ONE MORE FOR NYC....

Bama and Maryland are similar...

Maryland has beaten Duke (twice) and UNC...

 

 

 

Therein lies the main difference between the two teams. Maryland has a 3-5 record against top 50 teams.  Alabama hasn't beaten a top 50 team. The Tide enters the game a 2 1/2 point favorite. I've haven't year a single basketball talking head who believes 'Bama will beat Maryland. Maybe its the halo effect that surrounds the ACC and anything basketball from that league. It's funny to watch Dick Vitale, Digger Phelps, and the rest of the motley crew on ESPN fall prostate to the ground when talking about the ACC. 

 

  

  In the Alabama bracket of the NIT the Tide was seed #1 and Maryland number #2. Both made it to tonight's game as expected, although Denver played the Terps to a much closer game than the 62-52 score indicates.  Alabama never waltzes past anyone. They beat Northeastern in a very uneven game of runs. They then put together a great game over Stanford. Anthony Grant called it the "best game we played both offensively and defensively this year." The Tide have had a few better games both offensively and defensively during the year but not that well in one game. I thought it was the best game we've played all year. The Tide will need that type game tonight. They cannot afford any scoring droughts or even lulls. They can't lose focus on defense as they have on occasion.

 

      I don't think there is any doubt Terps have more talent overall. But talent alone doesn't

always win. First, Bama is playing at home. Second, they are playing well. Don't think for one minute that Maryland is going to be effected by the home crowd. If Duke couldn't rattle the Terps I doubt we can. But big crowds are important to help your team as opposed to just unsetting the other team.  The old playground adage of "my dad can beat up your dad" comes into play tonight. Maryland has a distinct advantage as Center. Alex Len, the 7-1 sophomore was named honorable mention ALL ACC and to the 1st team All-ACC defensive team. Alabama will counter with Moussa Gueye and Nick  Jacobs. Gueye can help  the Tide defensively if he can avoid foul trouble. Jacobs can score.  If Alabama sticks to the game plan of late then Randolph, Lacey, Releford, and Obasahan are going to lower their heads and go where the big dogs play. Getting Len in foul trouble will be key for the Tide. If Len can dominate the post on defense we lose. It is as simple as that. Len is short of stamina at times and Alabama needs to run some and keep Len active on defense. If the Tide can't wear him out then wear him down some.

 

    Bama caught a break when the Terps lost Seth Allen to a broken hand suffered in practice on Sunday. He was the fourth leading scorer at 9.8 ppg, and was part to the scoring foursome that start for Maryland. The Terrapins play 10 men who all played more than 13.8 minutes a game.  They will have fresh legs compared to the numbers short Tide playing rotation. The recent explosion of Obasahan will help in the backcourt. Our three man inside rotation which includes Devonta Pollard will be hard pressed to match to stay fresh when the numbers of Terps keep rotation in and out. Pollard is coming off his best game of he season which included 8 big rebounds. He finally seems have gained some confidence and the playing experience has helped. 

 

      Bama has to shoot the ball well from the outside.  They have  to stay at least competitive on the glass. I have no doubt this is the best rebounding team we have faced all year. The Tide needs to shoot more free throws than Maryland, and if we keep the turnovers below 10 we can win. I'll be honest, if this game was played anywhere but in Tuscaloosa I'd be hard pressed to think Bama could win.

 

HOW WE CAN WIN:

 Shoot 40% from the arc and close to 50% overall

• keep the turnovers down to 10
• come close to even on the glass.
• get to the foul line. Levi and Retin can help us at the line
• Shoot 20 free throws
• Play slow and patient on offense
• play killer defense 94 feet all night.

Bama by 3.  

Bama wins # 23 over Stanford          

Maryland on top of their game right now…

Winner goes to NIT Final Four

      If you don’t like Anthony Grant stop reading right now. You certainly wouldn’t want a few facts to change your opinion of our coach. The Tide just won game #23. I view that as a pretty remarkable number considering all the factors which have gone into this season. We’ve had our ups and downs this year. Depending on your dwelling on the ups or downs, it pretty much puts you in pro the or anti Grant camp. Here are some things I think are important to consider.

1. We started the season as the pre-season 6th  ranked team. We finished second.
2. We had a 12-6 conference record. Only Florida was better.
3. We lost our starting Post player in the 7^th game. We were 6-0 before the injury. We lost to Cincinnati in that game on the last shot.
4. The Tide then lost at home to Mercer (NCAA),Tulane, and Dayton

5.  It took Alabama those games (in my opinion) to regroup and install

      a offense that was guard oriented

     6.   We lost 4 of our next 5 games during that stretch'   2 played in the NVAA.

     7.   It is pretty obvious if we played those teams again we would win.

     8.  I know that the kind of thinking in # 7 is useless in some ways. Not

           always though. We would now be 27-6 and playing in the NCAA.

