury. He will probably try to play but might be limited. In the last game without Baker the Shockers ripped Tennessee 70-61.

         The Tide's record is now 5-4. Tonight is Wichita State. Then come Xavier and UCLA on the road. Bama must win win a couple of those games and then have phenomenal SEC season to make the NCAA. Given the severe limitations f this team that is highly unlikely. Still.... Tide fans always hope for the best even as complain about the team. I think that Grant has finally addressed some roster problems with two transfers and a good recruiting class. Only Releford leaves the team this season. I think that Bama is going to play hard tonight. If Baker doesn't play tonight we might have a chance. Otherwise, I see a long hard night ahead.

 

Another desparate December for the Tide?

Next few games will tell the story

Cooper has disappeared

  Well, here we are in December. Or as we know it - the trail of tears. At least we are losing with a better schedule. What does the remainder of December indicate for our team? Let's take a look:
   

• Surely we can beat Charleston Southern

Wichita State will probably beat us.playing in    Tuscaloosa gives us hope

• Xavier is down this season and we play them at home

UCLA will beat us in Pauley Pavillion like a drum.


     I see one sure win (Charleston-Southern)  and one possible win (Xavier). If Bama splits the four I'd be surprised. If we lost three it wouldn't be surprising. It really doesn't matter unless we win all four. Anything less and we've probably played ourself out of the NCAA. It would take an exceptional SEC season to get a bid. Bama should beat Robert Morris in January. If my predictions turn out to be correct that would give us a record of 6-7 or 7-6 at best. Then the SEC season begins. It's no secret that the schedule makers in the SEC office did the Tide no favors this season.  To make the NCAA we probably will have to win at least 13 or 14 games in the Conference. That will be tough, but luckily there are a lot of really bad teams in the SEC. My personal opinion is that we are one of the five worst teams in the conference at this point. Things can change. Good shooting covers up a multitude of basketball sins.

What has happened to Cooper?

    Cooper is an enigma wrapped in puzzle. Highly regarded in high school he chose the Tide. He had a super 28 point game his freshman season against LSU. He hasn't played that well since. His shot selection has always been a problem. This season he is taking bad shots and missing  good ones. He's lost his starting position and hasn't responded well to being the sixth man. On the positive side he has been rebouning well. Alabama needs him to break out of his slump. The truth is our talent level just doesn't allow any player to have a slump. We live on the edge of disaster every game we play against a better than average team. Next season, we will probably have more talent available since the departure of JayMicheal Greene. Everyone returns but Releford and perhaps Engstrom. It will be Grant's last chance to make the NCAA. I doubt he'd get another season if next year is another sub-standard year. Perhaps we should say the new standard instead of sub-standard. Fans love Grant but are getting restless.


    

At some point the Tide is going to face one of those do or die moments. I was talking with a local sportswriter and we speculated that if Alabama's effort wanes we could be looking at a collapse. I don't think that will happen because of the character and work ethic of our players. It's time for Cooper to get over whatever is effecting his play. We need 10-12 points and 6 or 7 rebounds from the lefty. He has the ability. To see a slump like his in his junior year is strange. I can't help but wonder why?  Is something going on that we don't know about? I haven't heard of anything or suggesting something is wrong with him. We need his potential on the floor. He and Jacobs can make a pretty good inside game.  The Tide has some  huge games in December.  We need this team to hit on all cylinders. Maybe they'll surprise us.

     Alabama's style of play almost insures they will be competitive.  They have good ball handlers and play tough defense. We hold the ball so long on offense opposing teams don't get their average offensive trips down the floor. I think that is pretty good coaching out of necessity. Grant hasn't signed enough good player to fill the roster. Next season we will have those players and numbers. If next year doesn't pan out the question of who's buried in Grant's tomb will be moot.
 

Tide falls short ...

No Offense kills the Tide once more...

    

Obasohan has career high with 20

   Close, but no cigar. Again. This time the Tide dropped a 66-64 game to South Florida. The only decent thing  I can say about South Florida was the nice uniform they wore. Very sunshine. The are not a very good team, but good enough to beat the Tide. Alabama had it's moments. Retin Obasahan is quickly proving just how good he is becoming. Releford had a pretty steady game before fouling out again. Levi Randolph was solid. The normally poor shooting Tide hit a new low making only 39% from the floor. The outside shooting was at a sizzling 29%. Alabama made very nice 14-16 free throws The Crimson made only 7 turnovers which is excellent. South Florida won the battle of the boards 38-31. The 15 offensive boards which didn't help.

