Mano y Mano at Coleman

both teams love to press
arkansas close to top in ncaa stats in turnovers caused...

 

 

    Nolan Richardson the master of disaster in the full court press used to say "fatigue makes cowards of us all." He should know. For over a decade  he the Razorbacks in the elite of college basketball by using a press unlike any press every seen before in the SEC. "They won't call them all," was his favorite answer when he asked how his teams got away with so many calls. He was correct and still is correct. When you took your team to Fayetteville back in those days the pigs would grind you into sausage running their press. They would steal the ball, steal your pride, and send you packing on the first Greyhound heading south. A trip to Fayettevelle was like a sneak preview of what basketball hell must be like.
 
      Now Mike Anderson, his student, but an extraordinary coach in his own right will bring the same press to Coleman Coliseum tonight. There is an old saying in basketball circles. How do you beat the press? You press them right back. It seems that a lot of teams that press don't work on beating the press so much. Tonight will likely be face to face, jaw to jaw, and dozens of uncalled fouls in a game where both teams like to press. Tonight will be one game where the officials miss so many calls it will drive you crazy.
 

       We spend a lot of time bragging on our full court (94ft) game. It's a good one. Now imagine what our press would be like if we had three more good small forwards or guards to sub in and out. Anderson has brought a sense of purpose back to the Razorbacks on defense. He has resurrected the devil. I've been looking forward to this one for months.
 
      There will be turnovers in the game in bushels. There should be a lot of easy baskets. This is one game where Devonta Pollard will have a chance to showcase his skill and speed in the open floor. He could have a big game. It Retin Obasahan doesn't play in this game he likely won't see much time for the remainder of the season. I have this idea that perhaps Alabama won't press as much as we think. Grant might turn game into a tar pit. That's what he did in the Kentucky game. If he does it will do two things. One it will negate the numbers advantage Arkansas will enjoy, and second, valued energy will be conserved to let Gueye and Jacobs become part of the game. We all know that Arkansas won't the score in the 80's and Bama would like to keep it in the 60,s. Whichever team is able to execute their game plan will win this game.
 
 ``````````````````````````1    We have two players that can beat the press. Lacey and Releford have the ball skills to do so. We need them both on the floor at the same time to beat the press and to create some offense. This game is going to stretch Bama to limit in minutes played by the guards. There are two players that could really play huge in tonight's game for the Tide. Pollard and Cooper are well suited to finish off plays against the press.  Steele can play the point and rest our guards some, and run the offense.

      At 13-7 this is a must win for Alabama. I think that we can still make the post season, perhaps the NCAA if we finish with strong run and then win a couple in the SEC Tourney.  Boy, those three horrible home losses will probably kill us though. We could, and should be at 16-4 and we'd be talking about seeds. Instead, we are talking about needs. Bama needs all the wins they can muster up. I think the NCAA will take five SEC teams but one might be a play end team or the first round as they now sugar coat the invitation.

what is wrong with pollard?

major disappointment for the Tide...

    It would be easy just to say he is a freshman. That accounts for some of play so far. The age of freshman not producing is over. Kentucky has laid to rest the old adage which says the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores. Pollard was recruited by virtually all the big basketball schools in America. It was a big deal for Anthony Grant and Alabama to land the young man.  Here was a nationally prominent recruit who picked Alabama over other schools.  He had five stars beside his name. He was supposed to be an impact player.  People claimed he was one and done. I didn't. I don't even think he's a two and I'm through type. This is a hard one to figure out.  This kid was a McDonald's All-American. He probably won't make the SEC All-Freshman team at the rate he is going. Sad.

      I watched Pollard in early practices and he  looked like he was going to be a star. He had a lot of rough around the edges but the talent was there. He earned a starting spot. He walked out onto the floor at Coleman to the roar of the crowd and he has been a major disappointment ever since.  For whatever reason the light hasn't gone off in his head. He seems mired in a puddle of mediocrity. He hasn't had a break out game. He really hasn't had an even good game a good game for a five star recruit. Here's what I mean. You remember when Cooper went down to LSU and took over the game as a freshman? I thought before the season started we might get 10 ppg out of him and maybe 6 boards. It hasn't happened.  The only thing consistent about DP is his inconsistency.

     He needs to wander into the weight room this summer for some serious work. He needs to gain 25 pounds. He needs bulk and muscle. No one takes him seriously inside on either end of the floor. And he needs a big game in the near future to help him mentally. He was a top 10 type player in high school who just hasn't lived up to his potential If he doesn't get better pretty quick this team might not go the NIT. I'll you the truth - it makes me very nervous to watch him on the floor. I keep thinking what exactly is he bringing to the team, and right now I'd say another warm body It isn't my intent to knock this kid. He could end up have on a high note. If that happens the Tide could finish up and have some momentum for the post season  He could be an entirely different player next season with a better body. This year? Don't expect it to happen and I hope I'm dead wrong. What do I expect from a true five star player like Pollard?  Remember Trent Richardson his freshman year against Arkansas? A few games like that should be expected. I do recognize that having weak players in the post hurts him some. That's not his fault. I just wonder where that player I saw in high school is right now. He could run the floor like a gazelle. He could take the ball off the glass and dribble the length of the floor and slam it. He was the fast break.

His numbers:
1 steal per game
3.1 boards a game
1.9 turnovers per game

21 minutes per game.