9.       Would you blame Saban if he lost McCarron?  I’m not going to blame

Coach Grant for an injury to a key player.    I believe that is unfair.

10.    All things considered it has been one great, though tedious, season.

11.     Look how much , Releford, Lacey, and Cooper improved. Even

Pollard has started to show his skills.  Jacobs turned it around. Think

about how great these players will be next season.  Gueye is better.

     12.Talk about firing Coach Grant is lunacy laced with ignorance and I wonder if a drop of racism as well. Not from most 'Bama fans. I’ve kept the list of those posting racial slurs and innuendos. That number is 23 sad people.  Not all questions or comments about race are racist – such as, do you think it would be harder to fire Grant because he’s black? That is an interesting question but one that is no longer relevant with the powers to be at the University of Alabama or civilized people as well. Perhaps it is with a few misguided fans. The vast, vast, majority of our fans don’t see black or white – they see Crimson.

      I’ve been watching Alabama basketball since the mid- 1950’s. Now some of you think that makes me out of touch. Think again. You’d be very wrong if you think that at all.  We need to recognize some of the things that have happened and factor them in. Some won’t. Most will. I will tell you what I know about Grants future. If it could be should in stock shares I’d buy a million. It is the long term that is important.  We have won over 22 games a season under Grant.

TOMMORROW – why the rest of the basketball world thinks Maryland is a lock to beat Bama …. game day perdictions

Bama plays great game against Stanford to win ...

‘Bama dominates the inside 

Levi Randolph plays a great game… 
Tide shuts out Dwight Powell

      I’m learning to appreciate this Alabama team as season grinds on. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide played high level basketball to beat a well-rounded Stanford Cardinal. If Dwight Powell is a first team All-PAC 12 player I bet he doesn’t want to play any SEC teams in the near future. Alabama’s best defense against Powell was to drive the ball directly at him in the early minutes of the game. He got two quick fouls and had to sit most of the first half.  It was only when Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins thought the game might get away from the Cardinal did he put him back in the game. That was in the first half, and it showed that the Stanford head man knew his team was in for a tough afternoon.

    One thing was obvious from the start – Alabama had much better athletes. The Tide used that to completely disrupt any chance of a Cardinal win. Alabama’s full court press is remarkable. It looks like a bunch of pickpockets on too much caffeine. Stanford never seemed to understand that if you put the ball on the floor Bama was going to steal it away. Levi Randolph has certainly elevated his game in the latter part of the season and today I thought he had his best game as a Tider. He was everywhere Stanford didn’t want him to be. He stole passes, drove for baskets, pulled down big traffic rebounds, and generally looked like a one man wrecking crew.

    Bama dominated the 50/50 balls all the game. The Tide’s speed, quickness, and aggressiveness did not allow Stanford to ever set up their deadly half court offense.  I thought we’d play a 2/3 to shut down the middle. Instead, Grant played an in your face man which stunned the Cardinal. Gueye did go 25 feet away from the basket to guard Powell. Powell finished with 2 points in the second half. The Tide clearly made it a high priority to get to the foul line.  Time and time again Bama guards plowed through the middle to make lay-ups or dish off for easy passes. The crowd has plenty to cheer about. The size of the crowd was impressive for a morning tip-off. They were loud and it helped the give Tide a decided advantage. Way to go fans.

                                                                         

     I thought that Devonta Pollard played a great game. He blocked a couple of shots, pulled down key rebounds, and made some nifty moves to the basket. His best move was called a charge but the defender was clearly inside the charge/block arc. Hey, if they put that thing down there to help make decision why don’t they review them to make sure they are correct.  What was impressive about Pollards move was the distance he covered in 2 dribbles.  Man, if he can put on some weight and get stronger he will play like a five star next season.  Perhaps it was a small thing but he smiled a lot today.

    Okay, I’m going to go ahead and say it to start the flame – Alabama may be a better basketball team with Lacey coming off the bench. Retin Obasahan, who was the butt of jokes last season, has shown the promise Tide coaches knew was there.  He is aggressive in driving to the hoop, can shoot the three, makes his free throws, is a little devil on defense, and he can also shoot the mid range jumper. I thought that when Obasashan was in the game our offense moved better and we scored much easier. I’m not saying we put Lacey in the pasture but Retin shows a spark we need. What about Nick Jacobs. He doesn’t have all the skill in the world but what skill he has is well used. I loved that nifty little reverse layup with is right hand.