        The shooting numbers were skewed by Nick Jacobs making only 4-15 attempts. I'll say this - the Tide got him the ball and most of his shots were pretty good ones. He couldn't drop a ball in the ocean at the end of pier. It was one of those nights. You have to like the fact that Jacobs worked hard to get position and his teammates found him.  Some nights they don't ball. Not all his shots were good ones. You have to muscle yourself around in the paint just to get 15 shots. Kudos for the effort, but effort wasn't enough.  When you lose by two points there is probably a dozen plays that loses a game. Alabama seems to be doing what they need to do to develop an inside game. The lack of inside talent is obvious and Jacobs has made some real strides to make a difference.

    When you lose games you have to look for a silver lining. But you also have to be realistic. The Tide plays a lot of teams with good inside games.  You shoot poorly, get out boarded, and have no big man inside you are going to lose a lot of games. This team needs to shoot better, and continue to play hard. I'd hate to think where we would be if this bunch wasn't working so hard. Grant has some real problems. I'm not sure this team has the talent.This team could lose a lot of games unless they shoot better. Grant recruited three great shooters for next season. If the losses continue you have to wonder if he will be in Tuscaloosa to coach them.

Watching UAB beat North Carolina was an eye opener

You have to question which program has best team in the State

Chad Frazier

      Watching the UAB Blazers nail North Carolina was pretty tough to swallow.  You mentally compare the Blazers with Alabama. You just do it out of habit. We always want to have the best program and team in our State. Sitting there watching UAB dismantle the Tar Heels opened my eyes. At first I wondered if this was just a bad UNC team?  Were the Blazers just having a lights out night?  The truth is that neither was true. Carolina lost to UAB and then went on to beat #1 Michigan State. On top of that UAB wasn't shooting well at all. They covered up that shooting percentage with a lot of offfensive rebounds.
  

         Then there was the Chad Frazier factor. We wanted him and UAB got him. The JUCO guard is a great player. Frazier and William Lee to UAB and not the Capstone? What's going on here?  If UAB and Alabama played I think UAB would soundly beat Alabama. If the game was played in Tuscaloosa that might not be the case. In Birmingham or on a neutral floor I think UAB is the better team. Injuries, transfers, and just bad luck is killing the Tide. What is hurting Alabama is that we always seem to be one player away from good. If Nick Jacobs can keep playing as well as he has played lately the Tide will be better. But the Tide needs a good inside man. Jimmie Taylor will get better and then we'll lose Trevor Releford. One player short again, or will Justin Coleman be able to replacce Releford. Eventually, he might be able to do so. The first year will be tough. The truth is our program is living in the just average neighborhood. We have enough good players to surprise some good teams.We also will surprise ourselves with poor play.  I was talking with a friend of mine in Los Angeles. We are going to the UCLA/Alabama game together. He asked me if we were really as bad as we looked against Drexel. I actually thought we played pretty good at times in that game. His  take was that was a pretty bad lose. In reality it was a pretty bad loss. We could have won the game. We could have beaten Oklahoma. That's where we are these days. We could  have done this, or we could have done that, but don't seem to be able to get it done.  We need a Larry the Cable guy moment on this team. We did play well against North Florida but what does that mean? 

     What it means that we just aren't there yet. I'm not sure we are getting any closer. The SEC schedule is the toughest draw in the conference. That won't help.  I'm concerned about where we are right now. I thought that we would be a better team by this time in the Grant era. I hope we can turn it around. I'm not sure we can. We need to quit making turnovers by the dozen. We need to shoot better from the outside to give Nick some chances. It appears that Rodney Cooper has decided to take a sabbatical. We might not be the best team in the SEC. I can live with that. But not being the best team in our State is unacceptable. That will never be acceptable in any form or fashion.

THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY?

GRANTS FAILURE TO CALL TIME OUT WAS FATAL...