I've gotten lots of emails about this article. One thing you can count on from Alabama "fans" is you always make someone mad. When I write a glowing article on a player I get called a homer. When I write an objective article I get called a hack. LOL. I would like you hacksters to note I said nothing about DP as a person. What I write are my observations. Are you telling me that any of you are not disappointed with his play thus far?  Maybe I expect more from five star recruit than you guys do. I don't expect him to dominate. I do expect him to have a real impact. Every five star player in the world is rated to have an impact. When someone doesn't its more than fair to wonder why. Devonta is a public figure. The citizens of Alabama pay for his education. I bet no one out there likes this player more than me. I bet Devonta is not satisfied with his play so far. I'm not criticising the man just how he playing right now.  Hopefully he will have a great game soon. Getting one great game means he can have a lot of great games. I'm pulling for him.

 

bama loses a heart breaker on a bad call
lacey did his job at the end ...

Steele consoles Lacey

     That call at the end wasn't all that beat Bama. I want to go ahead and admit that right up front. It was a horrible call. More than horrible in fact. That man's ability to officiate in the SEC should be over.  You have two coaches prepared for the game. You have two teams prepared. And you have one part time official and part time insurance salesman deciding to override all that preparation. All teams and coaches want on the road is a fair chance. Bama could have won the game in a dozen different ways but all the events that occurred before the last play converged to put a spotlight on just how inept some refs are. I sense a suspension coming on for the man.  The SEC home office will talk about what good call the man made.

      I've watched the play a dozen sides attempting to justify the call. You can't do it. Did Lacey force the contact? Sure, there is no rule that says an offensive player can't use his body in any manner unless there is an offensive foul. Very clearly, the Tennessee player fouled Lacey. No doubt the official was intimidated by the home crowd. You'll never convince me that home cooking doesn't occur. Is is purposeful? Sure, it is. But the unspoken rule among officials is never make or fail to make a call that can change the outcome of the game. Despite how poorly Bama played defense in the second half I'd still like my chances with Lacey at the line.

     I know each of these coaches. Grant won't say much. Martin won't talk either. Silently, Grant is probably angry. Martin is a little happy but a bit embarrassed. One things all coaches do agree on is that bad calls in key moments are not a good a to win a game. None of that takes away the gutty performance by Tennessee in coming back to win. Alabama could have one the game on many occasions, and that includes the bad call at the end. That call can't be overlooked anymore than missed free throws or turnovers. Those are things that players control. What occurred at the end was more than regrettable. It was deplorable.

A look back at Bama's win over KU

bama knocks off the wildcats
jacobs and gueye shine in the middle...

            All wins are as sweet as ice cream. This one had whipped cream and a cherry on the top. Anytime you beat Kentucky in SEC basketball its nice. It's even better when they are considered an NCAA Tournament lock. . And if John Calipari happens to the bag man, 'er, coach of the Wildcats that's the best of all. I'm not one of those Bama fans who hate Kentucky. After all,  they are the gold standard of basketball in the Deep South. Let's assume for the moment that the Wildcats are really a lock for the NCAA Tournament.  Where does that put Alabama?  Here's another question to think about. There were a lot of four and five star recruits on the floor that night. Which coach got the most out of their players? Was it the coach who had a full bench or the one who doesn't have to look very far to see all his players?  One final question - what if Alabama can find a really great inside player? Where will that put this team next season?

    Grant milked every atom out of Jacobs and Gueye. Jacobs stunned Kentucky with his guts and ability to score inside. Gueye might not be Nelens Noel in the blocked shot contest but he's not chopped liver either. Jacobs had his first three shots put back in this face. His next shot was a thunder dunk quickly followed by a glare at Noel. In those frenetic final minutes it was Jacobs who scored 4 of 5 of the Tide's last baskets. He even made a free throw for good measure. In the first half Bama out outboarded 22-11. Noel roamed the paint like the shark from Jaws and intimidated anyone who came near. In the second half became an afterthought. Bama made a few adjustments in their angles to the goal and got some easier baskets. Make no doubt that this was a gutty and certainly not pretty win that attests to the character of the team. Levi Randlolph plays the best all around game of any Tider. He is everywhere. In the first half he stopped and shot the short jumper over Noel and kept the Kentucky lead in sight. Randolph rarely gets acknowledged by the press. He does from his teammates and Coaches. Ray Meyers, that great ex-Tennessee head man, used to complain about TR Dunn. He called him the "the ghost". Meyer's swore you never saw Dunn do anything but turn up with the ball in key moments. Randolph has very solid stats but those numbers do not nearly tell the story of his contribution. Against Kentucky, it was Randolph that got key steals and rebounds. He locked down his man on defense. He just made Kentucky's starting five use four men on offense. That's how tough he played. He is this generation's TR Dunn with a better jump shot

       I've got to give some credit to Lacey as well. His offensive performance wasn't what he wanted, but he had steals and some big time rebounds. When he went down to leg and stomach cramps in the last 4:26 Tide fans groaned. That injury could have spelled disaster for Alabama a couple of weeks ago. Not now. This team had a serious gut check and started to win some close games. Against Kentucky, Grant put Steele in Lacey's place, and the strong finish continued unabated.  Releford was not exactly red hot in the first half, but it was his fall away floater over Noel,  and then his 3 that started the Tide rally. After those two key baskets the Wildcats lost their momentum, and the poise as well. The Cats became nervous. The were no longer loose. They became cautious and Alabama ate them alive on the defensive end. How effective was the Tide' lockdown half court defense? Kentucky went almost 12 minutes without a field goal.