      So what was the difference in today’s offense as opposed to the second half drought offense?  I thought it was three things;

1. The never let up the pressure on defense
2. We actually ran some new inside pick plays against the zone’
3. Obasahan was big time today.

         The other thing was some great coaching. Grant took a couple of big risk by not playing a zone, and deciding to dominate the paint with aggressive play by the guards. That aggressiveness lead to baskets by Jacobs. Pollard made two great passes inside to the lefty. Dwight Powell and his Cardinal teammates flew 3,000 odd miles to find out that SEC basketball is not as bad as some like report. Powell was 1-6. Stanford had to shoot threes to stay competitive. They hit 10. They tried 29.  That’s less than 33%. 2^nd seed Maryland comes to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. The winner goes to the Big Apple whether you think it is an honor or not. 

Tide is four point favorite today...

Kick-off, ‘er Tip-off at 11 this morning

The to face Stanford in round 2 of NIT

          I know there have been tons of 11 o’clock kick-offs, but for basketball that’s early. Here’s another way to look at it – if you are from Stanford, it’s only 9 in the morning. I know of no self respecting college student who even gets up from bed at that hour. Let’s hope that one player on the Cardinal team fits the late riser category. First-Team All-PAC 12 center Dwight Powell will be the most talented big man the Tide has faced this season. Moussey Gueye and Nick Jacobs just can’t keep up with Powell. The big man

is averaging 15.3 ppg and 8.5 rebounds in a good basketball league.

      Here’s the problem the Tide will face – DP is versatile. He can play outside and inside with equal success. Alabama has no one who can match up with him on paper. Not many teams would have a player to match up with the Stanford’s top dog. Can you imagine Gueye or Jacobs having to extend their defense to the three point line?  Grant knows he can’t do that. So look for Alabama to play their two-three match up zone to try to seal off the inside. If I were Grant make Powell beat me from the outside. Powell is also a terrific offensive rebounder. He can run the floor on the fast break. Seriously, he can lead the fast break. Stanford likes to score, but they have shown they can win against a Tide type offense. They beat SFA in a game where both team scored in the 50's

       Okay, it’s Saturday morning and it’s raining. It’s spring break. You don’t’ have a lot to do. Spend 9 bucks and come watch the Tide play Stanford. If you don’t want to do that, then spend the money and come watch a great basketball player.  When you watch him you might want to think about how good Alabama can be with such a player. Is it possible that we might be actually talking to a similar player? 

      

Bama has their hands full with PAC 12 Stanfod

Alabama prepares for Stanford

Another small “crowd” expected...

   

     Alabama will face the Stanford Cardinal his Saturday morning at 11 CST, and will try to add win number 22 for the year.  The PAC 12 is considered one of the best five conferences in the NCAA.  The UCLA Bruins are the premiere team of the conference.  This season the PAC 12 sent 5 teams to the Big Dance. Oregon, UCLA, Colorado, Arizona, and Cal all made the field. Add Arizona State, Stanford, and Washington into the mix and it means that 8 of the 12 conference made the post season. What that indicates to me is that there were no pit stops for upper tier teams in the PAC 12. Competition was the rule and not the exception. In that regard, the SEC and PAC 12 had a bunch of closely packed teams. The margin of talent between the top and bottom teams was very slight.   

       Here’s and interesting stat – Alabama is 20-3 when they shot at least as many free throws as their opponents. The officiating in the Northeastern game was interesting to say the least.  The Stanford team can get to the line.   The Cardinal has one truly great player – Dwight Powell is one of the best players in the PAC 12.  He is a true big man. He’s 6-10, 235lbs., and is very athletic. He is averaging 15+ points per game, almost 9 rebounds, and is an 80% free throw shooter. He’s made it to the line 167 times this season. That gives you an idea of how active he is underneath. He shoots 48% from the floor and has pulled down 277 rebounds this season. Powell will be a test for Alabama’s two post players.  The big Stanford center  may be the centerpiece of the Cardinal team but he has three other teammates who are scorers. Most team struggle to find a third option, but Stanford has the luxury of having four players who are in double digit numbers in scoring.

 

     I’m really impressed with the Pac 12 in the NCAA, and that makes me worry about Stanford even more.  Cal knocked off UNLV which was a big upset, but Rebels were forced to play the game in San Jose. That meant a sell out crowd of Golden Bear fans.  Oregon knocked out Oklahoma State in a mild upset. The 12-5 seed is considered upset central. The truth is that the 12 seed is very frequently seeded incorrectly.  Oregon was better than a 12 seed.  In the regular season Stanford beat Oregon, Cal two times, played UCLA down to the wire twice, beat Denver, and lost by only eight to Missouri on the road.  The Crimson Tide has their hands full.  One thing that Stanford didn’t do is win close gamers. Like Alabama, Stanford was only a few bounces here and there from winning 26 games. Alabama may be a slight favorite, but Stanford can win the game.  Stanford comes into the Alabama game as the defending NIT champion. 