Missed time out costs Bama

        No coach is perfect. But any coach, anywhere, young, old or dumb would have called for a time out when Trevor Releford managed to get himself trapped on the baseline. One time out and the Tide wins. No timeout and the agony that has become Alabama basketball continued for three overtimes only to end  in an 85-83 loss. With time  almost expired Trevor Releford committed basketball's version of a mortal sin by getting himself trapped on the sideline. Releford fought to break  out  of the trap but had the ball knocked away. Grant stood like a statue on the sideline when every fan who wears Crimson and White was screaming to call time out. A coach making such a mistake cannot be overlooked.  That failure was like letting a sinking man drown. Bama had staged a spirited comeback from 11 down only to see a coaching error ruin it all. Horrible. If Anthony Grant loses his job at Alabama a lot of fans will look back at that failure as the seminal play that that lost him key support from loyal fans. Inexcusable. As you all know, I've been a strong backer of Grant. I'm stunned that he made such a obvious coaching oversight.  Lay this loss on the coach and not the players.

        The team played very hard. Obasahan, Releford, and Randolph are some of the toughest players I've seen in a long time. Nick Jacobs jacked Drexel for 23 on the some strong inside play with that baby hook. The problem is that our team has no offensive philosophy on the half Court. When the Tide ran plays for Jacobs we scored. Then inexplicably the team reverted to the passing the ball around the perimeter without any effective ball reversal. I'm not sure how long Anthony Grant might take to understand that bringing a big man out high to set the high pick for the guards wasn't working. Drexel merely switched. With no real threat of anyone rolling to the basket it worked. It always worked.
 
       Jacobs was shining star in an otherwise dismal trip. The Atlanta junior showed that his weight loss gained him valuable quickness  around the basket. As long the defense doesn't overplay Jacobs and take away his right shoulder he will score.  His new quickness will make it possible  him to avoid some double teams down low. Nick even made one mid range jumper. If he now has that shot he could really be a force. Alabama did a good job of getting the ball into the left hander until overtime(s).

      Like it or not Grant is going to be forced to play Jacobs and one of our other big men inside at the same time. Rebounding killed the Tide.  Offensive rebounds gave Drexel at least a dozen extra shots. I love Levi Randolph but he can't rebound in the paint against big players. I don't think  Grant will play two bigs at once because it would take away our ability to score off the press. It's the same old  problem - one position player away from being good. I kept watching the Drexel center last night. He isn't skilled but he was good enough to take up some space and rebound. Until Jimmie Taylor can get on a serious weight program he can't get the contested boards. He is causing some disruption inside with his shot block. He also alters a lot of shots. Engstrom seems to regressed. He isn't helping Bama right now.

      After watching Alabama basketball for over 50 years it is sad to see where we have ended up. Maybe things will change. Maybe Rodney Cooper will contribute instead of being MIA on offense. I don't really know. I just know what we are doing isn't  working.  It may be all Grant can do given our limitations. I see where Tennessee beat Xavier, UCLA is 7-0, and things are not going to get any easier until we get to the SEC. There are some really bad teams in the SEC this season. My question is - are we now one of those? We shoot horses to put them out of their misery. We need some changes. I don't think I have ever been as personally discouraged as I am right now.

POUND, POUND,  POUND THE GROUND?

Is Jordan-Hare home advantage enough to beat the Tide

       Common wisdom is that Alabama is open up the Iron Bowl with a ground game. I keep thinking about the Alabama/LSU National Championship game where McCarron became a great quarterback. What was it that night - eight consecutive passes to open the game? Just the fact that we could do that is proof how balanced the Tide offense plays the game. I don't think Auburn can do that do. When the history of this Iron Bowl is written it may well be that Alabama's balance was the the difference. Here's the way I think the Tide can win. 

A.J. McCarron's Role:  If you watched the fourth quarter of the Auburn - Georgia game will  remember Aaron Murray taking those little three step drop back passes which dissected Auburn's defense like a sharp knife. I expect that Alabama will do the same. A.J. Will probably take what the defense allows. He's check out of plays and move the ball around to take advantage of Auburn's defense. Ellis Johnson is an old dog. He's going to put as many men in the box that he thinks he can get away with. Auburn believes that their corners believe they can handle Tide receivers one on one. I don't think they can. Too much big game experience for McCarron to fall prey to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Let's all remember the Ellis Johnson said it's not hard to stop the Tide on ground. The Tide will likely rise or fall on the play of A.J.McCarron. Could it be any better than that for Alabama?