        Alabama won this game on defense that gave them offense. The Tide had only 6 turnovers. They caused 16. Bama broke even on the boards in the second half. But it was Gueye and Jacobs that got the big boards.It was Kentucky that found balls stuffed down their throats in the second half. 4 times late in the second half Gueye blocked shots, and altered a couple of more. It was Jacobs who won the battle of the offensive glass. You will never get Kentucky's coach to admit what was obvious - Nick Jacobs owned Nerlens Noel in the second half. In fact, Alabama owned the tempo and the ball so much of the second half that Calipari seemed stunned. For once his team was noy his standing on the free throw in the second half. You know what I mean. It was Bama who took it to the Wildcats . In the end Bama came out with a hard earned 59-55 win. Bama now is 4-1 in the SEC and is 13-6 overall. For all the fans who think that Anthony Grant doesn't have what it takes to coach at Alabama - you are just dead wrong. In a couple of season's you'll see that for yourself.


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Kentucky is just hitting the easy button

tide is 4 point underdogs at home
bama has no answer for noel...

      So we have to try to match up with five star players at each position. But the best player KU has is going to have a big night against the weakest part of our team. All arm chair coaches like to speculate what to do against the other team. Here's my game plan. Pray that Noel gets the flu and doesn't play. That would be plan A. Plan B would be to shoot about 75% from the outside. I know this sounds pretty negative. I'm just trying to describe what I see in the game. We all love to watch Releford drive and hit those uncanny layups. I bet Noel is licking his chops right now. Releford will win some of those battles, but Noel is likely to win more. I was very surprised that we opened at 3.5 or 4 point underdog. I was afraid it might be more like 12. I suppose there is still some belief that Kentucky is not all that good. I'll say this - if Bama can keep this game competitive we have a much better team than I believed and Anthony Grant is one helluva coach.

    To have any chance to win this game the Tide must.

• Shoot well over 50%
• less than 10 turnovers
• be close to perfect at the line
• cause at least 15 turnovers
• get Noel into foul trouble in the first half.
• get back on defense 
• contest their two best three point shooters as much as possible
• hope that one of our players has a career night.
• come close to breaking even on the boards. 

    Kentucky's talent is not a great deal better than Alabama except in the post. I keep wondering if we will ever see Gueye and Jacobs on  the floor together. This might happen although our lack of depth would make it a gamble. I do think we could win this game if things break our way.  But Kentucky is going to have to help us win. Maybe they have foul trouble (if Kentucky ever has foul trouble in the SEC) or shoot the ball poorly.   Or catch the flu.

Texas A&M a final look...

was that fun or what?
bama comeback shows potential...

     If you are reading this is likely means you love Alabama basketball. I kept telling my friends the first half was horrible but we were only 9 points down. Flash forward 4 minutes in the second half and Tide was winning. It just goes to show that basketball is a game of runs and chemistry. The also should remind each of us the importance of defense. I'll give it up for our fans. They were defense cheering fanatics in the second half. Alabama is one of the few places where the fans really understand just what defense means to this team.

A big comeback occurred quickly...
      A&M had a 14 point lead at one point in the first half. At the 13:27 point in the second half the Tide had made an 18 point turnaround. I've seen a lot of basketball. I mean a whole lot of basketball in my life. Alabama and VCU are the two best defensive teams I've seen in a long time. When you looked at the eyes of A&M players after that run you saw confusion. Who are these guys, and where are they coming from. Alabama got pretty tired during those frenetic minutes of the opening in the second half. That allowed the Aggies to take a 2 point lead with just under 10 minutes. Grant called a very timely and much needed time out with 9:37 left. It allowed the Tide some rest. The Tide gone 10 minutes in the first half without scoring. Now they hadn't scored in 5 minutes.

Game on the line
      At the next media time out which lasted almost three minutes Grant told his team they could be the team they were in the first half, or they could go another path. After catching a five second call and an almost immediate 4th foul on Steele things looked bad. TAM had gone on a 9 point run to take a 39-34. The scoring drought hit the 6 minute make but Alabama was only 5 points behind. With 8 minutes left the Tide could win or they could fold. I remember thinking would this be like the Tennessee game or like a couple of others where we wilted.  When Trevor Releford punched in a 3 ball the lead was reduced to 2, the crowd got back in the game, and out of a media time out the team looked pretty darned determined. Alabama had allowed Elston Turner had only gotten one shot in half number two. At the 5:38 mark the margin was 41-39 after Releford made two freebies.

 A great defensive play by Bama...
Small things make a difference. Bama forced TAM to burn another time out and that left the
Aggie with only one.  That would come back to hurt them. Then it became the Trevor Releford show. TR made 2 great layups to keep the Tide even. Releford might have a bad ankle but it didn't show on the offensive end. The next magic trick for the little magician was steal and layup which put Bama up 2. 

Mr. Dependability...
     With the score tied A&M. ran an isolation play against Steele. Steele played it well but not over aggressively. It was the Aggies by two under a minute when Steele drove the lane and scored a layup and hit his free throw. The unaggressive Steele on the defensive end if the floor was not going to be stopped. When A&M hit a floater that got a kind bounce the Texans were ahead again by 1. Logic dictated that Lacey or Releford drive in the paint and score or shoot a couple of free throws. Give credit the TAM they cut off the lane and forced Lacey to shoot an 17 foot fade away. It was nothing but net.  So the little team that can't score had just won by 1 at 50-49. The key numbers were 1 and 49.  This was as good a defensive performance I've seen in years with Randolph shutting down Turner. All the great things Bama did on offense were nice. Without Mr. Dependability playing defense it wouldn't have mattered though.You think maybe A&M would have wanted one more time out to set their defense after seeing Alabama's offensive set at the end?  Sometimes it is plays that we forget that make a differnce.