 

 

     

      

 

 

Bama rips Northeastern 62-43

Tide used two streaks to win...

Randolph leads the way...

Embarrassingly small crowd supports the Crimson...

     Alabama used a red-hot 19-4 start and then added a 22-0 run in the second half to put a way a game but out-manned Northeastern. The final score was 62-43 and near the end the only drama was whether the visitors could score 40 points. They did and had to fight for everyone of them. It should be noted that the top player for Northeastern did not dress to an injury. The Crimson Tide finally found an opponent that the could dominate inside.  Not all of those paint points came from either of the Tide's two big men, but was an accumulation of points by all the Tide.

        Someone asked me to describe the game today. I told them I went to an NIT basketball game and a 40 minute nap broke out.  Only 2500 turned out to support the Tide. Coleman might have been Grant's tomb for all the silence coming from the stands. For Alabama the win was a recovery from the Florida game and gave them their 22nd game to top 12 losses. The Tide will play the Stanford Cardinal (19-14) who played a thriller last night over Stephen F. Austin 58-57.  The game tips off at 11 in the morning this Saturday.

        I didn't expect a big crowd last night. But at 9 dollars a ticket I thought we might have drawn 8,000.  You could have set off a hand grenade in the upper half of the stands and no one would have been hurt. 2,500 is a number that should completely embarrass Tide fans. I suspect that number might represent the real base number of die hard fans who support the program with their money and attendance. I understand that Bobby Knight who was the color man for the game commented about absence of fans. I talked with Coach Knight after the game. He's a nice man who loves basketball, and he said it was hard to believe how few people were in attendance. Coach Knight is a lot like Wimp in many ways. I bet their hearts don't beat but bounce like a basketball. Hope a few more people will come out this weekend. I know the students are on Spring break but honestly they don't come out in large numbers anyway. A little home crowd support goes a long way. The PAC 12 is a good basketball league and this game will be highly competitive. 

Bama hosts Northeastern...

Bama gets # 1 seed in the NIT

Bama awarded # 1 seed in NIT...

Interesting way the NIT Selection Committee worked

     I was told just a couple of days ago that Alabama would be a number two seed. The men I talked to were in a position to know.  So how did Alabama go to a number one seed?  A couple of things happened. Villinova got an at large bid. Plus Baylor didn't get a bid to the NCAA. The Committee went back and forth between Virginia, Alabama, and Maryland to eliminate one team as a one seed. It turns out the Committee took the teams as the NCAA Selection Committee had left them when they finished the seeding the at large teams for the Big Dance.

       So if we want to know how close Alabama came to the NCAA we were the second team left out. The first was Southern Mississippi, then Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia. I think that when you look at the teams in the NIT, not counting the automatic bids, the NCAA chose to put certain teams in that Tournament. I guess that's what you can believe that the NCAA is the evil empire, or you choose to say it was done fairly. That is a joke, of course. When you saw the four play in teams and all of them were mid-major schools I knew the fix was in so to speak. Alabama beats Florida and it was likely they would have been in the NCAA. The politics  were to include more mid-majors, throw them a bone so to speak, and put other big conference teams in the NIT

       I love the NIT. This tournament is for love of the game. These are the type games you watch if you are a real fan. Seasonal fans need not apply. For Alabama it is better than nothing, and the Tide could play three home games. I think if the Tide beats Northeastern they are likely to play Stanford. I remember our last game with Stanford and how our win burst a good season for them. Right now the brackets are set up for Alabama and Maryland square off to see goes the NYC. The Terps beat Duke twice and by the end of the season were a better team than their record indicates.

'Bama to the NIT and I'm happy ...

Alabama is going to NIT...
Let the negative posts begin

     I've been on the boards this morning looking at the posts. I want to ask you guys something - are there some of you that finds amusement in Alabama getting an NIT bid? I I just don't get it. Going to the NIT is like going to the Capital One Bowl. It's not the national championship but surely its better than staying at home. I suspect a huge number of those who make derogatory remarks don't really understand the significance and importance of the NIT on the national level.  