 

The Defensive Lines' Role:  Alabama's defensive front needs to mind the gaps. Play physical and free up the line backers to make tackles. What they need to do is make Nick Marshall attempt to win the game. This Tide has great numbers when it comes to slowing down the run. Truthfully, the Tide has not played a game against anyone nearly as good on the ground as Auburn. What the line cannot do is to be consistently fooled by the Tiger's sophisticated blocking schemes. My bet is that Auburn is going to have some success. The Tide's defensive line just needs to slow down the inside run to force Marshall to keep the ball more than he'd like. If you assume that Marshall is going to throw more than usual then the line needs to put pressure on him. This is especially true when Marshall drops back to throw the long ball. Take away the long ball and the Tigers will have to work the intermediary routes. That will be tough, and he better be good a doing it. The line can make that work. If they can pressure Marshall without a lot of help the Tigers are dead.

 

The Offense Lines' Role:  First and foremost play physical from the start of game until the final  whistle. Play the way they played against LSU  Auburn is going to emotionally charged because they are playing at home. It is my personal belief that offensive line can do more to keep the crowd out of the game than any part of the team. Open some holes to let Yeldon and Drake run for a lot of yardage will make a lot of people get quiet. Protect A.J. so he can complete a some passes and things will quieten down.  Cause some things that let the team score a couple of early touchdowns, and you would be able to hear a pin drop. The line is going to have to stop making false start to make first downs more manageable. The offensive line is just as important as the defense in keeping the Tiger's offense off the field. Ryan Kelly being able to play would be nice but Chad Lindsey can hold his own.

The Linebackers' Role:  The linebackers may play more in this game than others. The Tiger's hurry up offense, or as Nick Saban calls  it "speed ball", will keep the Tide from utilizing their specialty packages. The question I've pondered all week it this - Is Alabama's base defense good enough to stop the Tigers? Since the Tigers like to run so much it may be better for Trey DePriest to be on the field much longer than usual. Adrian Hubbard and C.J. Mosley will have a busy afternoon. The outside linebackers have to not commit to stopping Mason so quickly. Marshall has made a living off keeping the ball off the option this season. That means that the outside linebackers and safeties need to play their positions exactly as Kirby Smart lays out. I'd personally hit Nick Marshall every time he runs the read option just to make sure. A little physicality never hurts.Denzal Devall and company will need to use speed to stop Marshall if the corners get sealed. They are all great when tackling. They are going to have an opportunity to make some open field tackles by themselves at time.

The Defensive Backfields Role:  The corner backs are going to be under the microscope. If Marshall throws the deep ball you have to hope the corners are not hanging around the line of scrimmage waiting for the run. Like the linebackers they are going to be called on for run support, and at the same play the pass. The safeties are going to have a busy day. Ha-Ha Clinton Dix and Landon Collins need to figure out when the deep ball is coming. And if it comes down to a final pass my money is on 'knock the ball down'. That's all the defensive backs have to do - tackle, go one on one, determine when when to run support every 20 seconds. That's how long it takes AU to run the next play after the end of previous play.  Are they going to make mistakes? Probably, but I bet the don't make any Georgia DB type played.

Special teams are fairly equal. Tide has the edge in punting. Tigers have the upperhand in kickoffs. Both teams have backs who can make your hair catch on fire. In the long run the Tide  is better at almost every position. I expect the Tide will wear them down little by little. But think for a minute this is a walk over. There are no walk overs in Jordan-Hare. The location alone will make this a barn burner.

Roll Tide by 31-21
 

 

 

 

Duke beats Tide 74-64 in hard fought game

Tide plays good game against Duke

Once again fouls plague Releford
Jacobs has outstanding game

(Jason DeCrow/ Associated Press ) - Duke’s Jabari Parker (1) shoots against Alabama’s Rodney Cooper (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-off tournament Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, in New York.

(New York, New York)      Alabama had what it took to beat Duke. They just could not beat Jabari Parker. Parker dismantled the Tide’s hopes of winning with a great game. He was 9-12 from the field and ended with 27 points. Parker single handed stopped any Tide run with key baskets. If you want to know what’s the difference between elite programs is the inability to sign a Jabari Parker. It is what it is and Alabama will have to make do with who we have. Last night showed we are a pretty good little basketball team. I thought Grant made all the right coaching moves given he had to deal with Parker and his own star once again sitting on the bench in foul trouble. Releford is a senior and surely understands that he can’t defend like before the new rule went into effect. Clearly, the Tide cannot win with the point guard on the bench.

     Here’s what I learned from the game last night.  We are going to beat average teams, we might even beat a few good teams if we shoot well, but we are a hemisphere away from the Dukes of the world. We actually found out that Nick Jacobs can score inside. His weight loss gives him some quickness heretofore lacking.Jacobs also played very hard. That’s something he hasn’t done every game. Get this type of game from Jacobs and we’ll be a much better team. You have to give credit to the guards for getting the ball to him. That little left hand hook looked pretty sweet and Duke never found an answer.