Simply - Wow!

bama fights its way back...
lacey beats aggies on a picture perfect jump shot

An injured Releford led the comeback

Tuscaloosa, Al...  I don't know if this basketball team will make it to the post-season or not.There are just too many uncertainties left. One thing is for certain - my 66  year old heart can't take these games too often. Alabama moves to 11-6 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. In the train wreck we call our conference it seems that anything is impossible. How does a team score 15 points in one half and come back and win in the second half? The Tide "exploded" for 30 in the second half. That may not sound like much but it was double the number scored in the first half. The first half will henceforth be called the worst 20 minutes in the history of Alabama basketball in my home. But the game wasn't over. Basketball is a funny game. Things can turn around completely in just 20 minutes. I hope that the Bama players will always remember how bad they were in that first half. Likewise, I bet they will always remember making the decision to turn the game around  That was a remarkable comeback. 

Lacey smiling after game winner. 

        I honestly don't know what to say about a team that played as bad as we did in the first 20 and then finding the intensity to win the game. The scoring ended with Trevor Lacey making 17 foot ball away basket. He fought for that shot. He drives to penetrate the lane but A&M would let it happen. Instead, of making a layup or at least shooting two freebies Lacey hit a step back jumper that would be the perfect example of how to shot a jump shot. The ball caressed the net and won the game. I heard that Trevor Releford was named the Player of the Game but I wouldn't overlook Lacey. Releford played through the considerable pain of a high ankle sprain. Releford logged in 31 minutes off the bench. Lacey scored 14 and was also the Tide's leading rebounder with 6. Lacey also played perfect defense is shutting down what might have been a last TAM effort by holding is ground. The TAM player hesitated,and Releford picked his pocket from behind the trap. Bingo,  TAM gets no last shot, at least on their end of the floor. For the record, Lacey also had 5 assists and 3 steals. He played a great game.

Bama players looked pretty happy in last .04 seconds

        One thing is pretty clear. If Alabama had a good inside player they'd be a really good team. Jacobs followed up his great game at State with 8 points and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes of play. He was also 4 of 5 from the floor. He had 4 turnovers which isn't good considering how seldom he touches the ball. Gueye was a non-factor.He did have 2 blocks and 3 rebounds. That is a collective 7 rebounds out of post players, and while that number is getting better it still is pretty low.  But this was the day that belonged to Trevor Releford. His 15 points all came in the second half when Alabama mounted an improbable comeback after the worst half of basketball a team can play. Texas A&M couldn't stop him. They had no answer to his myriad of moves and drives.  Not bad at all for a kid with an ankle sprain. 

Releford could play according to Grant

texas a&m surprise team in sec
releford has a great chance to play

     No one expected TAM to be a big dog in the SEC this season. After the Aggies knocked of Kentucky in Lexington they began to get notice. Elston Turner rattled the Big Blue for 40. In modern basketball with so much emphasis on athleticism that number is remarkable. If you want to look at that another way Turner scored 1 point per minute. That was the most impressive performance by any player in the SEC. Team best   ? I'd say two games stand out, or maybe two halves is more correct. The second half shooting of Alabama against Mississippi ranks up there. Arkansas allowing Vandy to score only 11 points in a first half and 33 for an entire game was amazing.

       This has been a topsy turvy basketball season so far. If Alabama can find a way to beat TAM on Saturday the trend will continue. Coach Grant has described Releford's ankle injury as a "mild high sprain." High ankle injuries are rarely mild. They are frequently serious and always very painful. It was the pain that Grant tallked about today."Right now it's going to come down to basically pain tolerance,"  and continued to talk about his mobility. To wrap up the interview he listed Releford as "probable", but wasn't sure of how long he can play.

        So here's an interesting question - Alabama is coming off their most impressive game this season in my opinion. Should Grant even start Releford if he can play?  Basketball is all about chemistry. The team that played against Mississippi State hit on all cylinders so to speak. Does Grant start that team and see if the chemistry is still there? TAM is not Mississippi State though. The Aggies are 12-4 coming off an absolute rinse job to Florida by 21. But they beat Kentucky on the road. They also beat Arkansas. Elson Turner, 6-5 SR. is averaging almost 17 per game. Ray Turner, 6-9 and tipping the scales at a mere 245 is averaging 11 per game, but 6.6 rebounds per game. J'Mychal Reese a 6-1 freshman has been holding down the point. This is one place where Bama might have an edge. Turner is better than Jacobs, but Gueye might give him a tougher game. I understand we will start Jacobs, and who can blame Grant after a 16 pt 8 rebound effort at State.

        It seems like every time I get ready to pick a winner I get stuck. If Releford can play close to full speed, and if we can stay on the boards I'll take Bama by 2.


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tide blows state out of the hump
second half shooting was red hot...