• There are a lot of teams in the NIT that would be in the NCAA championship if we didn't allow Jack and Jill to go out to play...
• National Television is important to a program
• The NIT is so important to Alabama basketball history it cannot be overlooked nor should playing in the field be made a joke. I know the first NIT game for Bama was important enough to get Bear Bryant to sit on the bench. It also reinforced his belief that Alabama needed a prominent basketball program.
• If you ignorant enough to slam the NIT then you don't like basketball and you don't know enough about hoops to have an opinion. Do yourself and us a favor and quit posting your stupidity.
• I would rather play in the NCAA but it is what it is. Embrace it, enjoy it, and move one. But quit demeaning our program, coach, AD, and players in your idiotic belief that playing in the NIT means you have failed. 

        Bama played a heck of game yesterday. Florida was beating people by almost 20 a game. We don't have half the talent Florida has. Had Boynton not gone ballistic  might have won. If a couple of fouls that were stuck on been assessed to Gueye it might have made a difference or it might have had no difference. The truth of the basketball matter

is that we came into the season a marginal team. We finished better than expected if you really 

go back all the way to the start of the season. The 6-0 run didn't whet the appetites of Tide fans, it raised some very unrealistic expectations.  Even then the between a good season and a great one was a few games. Buy tickets for the NIT. Real fans will. Complainers won't.

Bama to be # 2 seed in NIT

'Bama to be number 2 seed in NIT ?
Likely to be opposite Kentucky in bracket...

       Just a few minutes ago I talked with two friends who work for the NIT. Unless some really strange things happen it appears the Crimson Tide will get a two seed, and will be opposite Kentucky in the same bracket. That means the Tide and Kentucky could meet to see who goes to New York. That game would be played in Rupp Arena.

              Other SEC teams who could get bids are LSU and Arkansas.   There are going to be a lot of surprised SEC fans when the brackets are released. Here are the presumed # 1 seeds:

• Kentucky
• Maryland*
• Iowa
• Tennessee

            My personal belief is that the NCAA/NIT (same ownership) will put another ACC team as a one seed if possible. That would be Virginia. The Maryland win over Duke (2nd time this season) may not be good enough to get in the NCAA, but the NIT might take them as a #1 seed. There will  also be some strong lobbying for Umass to get a one seed.

            *There is strong consideration being given to a Maryland/Alabama duo in one bracket.  One thing the NIT has done in the past is to select one seeds from four separate major colleges. We are going to talk tomorrow afternoon and I'll post an update.

How strange that Alabama could a # 2 seed and haven beaten Tennessee twice and Kentucky once.

‘Bama can’t hang on to second half lead…

Two inside players and we’ll be very good next season

 

       We didn’t beat Florida because we don’t have enough good players. There is no shame in that. If that’s the problem Grant can recruit a fix. We signed two national top75 players who play center and power forward. That will help. Carl Engstrom returns and that will also help. And is it possible that we might sign at least one big juco inside player, and an experienced player from Europe. I believe we will. One thing that we do have is a good head coach. If you still don’t believe that you don’t know basketball worth a flip. Luckily, getting a couplle of players can improve a team very quickly. Next season everyone on our roster, except the gutsy Andrew Steel will be back for another season. We are so close to being a great basketball team you can almost smell it. Ask Billy Donavan if he thinks Alabama can be a great team next season – he’ll tell you they will be and maybe more. I bet he thinks they are pretty good right now. The better team won, but only because a great player got read hot. We built a ten point lead by doing all the gritty little things that talent short teams have to do.  In the end the team with the best players usually win. We have defied that logic several times this season. Today the odds caught up with us.

 

        I’m seen our two signees play several games this season. Hale is 6-8 and he can jump and shoot. He needs some weight. Jimmie Taylor is not a great scorer. But he’ll knock you sideways on defense. He is as strong at finishing a play as I’ve seen in some time. He’s not pretty on offense, but he is an assassin on defense.  He is quick and agile. He can jump to the rafters. Hale is smooth as silk type inside player who has good range.  Both are comparable to each other but at different positions.  I think Hale will add some much needed offense.

    

The season is not over by any stretch. Anyone who thinks otherwise might not understand the value of post-season in any venue. I hope we get in the NCAA but for our development and exposure it might be better to have a chance to play a few games.   I have no problem with our team not getting an invitation as long as Tennessee or Kentucky aren't selected. We are better than those two teams.  Ole Miss is playing well right now and could help the league imagine. I’ll tell you a coach that doesn’t want an NCAA invitation. John Calipari knows his team is not ready for prime time and could use some competition where they might be competitive. They are 4-4 after the loss of Nerlens Noel.