     Bama and Duke had a lot of turnovers but I’d chalk that up to hard nosed defensive playing. Bama held Duke to almost 20 points belong their season average. Look at the box and except for Parker the Tide caused a lot of missed shots. The Tide held Duke to 43% shooting and that was impressive. The Devils made 24-29 free throws which killed Bama. Early fouls hurt the Tide. Duke was going to make sure that Releford wasn’t going to have a big night. The over played the ball screen and the point guard had no where to go. The foul trouble kept Releford from playing aggressive. Give Duke credit for their defense. That is just another example of Duke’s depth of talent.  Getting beat 74-64 is still a loss. It is a loss that shows we are  making progress.

• Algie Key looked good except for one bad turnover which flipped momentum
• Levi  Randolph was looking good
• Cooper has lost his shot but lead the team in rebound again
• Nick Jacobs played the game of his career so far
• Obasahan continues to show he belongs 

        Today the Tide takes on a good Drexel team on Thursday

BAMA VS.DUKE - No downside for the Tide

Tide gets a free shot at great team...

      Rats!  Just what we didn't want. Duke gets lucky and squeaks by Vermont 91-90. The Catamonts had the ball for the last shot but couldn't cash in. Had Vermont made a few free throws late in the game they might have won. Later this week the Tide has a showcase game with the Blue Devils in the PreNIT tournament in the garden. I can almost hear Coach K that Alabama is better than Vermont. Duke got a wake up call from a good team and got lucky. Duke doesn't give teams many "lucky" chances. You can bet your absolute last dollar that Duke will be ready and will play better defense than the Vermont game. I watched that game frankly surprised at the number of great shots that the Blue Devils gave up. They also have up 47 points in the second half. How long has it been since we've seen a game where Baa was was involved in a game in the 90's?  Duke is one the darlings that ESPN pines over for TV games. They may also be the best program in America.

     Coach Mike Krzyzewski was first hired to rebuild a faltering Duke program in 1980. That 33 years ago. It wasn't an auspicious start for the young coach either

• Year One:        17-13
• Year Two         10-17
• Year Three       11-17
• Year Four         24-10

There was a lot of sentiment to fire the young coach who had previously coached at Army. His Coach?  Bobby Knight. Like so many head coaches Coach K was a point guard. He also coached at Army for five seasons. Then Duke called and offered him the job. 33 years later his record stands at 889-239. (78%)  The  Dukies have won 8 ACC crowns, finished  2nd on 7 occasions. Coach K has won 5 national championships. His teams have made to the NCAA field 29 times. The last time Duke didn't go to the NCAA was 1983. That's the kind tradition that carries a lot of weight. That is the type power that Alabama has in football.
That's what Alabama is up against this week.

   

    This is going be a hard game to win. Almost impossible to win according to most experts. The Blue Devils look at the top twenty players in America and then sign at least three every year. This season is no exception. Remember the name Jabari Parker, 6-8 power forward. Many believe he is the best freshman in America. A fair number think by season's end he may be  the best player in any class. Alabama no on who has a remote chance to match up with him.  Rodney Hood, the small forward, has been shooting light out this season. He's an entirely different player than when he played at MIssissippi State. Alabama made a hard push for him but when Duke came calling it was over. State also didn't want to give Hood a release to play for another SEC school.  The Blue Devils go ten deep and they can all play. In all honesty, Releford and Randolph are probably the only player who could make the Duke roster.  But that doesn't mean Alabama can't win. The Duke guards a very good. But I believe the Bama guards could be a little better. If Bama could so down the Duke inside game we have a chance. I am guessing that Cooper will draw Hood and he the lefty needs to at least slow his scoring down. It would take a near perfect game for Bama win in my opinion, but Duke has looked pretty ordinary against East Carolina and Vermont. Bama has the ability to win. They have enough perimeter talent to win with great shooting.  Now one gives Bama any chance to win. The NIT hopes that Duke wins for television ratings in the next game. If Bama does everything right and they get a fair shake (like Vermont) in the officiating I expect the Tide to give them a good game. If Releford gets in foul trouble we are beat, and it could be bad.

Bama needs to play some zone but the Devil have so many great outside shooters. If the guards can keep the Duke guards from easy passes inside we may have a chance.  I'm  picking Duke with my head,but Bama with my heart.