      Tide fans learned late Tuesday that Trevor Releford had suffered an ankle sprain and was highly doubtful for last nights road game with State. I wondered if Anthony Grant wondered if the next thing that might happen to his team was a plague of locusts or frogs raining down from the sky. Things looked bleak.  Instead of falling apart Crimson Tide completely dismantled an average State team 75-43. How good or bad State is hardly matters. When you are on the road without your best player who incidently is the point guard you have troubles. Not last night. Last night Alabama rolled up their sleeves, got down and dirty in the paint, and shots lights out to run the Bulldogs off their home floor at The Hump. If you are an old time Tide fan you know understand the trouble that State has inflicted on us over the years in that place  These were certainly not the best two Tide/State teams to play against one another, but it might very well be the best game any Tide team has ever played against the Bulldogs at their place. Show how did Bama turn adversity into triumph?

       Alabama shot 54% for the night, but was 8 of 13 from downtown. The Tide controlled the boards in the first half. Levi Randolph scored 11 points in the first half and carved out a 30-22 lead. The second half opened with Trevor Lacey make 3 treys and the lead was 39-22. That was the end of a 21 point Tide run going back to into the first half. The rout was on. It got to be as much as 34. Most of the second half Alabama was doubling the State score. State wilted in the face of Alabama's full court press.  Those long bombs from Lacey seemed to take the life out of Mississippi State.

       As Alabama turned up the heat with their press, State unraveled. In the second half it seemed if Alabama shot it was going in the basket. State got almost no second half defensive rebounds because there were not to get. This is the team that Tide fans hoped to see from last years recruiting class. Randolph was great. He helped the Tide build the lead along with a strong first half with Jacobs and Cooper.

Grading the Tide:

Randolph A+  star if the game .Bama's best all around player
Jacobs A+ - Whoa, the big horse can get position and score with his right hand
Lacey  A - doesn't shoot enough but when he does
Steele A, although he didn't score much he had six steals which led to baskets
Cooper A-  He was showing us what he can do.
Pollard B - some floor mistakes, he still looks stiff,  three monster dunks were fab
Obasahan - B+  made some nice passes and eliminated a bunch of errors.
Gueye - B - Big man can't score but boy did he intimate people around the basketball. If I were him  I might forget the 15 footers for a while.

Coaching: A+ - that was some real coaching and his work with Jacobs is paying off.


Coaching


 

big road game for the tide
pollard returns to his home state...

late news: releford doubtful after ankle injury

     Even in a bad season you still have big games. Tonight is one of the games for Alabama.  The Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-7) will host the Tide tonight in Starkville. The Las Vegas odds makers have the Tide at -2. This is game the Tide can win. Alabama (9-6) needs to win this game to keep NCAA postseason hopes alive. I have to be honest in saying this is the worst Alabama team I've seen in years. As bad as Alabama has been playing I have to say Mississippi is even worst. The Bulldogs have regained some equilibrium but earlier in the year they were not competitive.   Not a lot of Alabama fans were happy to see Rick Stansbury leave. You see why. State basketball has taken a big step backwards after the Stansbury departure.

     First year coach Rick Ray has had some tough luck. He lost Andre Applewhite and Jacoby Davis to ACL injuries, and then saw senior leader Wendall Lewis fracture his right patella. His return date is unknown. When people look in on tonight's game you will see the two youngest teams in the SEC. We think of Alabama as being a young team but Mississippi State Bulldogs start two freshman and their top scorer who comes off the bench is also a freshman. Craig Sword, a native of Alabama from Montgomery, is averaging almost 10 a game was just named Freshman of the Week after knocking down 16 against. Georgia. State beat Georgia on the road and will come into the game on a roll. The Bulldogs are 2-0 in the SEC having  beat Georgia and South Carolina. Tide fans have seen a 1-1 start including a hard nosed four point win over Tennessee. The Tide dropped a well played game on the road to Missouri.

       Alabama's Devonta Pollard is from Mississippi. The former five star prospect has not started the way he and Alabama fans had hoped for. Perhaps the 6-8 freshman can elevate his game to a higher plain. Oddly enough Pollard has had his better games on the road, and Alabama will need one for a win. As this post was written Coach Grant was weighing his options with both Moussa Gueye and Nick Jacobs in the post. I'd expect Grant to start Jacobs and bring in Gueye off the bench. Alabama will start the usual suspects with Releford, Lacey, Cooper, and Randolph. Alabama is now 7-1 with Andrew Steele in the lineup. I'm not sure exactly what to read into that if anything. The loss of Engstrom seems to be the blow that has cost the Tide more than anything. The Tide needs this win with road games with TAM and Kentucky coming up next week.

      I definitely think the Tide can win this game. It is going to be interesting game. Tide should have the talent balance and State is at home. Mississippi State's win on the road has to got to give the young Bulldogs a shot of confidence they certainly did have earlier in the season. If Bama shoots well they will win.

      -

A weekend to remember in the SEC

Ole Miss, TAM, and Arkansas shine...
Florida continues to improve

Turner burns KU for 40

       So much about the theory that Texas A&M can't stand eye to eye with the SEC. First, TAM rocked Alabama in Tuscaloosa. That was football. Now the Aggies have beaten have knocked off Kentucky. The Big Blue goes down 83-71. Let's throw in the fact that the Aggies pulled the upset in Lexington. That is if it was an upset. The Aggies are now 12-3 and 2-0 in the SEC. TAM's Elston Turner poured in 40 points. Maybe A&M hasn't learned exactly who they can't beat in the SEC. College Station appears to be the home of the best two SEC players in football and basketball. Manziel and Turner have knocked the socks off the SEC's best. 