 

It is never great to see your team lose in a tournament. Today is the day I get to open the envelopes of two sports writers who predicted the season. Names shall remain unrevealed out of agreement. I picked us to win 19 in the regular season. The other to picks stood at 17 and 21.  We were not highly rated going into the season and in my opinion we milked the year for about all we could. The only game I regret is the AU game.  Whether that cost us a bid would be conjecture. Whether we got a bid after a win today would be conjecture. In all honesty we really aren’t a highly competitive NCAA Tournament team except in our Crimson hearts. If we make it to the NCAA we can be highly surprised and happy. If we don’t we understand why. We could be the top seeded team in the NIT and that would give us a chance for more basketball.  But this season had some things to remember

 

·         Trevor Releford is a great point guard and that’s where you start building a team

·         Nick Jacobs found his way in the latter part of the season.

·         Moussa will never be great on offense but he will be much better next year.

·         Retin Obasahan  was  a major surprise

·         Pollard was a major disappointment but he did make some real improvement toward the end. He can rebound and block shots. He plays solid defense, and the physical talent is undeniable. He’ll work hard this off-season and gain some strength and weight. Then we may see the real Pollard

·         Grant will never satisfy everyone but he can coach. He has at least two more years, and I he’ll get an extension next year.

·         Carl Engstrom may actually be more than a role player. His rehab is going well.

 

We finished second in the SEC when we were picked 6th in the pre-season. And a lot of negative fans will tell you we underacheived. No way. Our early season surge raised expectations which were simply not realistic. Despite all that we were close to being a really good team. I think the players and coaches should be commended. I think a lot of our fans should look themselves in the mirror and reconsider some of the offensive things they have said about this team. I find it particulary unfair from fans whose basketball IQ would be a quarterbacks number.

I also wanted to say something about our offense. It was the only offense we could play. We had to play mud ball because he had no real inside game. I think our outside shooting improved despite the fact the other team knew what was coming.

      

                                                    

    

     

Tide states their case...
Tennessee can't keep up with Alabama speed and execution

      I have no idea if Alabama makes the NCAA Tournament or not.  It is easy to say if Tennessee goes dancing we should go as well. After all, we beat the 'Vols 2 out of 3 times this season. It might not happen. We beat Georgia twice a couple of years ago only to see the Dawgs receive a bid. We stayed home.  The number of teams left on the bubble is dwindling as the day grows old.   For right now all Alabama fans should simply rejoice in the best game the Tide has played this season.  

Excellent Coaching by Grant...

     For those who think Anthony Grant can't coach they should watch this game again. I was struck by the superior Tennessee talent level. How did Grant pull this one off?  He told his team to  walk the middle of the road. Alabama used the 5 position set screens all game long. All game long the Tide guards found their way to the basket. Grant knew if he could make this a guard game, he knew 'Bama had a chance to win. It worked. Bama's superior speed and execution on big day Friday was near perfect. Once the game was put in the hands of the Bama  guards you knew the  score was going to be low. McRae wasn't going to get the number of shots that Tennessee wanted. Tennessee needed to get the ball inside to Jarnell Stokes as plan B.  McRae couldn't shoot. Stokes responded with only 12 points. There is no stat line for what Moussa Gueye did with Stoke's game, and probably his head. Gueye and Nick Jacobs didn't own the paint. But they did make it a no man's land. If Tennessee was going inside they were going to find it tough. They were not going to just post up Stokes and beat Alabama. Jacobs had a career high 12 boards and officially became a player in my mind.

Tennessee struggles from the outside when the heat was on...  

  When Tennessee couldn't find anything inside they began to shoot threes. It was their only patterned offense. The other part of their game was getting offensive rebounds.  The 'Vol got a total of 15 offensive boards. Many were long bounces off missed three point shots. Despite the fact the Vols got 15 offensive rebounds they could not break the 50 barrier.

      The result was Tennessee scored only 48 points. McRae who had been averaging around 25 ppg in the last ten games scored only 9 points. He was 3-13. He was a non-factor. When McRae picked up foul number 4 around 7 minute mark the 'Vols were finished. You could see and you could sense it onr . facesYou could look into the eyes of the Tennessee players and sense the fear. Alabama didn't stop trying to score, they didn't even slow down the clock much in the last five minutes. Instead, the set their screens and flew into the lane. When Levi Randolph made a last moment adjustment to loft a shot over Stokes to score,  the last fire in the 'Vols was extinguished. The surging 'Vols, the darling of the bracket experts, were knocked to the mat and couldn't get up.

    Bama must beat Florida in my opinion to get in the field. It might help us Vandy beats Ole Miss. Missouri choked big time. No other word for their last 7 minutes. Credit Ole Miss for hanging in and coming back. If Ole Miss goes and we stay home then I have no problem with that. They beat us head to head. Let me say this - when a team loses and moves up into the field it is a joke. Something wrong there.

Other jokes:

• That people even mention UK in field. They are a bad team. Kudos to my good buddy Joe Dean. He picked it..
• UMass? 
• Boise State? Tennessee ahead of us? Is there no common sense in Selection Committee. And I say the Selection Committee because they lead information to Lunardi and wait to here the blow back in my opinion.

Regardless, I have never been prouder of a bunch of kids who have had so much adversity in the year. And yes, Levi called the bank. His mid-air adjustment to get some loft is something only a special few can do. 

     

When we were all Wimp(s)

WIMP WAS ONE HECKAVA COACH
ONE OF A KIND IN PLAID...

    I readily admit to liking Anthony Grant.  That doesn't mean that I don't miss Wimp. No coach has ever taken Alabama to the heights of glory as Sanderson. CM got the ball rolling but Wimp had the Coliseum rocking and rolling. Someone asked me the other day what it was that made me like Sanderson so much.  That one was easy. Wimp was one of us except he got paid to coach. One look on the Wimp's face could tell the story of how the game was going for Alabama. If his demeanor had reached the scowl mode it meant things weren't going well and he thought the officials were to blame.

     One more thing I'll admit to believing. I still believe that Grant can get Alabama to the level that they enjoyed under Sanderson. When I started to appear on all those radio shows stating my belief in Grant, it was my hope that Anthony could us back in the WimpZone. He only coached 12 years as Bama's head man. In nine of those years he took the Tide to the SEC Conference Championship game. Six times he brought home the trophy. If Sanderson had not been fired I have no doubt we would have been to a few final fours and maybe even have won at least once.

      How was he so sucessful?  First, he was a great coach. Second, he had great players. Not good players, but great players. Third, you wouldn't recognize our offense once the Tournament started. There were no major changes, but the moves he made to the offense were always new to the other team. I miss all those discussions with my hoops buddies about what would Wimp do. It might be a simple stack. It might be having a double low post on key possessions. Whatever he did worked.

       It's almost like we have toy players compared with those Wimp could put on the floor. I think Trevor Releford would be the only player on the Tide roster who might start for Wimp's better teams. Lacey could help out. Randlolph might be put in to ice down a shooter. Today's players seem like children as opposed to grownups of those days. That might be because today's are almost all sophomores and are so young. I couldn't help but thinking that Reginald King would have scored 50 points against Auburn, Georgia, LSU, and almost any team in the SEC. It isn't that today's players aren't good. They are good. CM and Wimp had great players. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say that todays players are about a 6 or 7. I don't mean to say anything bad about our players. They play hard. They play in a different era,and contrary to what most younger fans believe new isn't always better. In fact, new isn't even close.

       How much would Derrick McKey help today's team?  What about Roy Rogers? I could name two dozen more. Basketball has changed a lot since 91-92. I think that Wimp might win 30 games a year with his coaching talent and on the floor players. We'll be back there one day. Mark almost got us there and then seemed to lose focus. Grant has had some tough luck, and some of it is his own fault, but he'll get us there. Just have a little patience and faith. I remember CM's record his first three or four years. In today's climate he would have been fired. Back then there was this man named Paul Bryant who had a little patience and a lot of faith.

Can Bama make it?

It's looking tougher by the day...

                Just a couple of days ago I was feeling pretty good about the winner of the Tennessee/Alabama game in the SEC Tournament making it to the NCAA. Now it appears that it is safe to say the loser will not go, but the winner's fate is still unknown. I know very few things in life beyond a reasonable doubt. One, my wife is always correct. Two, I'll never be rich. 3. I love the Alabama basketball program and 4. The RPI and the Selection Committee are the most insane methods known to choose who goes to play in the Tournament.  A lot of fans rely  on their work. Talk about turnovers - that bunch has taken stupidity to a new level.

              Al Davis, that grand old man of the Oakland Raiders, had a saying which made all bad things good – “Win Baby Win”. Damned if that doesn't seem to be reasonable. You finish second in your league you shouldn't be a question mark about whether you go play in the NCAA. End of story as far as I am concerned. How the NCAA picks at-large teams is a travesty. I know it is not an easy job. The reason is that the Committee has boxed itself in is their reliance of a combination of subjective and objective criteria which even they cannot fully explain. Alabama lost some games to bad teams. Kentucky lost some games to good teams. Tennessee did both. Surely, the great hoops father in the mezzanine beat someone head to head counts for something? It apparently it does not.
 