          When the season started most basketball experts said it would be Missouri who would might be the team to unseat Kentucky. So what happens?  Ole Miss hosts the Tigers and send them home with their tails between the legs on the short end of a 64-49 game. The Rebels who just might be the best team in the no one thought about in the Pre-Season is now 13-2. If you watched the Ole Miss-Missouri game the Rebels looked to be the clearly better team. This SEC season just gets better with every weekend.  Two other games of interest for Alabama fans occurred this past weekend.

        You think we have some scoring problems how about 11 for one half. That's what Arkansas did to Vanderbilt in Fayetteville. The second half the Commodores "exploded" for 22 points. That's 33 points for

in 40 minutes. Alabama is high scoring by comparison. Arkansas is 10-5 now, but are 10-1 at home. Ole Miss has to be the surprised team in the SEC. Kentucky seems porous for a change. Florida appears to be the top team in the SEC in my opinion. The second game that got my attention is that Mississippi State beat Georgia on the road. I thought Ms. State was the worst team in the SEC when I watched them play a couple of game early in the season. Oh yeah, let's also chew on the fact that Auburn beat South Carolina on the road. Bama travels to Starkville this week.

Bama refuses to fold in 68-64 win over Tennessee

bama's defense makes the difference...
releford, randolph, and lacey key the win

      Alabama turned to an old friend to beat an foe. Bama beat the Tennessee Vols 68-64 on Saturday afternoon by playing full court pressure defense when it mattered the most. The Tide was down by four at the half but outscored the Big Orange by eight in the second half. In the last five minutes of the game it was the quick hands and gutty courage of Tide defense that made the difference. Bama opened up a five point lead late in that game on the strenght of  steals by Andrew Steele and Levi Randolph. When the Vols battled back to take a one point lead it was Lacey, Releford, and Randolph who picked the pockets of the Vols to regain the lead and salt away a key SEC game. The Tide is now 1-1 in the SEC and moves to 9-6 for the season.

      All of those steals off the press allowed Bama to shoot a red hot 64% from the floor. That's a lot better than the 27% made in the first half. While Alabama was stone cold in the first half, their defense was dead solid and kept the score in reach. Bama made only 6-28 shots in the first half after starting the game off with two three point baskets. If I had to pick a player of the game I'd go with Moussa Gueye. The big center shut down Jarnell Stokes from having a big night, and did so without a lot of help. The big sophomore entered the game with 12 ppg, and finished with only 6. Stokes became frustrated in the second half and Tennessee Coach Counzo Martin chose to sit during some key minutes. I think the biggest surprise about Gueye's ability to match Stokes quickness around the basket. He blocked two shots including one absolute face job.

      Lacey had all but disappeared the last two games. He responded to Grants need for more aggression on offense with 15 points. More than just scoring his hard nosed play seemed to set a tone for some hard nosed play by the Tide. Releford had 15 points as well. Randolph has 12 but he kept the team together with is solid play when things turned against the Tide late in the game. Levi put up 12 shots and caused the Vol defense to pay attention to him. That helped Releford and Lacey to better shots. Turning toward the negative the Tide as out boarded 45-25 including 14 offensive rebounds. That big rebounding edge allowed Tennessee to keep it close. It was the worst effort off the glass after out boarding the nation's top rebounding team the game before. Give Tennessee a lot of credit for their toughness under the boards. They outfought the much smaller Tide in the paint all day

       The good:  Alabama ended up shooting  43% after a horrible start. The defense was spot on, and Gueye help disrupt things in the middle. The Tide made 16-19 from the free throw line which made for making 3 less free throws. The Tide scored 16 points off of turnovers they caused.  The bad: No offensive production on the inside by the Tide's two big men. In fairness, Jacobs did  have a couple of nice baskets, but he is getting push around far to much. The ugly:  I thought the Tide really had no bad areas today. The cut their turnovers down. The lack of rebounding was bad, but late in the game the Tide pulled down some important missed Tennessee shots. Cutting off those second opportunities made a difference.

         Tennessee falls to 8-6.They may win a few games this season but they are the worst looking team I've seen all season. Bama's defense had a lot to do with the way they looked. Their tenacity under the boards was impressive. This was a good win for the Tide. Grant punched the right tickets the entire game. I believed his upping the defensive pressure when Bama has secured the lead was a stroke of genius. Tennessee looked unprepared for that type play when they were tired. Nice move by the Coach.

What they said:

       “The fight, the heart, the character that we showed in the second half, that was the story today,” said Grant. “I was extremely proud of them, and happy that that effort resulted in a win.”

        Vols coach Cuonzo Martin said, “Give those (Bama) guys credit. They protected the home court, made plays and played hard-nosed defense. They found a way to win.”

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Can Bama beat UT?

who matches up with jarnell stokes?
almost a must win game for the Tide...

        Bama faces the Vols of Tennessee tomorrow in Tuscaloosa at high noon. The game will be covered by ESPN2 on national television. Is this a must win game for the Tide.  Every game played in Tuscaloosa is a must win game. At 8-6 the Tide has no margin for a home loss. The Vols are 8-5 but are a better team than Alabama because of Stokes. I'm not saying the Tide won't beat the Vols, but it is an uphill battle because of #5. Stokes is the heart of the Tennessee program, and is a dynamic future NBA star. He is active around the boards, can jump out of the gym, and has a bevy of offensive moves to throw around. He is also a great rebounder. In other words, Alabama has no one who can remotely hope to match up with him.  