        Here's what I now understand about Alabama's situation. They must beat Tennessee to move forward. Then if they beat Florida it might be safe to say the Tide is in, but... anything preceded by the word 'but' has to be bad. In this case it is indeed bad. But if Florida gets beat in their first game it's bad for Bama. Why? Well, it means the winner of that game will have an RPI that sounds like a decent batting average in the major leagues. In the meantime Florida is likely to drop from a projected 3 seed to a 4 or even 5 seed. Wait, I do have one more truth in life – I can do a better job in devising a system for the NCAA. Just let everyone play. Or at least expand the field to 128 teams. That would mean 1 extra game. If the eventual national champion can win 6 in a row, surely they can win 7. I'm not suggesting we eliminate some little school that dreams of being Cinderella. I just think this constant insanity of the RPI has run its course.

RELEFORD AND 1st TEAM ALL-SEC

Trevor Releford named 1st Team All-SEC...
First team top defensive team also

     Trevor Releford, Alabama's point guard, has been named 1st Team All-SEC by the leagues 14 head basketball coaches. In addition, he was also named lst Team All-Defensive Player as well. These two awards are fitting tribute to Alabama's best basketball player and floor general. Not bad for a kid from Kansas City who wanted to play somewhere else other than Kansas. His brother plays for Kansas and Trevor wanted to find his own path. I'd say he's done it.

    Releford and Nerlens Noel of KU were the only two players to make first team in both groups. No doubt, they are the best at their respective positions on defense. T-Relly, as his teammates call him is Bama's leading scorer, leads in steals, three point shooting % and is second in assists. I guess we should add he leads the team in 55 foot game winning shots.

I've seen two point guards who took a season and turned themselves into all time great Alabama players. Releford has certainly done so this season. The other was Gary Waites his senior season. When Waites was not named to the All-Tournament team in Nashville the crowd rose and began to chang Gary Waites, Gary Waites, Gary Waites. James Robinson, who did make the team walked over and handed Gary his trophy. How lucky we are to have a player like Releford. Trevor was also named as a Regional All-American today as well.


Help: I need two for Friday. bamamidcourt@gmail.com
Thanks

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Alabama/Tennessee winner to dance?

Will the winner of the Alabama/Tennessee go to NCAA?

It's setting up to look that way...

 

Part of the Selection Committee

         Those who claim to have expertise in the NCAA bracket selections are saying that Kentucky and Tennessee have gained a spot in the Tournament.  Alabama is one of the first four standing in  line hoping for a ticket for a sold out dance. That's strange to me considering that Alabama beat both teams in the regular season.  The Tide lost to Tennessee on a disputed and laughable no-call that would have allowed a different outcome.  Like I said after that game, such things never even out do they ?  So much for beating Kentucky when Noel was in the lineup. Take nothing from Kentucky in their win over Florida. Truth is that Florida is just slightly better than your average team. Florida's road record isn't lighting up any Las Vegas neon signs.

 

          Luckily, for Alabama they have a chance to change that if Tennessee beats the winner of  game one of the tournament between Mississippi State and South Carolina. I'm not sure they will but surely they should. That means that the Vols will meet Bama on Friday afternoon. It seems fair that the winner of this game goes to the NCAA Tournament. That would be fair most fans standards.  Fair by the NCAA is another matter entirely. Fair would be saying that Alabama finished second in the SEC as did Kentucky.  Alabama beat Kentucky when they faced off earlier in the season. That is  not the NCAA idea of fair. Kentucky and Tennessee are ahead of Alabama by the slimmest of margins. Tennessee and Kentucky split in the regular season. Let's see - Kentucky and Tennessee beat each other, as did Alabama and Tennessee.  We beat Kentucky. They didn't beat us. Apparently, head to head means little if nothing. True, the Wildcats played a lot of good teams. They lost to all of them. To recap.

• Duke
• Notre Dame
• Baylor
• Arkansas
• Alabama
• Texas A&M
• Louisville
• Florida
• Tennessee

         If Kentucky played a good team they lost. The NCAA's "logic" is that even though Kentucky beat Florida and we didn't, beating Kentucky head to head is not important. I'm sorry, that is just crazy talk. I'm really happy that Kentucky scheduled teams that were good and lost to everyone of them. So the threshold question seems to me - is it more important who you lost to than who you beat in head to head competition. And you wonder why I think the NCAA field should include everyone in the NCAA? A couple of extra games, and all this non-sense about quality losses, RPI, BPI, and the like could just RIP. All this RPI non-sense means you can lose a game and gain points. You can win a game and lose points. I'm not the smartest guy in the State of Alabama but I'm not the village idiot. Alabama won two games against opponents that beat Kentucky. Kentucky won a single game against a team that beat us.

 

       I wonder if Alabama actually beats Tennessee will the Tide slip in the field?