          So what can the Tide do?  They probably will try to two-three zone the Vols. That leaves a couple of pretty dangerous shooters outside to find some sweet spots for threes. This is going to be the recurring theme for Alabama all season long. How do we play against a good interior player? The answer is probably we don't play well enough.  I'm not saying we won't win some games. In looking to determine whether we might win the next game, the first thing to do is see what the other team has in the paint. If the have a better than average player we are in trouble. The next,  look for is what kind of outside shooting the other team has? If the answer to that is very good or great we are in trouble. Tennessee does have a couple of outside shooters who are good but they are streaky. Right now every Tennessee outside shooter is having a bad year. 33% is the best they have in the starting lineup.  As a team the Vols are shooting around 27%. So what does that mean? It seems we always give up big games to poor outside shooting teams. The reason is because we have to protect the interior so much the other players know they are going to get a lot of good looks and relax waiting for the shots.

       Once again we have the dynamic duo of Gueye and Jacobs in the middle. While both seem to be giving 100% they each have some problems. Gueye is lost on the offensive end of the floor. He is rebounding well, and disrupts many shots down low. I think it is fair to say that he hasn't lived up to the fans expectations. The same applies to Nick Jacobs. Last season, Jacobs showed some real promise. The season is not yet over, and he could get back on track. In the game before last he looked like he may have snapped out of his slump. However, his performance against Missouri was not exactly awe inspiring. We've said it before, but it bears repeating. This team will only be as good as they can fix the problems they have inside.  Kudos to Releford for a career high. Where has the highly touted Lacey gone? One thing is very obvious - unless Cooper, Randolph, and Lacey come to play on the offensive end the season isn't going to get any better.

        I have to say that Tennessee is a bad basketball team. The Tide is a 4 point favorite. Even as bad as Tennessee is, and the fact we are at home, I am surprised we are favored that much. Let's hope the Vegas crowd knows what's going on. Alabama may have played the best game of their season for 3/4 of the Missouri game. If that type play can carry over on Saturday. If it does we will win. If not, I think Tennessee's inside game might be too much for the Tide. One thing both team have in common - they each have a short bench and both teams only have 8 players who get meaningful minutes. I think this is a game the Tide is ready to win.

Bama plays hard for 30 minutes then fizzles.

we played better, but...
score didn't indicate closeness of game...
pollard shows up but lacey vanishes again
  

       It's hard to sugar coat a loss. We are now 8-6 and things aren't looking good. But there were a few bright spots. Devonta Pollard finally showed us a couple of big league plays. Releford had 26 points and 3 assists. More on that later. Rodney Cooper had 11 points and 7 rebounds. We scored 68 points and cut a big lead to 2 midway through the second half. Then we quit playing good defense. I think, looking at it up close and personal, we were just physically tired. It wasn't that the brains were trying, it was that the legs were gone.

         Of course, once again, there were problems. Trevor Lacey was almost non-existent. Levi Randolph had a rare bad night. We had 16 turnovers and only 8 assists. Phil Pressley had 13 assists on his own. In fairness, he does have teammates who are deadly shooters, and someone to pass the ball inside for layups. We have the two stooges down low. They are so bad at times we didn't have to hire a third stooge. Seriously, I know that Jacobs and Gueye are trying. It dawned on me that I'm not sure Gueye understands basketball well enough to play at this level. Jacobs has hands cut from granite and a competitive nature cut from a loaf of bread. Jacobs had 3 points and the tall one had zero points. I bet Rodney Cooper never thought he was the big man on this team.

       But throughout all the stumbling and bumbling Grant kept the game close until the fatigue set in. Let's be clear. Missouri would have beaten Bama with or without fatigue being a factor. What I can see is that we are only 2 players away from having a really great team. We need two big men. We don't need two great big men, just two pretty good inside players who can score and rebound some. I'm thinking were do we find two Chris Hines in the Juco ranks. We are that close. We have a lot of problems but none that some inside size won't fix.  We could go from being thud to drawing some real blood next season. You can knock Grant all you like, and he deserves some of it, but it's not the coaching. It is the lack of bodies. If we had the Big Swede we would have one a few more games. We don't have the big Swede but his absence is obviously hurting the team.

         We don't  shoot well enough, often enough, or get enough good shots. Missou was raining in three point baskets on autopilot. The have quickness and bulk. I don't think they are the number ten team in America, but they are good. We are also good enough to win enough home games to stave off complete embarrassment. These guys didn't quit. Grant is going to be forced to play one additional player off the bench in my opinion. I don't care how well that player does. Just give someone a couple of minutes to suck up some O2 on the sideline. I wonder if we have a couple of guys on the football team that could come in a knock a few butts around?  I'm not talking skill here, but just tough play. Several of the players on the football team were good high school players. That may be like hoping to find a silver dollar on a corn row but what would it hurt. Maybe Coach Grant should put a suggestion box somewhere in the coliseum. 84-68 suggests some suggestions are needed.

     

Bama bounces back 65-45

'bama gets a much needed win
levi randolph plays his best game
steele returns from injury

     Oakland isn't a basketball power.  It really doesn't matter. Alabama needed a win against someone. The Golden Grizzlies played hard but were unable to overcome the stifling Tide defense. Hitting only 16-59 from the field isn't going to win a lot of games. That's 27% for the game. Hidden within that poor shooting percentage lies a problem. Giving up 60 shots to an inferior team isn't good. The Tide put up only 48 shots and hit 25, and that will win a lot of games. The best number is one. One more Tide win. After losing 5 of their last 6 games it was important to win one. When you score only 65 points and win by 20 you've done a lot of good things. Among those good things was the play of Levi Randolph. He did a whole lot of good things in playing his best game in his short career with Alabama. Randolph was 6-11 from the field including 2-3 from behind the arc to end the day with 15 points. It was Randolph who jump started the sluggish Tide in the first half. He played a great floor game with his hustle.

         After starting the season with a 6-0 run it is disappointing to Tide fans to see us finish the early part of the season at 8-5. The season isn't over, and the Tide lost a couple of very close games to Cincinnati and Tulane. The great news for Tide fans is that many of the Tide's problems can be fixed and the Oakland game proved the point. When Alabama gave up 8 early offensive rebounds, Grant put Moussa Gueye into the line up. He responded with 9 big rebounds blocked 2 shots. He also altered shots, and that usually means a missed shot. The pair of Gueye and Jacobs had a total of 16 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. That is the type of inside production That will go a long way to solving a piece of the Tide's poor play. Alabama had the edge off the glass 38-33.  That's not exactly dominance but it's on the right side of stats book. Once Alabama kept Oakland off the offensive boards the Tide blew open a close game.

         Trevor Releford led the Tide with points on 67% shooting from the floor. He only played 29 minutes as Grant tried to get him some rest. His next game is Missouri on the road. Releford will be matched up against the dynamic Phil Pressy. Pressy is only 5-10 but is so quick. Like Releford, Pressy is nominated for the Bob Cousey Award. He is shooting 43% from the floor, but his forte is assists. The Tide will not play in a more hostile enviroment than the Mizzou Arena. This will be the top two point guards in the SEC going head to head. Missouri had a surprisingly tough time in a 66-64 win over Bucknell. The Arena is one of the best home courts in the NCAA.  Bama will need to play their best game to keep it close. If we play like we did against Oakland and Missouri has another Bucknell type game their is a chance. Otherwise, you'd have to think its a long road to a win. I expect the Tigers to be a 12 point favorite.

Key to Bama win:Gueye and Jacobs shut down Corey Petros inside.


Rating the play:

A - Trevor Releford on outstanding shooting and floor play
A - Levi Randolph on his shooting and doing all the dirty little things
A - Nick Jacobs on his 6 points and 7 rebounds.
B+ Moussa Gueye on his 8 defensive rebounds and shot altering all game
B- Trevor Lacey on the strenght of his 7 assists which was a caree high
B- Andrew Steele for his gutty play while still hurt
C- Devonta Pollard isn't living up to his five star rating
C+ Retin Obasahan on his hard play and improvement


 

Recruting Anthony Grant Style

one thing about grant won't change
long term view is important and something you need to know

      I know that Coach Grant has taken a lot of grief regarding his recruiting.  No doubt we would like to have real post player and a full roster. The shortcomings of Grant may be representative of his personal beliefs about his unwillingness to compromise this personal beliefs.. Let me just put it the short way - Grant will not cheat. If he was going to lose his job he would not cheat. Anthony Grant is a breath of fresh air in a game where cheating has been perfected. You also will not find Coach Grant's assistant coaches cheating either.

        Most college coaches cheat some. Some steal big and some steal little. After following the recruiting game for four decades I've seen a lot of shady things. Some coaches will tell you that if they cheat a little to keep up with other schools because they can't compete otherwise.  If they can't compete they will ultimately lose their jobs, the boosters won't be happy, and revenues drop.

        I've talked with a couple of kids we almost got to come to Bama and suddenly changed their minds. Selling integrity against materialism is a tough sell in America. We are in a society where "things" have become for important than values. I find it refreshing to find a man who just refuses to cheat. It's nice to have a coach who will not look the other way. Our short roster may say more about high school players than the coach.

        There is an old saying about basketball recruiting. You can either cheat big or cheat little. If you are going to cheat a little you will end up cheating big. A coach will always justifies what needs to done because other do the same. I always thought that Jim Calhoun cheated. I know one player from our area who suddenly jumped to UCONN. Some coaches don't get caught but leave trail of tears at places they left. John Calipari has done that everywhere he has coached and the same will happen at Kentucky when he leaves. Some coaches feel bad about cheating, but most view it as a necessity to stay competitive.

        The other unspoken method to cheat is let your assistants do the cheating. If the school gets caught the assistant coach will fall on his sword to protect the head coach.The quid pro quo is that the assistant always lands a new job. Anthony Grant won't do that. So here is the fan's catch 22. Do you want to a have clean program that teaches values and basketball, or a school that buys players and teaches basketball?  I was talking to a recruiting expert who said that since Grant won't cheat it makes things much harder. At one time my personal opinion was the kids should get whatever they can negotiate for with a coach. I know feel that is wrong but feel very strongly the NCAA and Schools shortchange all of our players while they rake in millions. If I was a great recruit I'd do a couple of things - first of all I would copywrite my name and image. That way if a school wants to sell a jersey with number 3 on the back they are finally going to have to share revenue. One reason why you don't see as many names on the back of sports wear is that's what some players have done. Does that make you a professional?  Not to my way of thinking. You are not getting money to play but you are getting money to let someone use your image. If an NCAA member school can do the same thing to make money, why shouldn't a player be allowed to do the same.

So here is my question. If winning really big time means rampant cheating is that ok with you, or would you rather have fewer wins and know rules are followed? This is kind of left brain right brain thing. Post what you think.