THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY?

GRANTS FAILURE TO CALL TIME OUT WAS FATAL...

Missed time out costs Bama

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

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

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

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

POUND, POUND,  POUND THE GROUND?

Is Jordan-Hare home advantage enough to beat the Tide

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

Roll Tide by 31-21
 

 

 

 

Duke beats Tide 74-64 in hard fought game

Tide plays good game against Duke

Once again fouls plague Releford
Jacobs has outstanding game

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

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

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

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

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

        Today the Tide takes on a good Drexel team on Thursday

BAMA VS.DUKE - No downside for the Tide

Tide gets a free shot at great team...

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

ONE SHINING MOMENT...

THE DAY MY GENERATION CANNOT FORGET...

           So many of our younger readers only know John F. Kennedy from history books.  For so many in my generation November 22 will always be a day we remember with sadness. That was the day our President died. Anyone who was alive can always remember where they were when they learned of the death of the President. For me, it was at basketball practice.I was at Cleveland High School, in Blount County, Alabama which lies deep in the heart of conservative America, I can still remember our history teacher coming into the auditorium that served as our gym. "The President has been assassinated in Dallas." I can still close my eyes and see her standing there in her brown dress with tears in her eyes. I had been holding a basketball when she spoke. The ball was dropped and the sound of it bouncing up and down still ring in my years.  Ping, ping,ping,ping,ping,ping,ping, and then a final very faint ping and the ball rolled away. It rolled toward our home bench. Four chairs from the end. It roll perfectly under the chair. It was a Wilson Jet ball. It wasn't new. It was losing the new orange color and was already turning brown. I went over and picked the ball up from under the chair. I can still feel the softness of the leather and its wonderful smell. I put that ball under my arm and walked away from practice with tears in my eyes. That ball has never been out of the box where I stored it away, except for one day each year.  On this day I take the ball out of the box and hold it, close my eyes, and recall that day and the ones which followed.

      My generation lost something special that day.  We lost our innocence and our trust in the world. For myself, the world had been a pretty wonderful place. The sky was blue and the sun burned bright. There was something in our nation which lived before that day which we have never recovered.  The country was moving forward, problems were being solved, people respected each other, and there was a general feeling America was a special place. In that America dreams still came true. Not ever American felt that way. But back then there was a man who thought we could make things right which were wrong, we could put a man on the moon, and almost everything seemed possible. It was a time so unlike today. Jack Kennedy wasn't perfect. I know that. But the time in which he lived was. In those days we all had all had hammer. We all had work to do. We had a hero.  And then in a blink of an eye he was gone. I often wonder how different the world might have been had he lived. What might have happened. What might have not occurred, how much better our country might have become. I never knew President Kennedy because I was just a skinny little kid from the country. I made it a point to meet his brother, Bobby, and do volunteer work for him. I made it a point to meet his brother, Teddy, and do volunteer work for him. A better person emerged because of that work. it was my own little piece of Camelot.

     Some days are bad ones. Today is a still a day I barely tolerate. Those who are not old enough to remember that day can never understand. I know that these feeble words are a weak attempt to express something so horrible that people my age will never forget.How can you adequately express that to someone who wasn't even alive.  Even today I personally measure all days against that day. There have been a lot of bad days in my life since that fall day. None have been as bad as that day, however. I doubt that any will ever be. For a lot of people in my generation it was the day the world changed.

RETIN SHINES FOR THE TIDE

Obasahan is a great athlete ...




Obasahan drives to the basket
compliments of Bham News

                   Bama's beat up and coming Georgia State last night 75-58. They Tide held the high scoring Panthers to just 58 points which wasn't easy. There were bunches of those silly little touch fouls on both sides, but 'Bama is making some headway into learning to play with the new standard. There are still a lot of whistles blowing for reasons which clearly confuse the players. One thing I did like about Alabama's approach to learning is that would always ask the referee exactly what they did wrong.  On a couple of occasions the Tide players told the refs, "are you gonna give me that on the other end"? None of that made any difference to the Tide. Example?  Kentucky five star transfer Ryan Harrow who was averaging 20 ppg finished with only 4 points even though he jacked up 11 attempts. The Bama man to man and 2/3 match up zone killed the Panthers from the outside. The Tide up few paint baskets in exchange but the goal going into the game was don't give up the three point baskets. State made only 5-17 and only a couple were uncontested.The Sun Belt team shot only 40% for the game overall and were out rebounded 40-26.

       That rebound differential proved big for the Tide. Shannon Hale led the Tide inside with  rebound. The freshman seemed to find his game for the first time this season and you could see why Grant signed him. He also chipped in 8 points on 3/6 shooting and blocked one shot inside to deny the Panthers a basket  Trevor Releford started things off on the right foot for the Tide with a couple of threes. He finished with 19 points which led all Tide scorers. Bama struggled on the inside again but managed to cobble together some production with a combination of Engstrom and Ellis. Ellis changed a few shots inside, and Engstom played hard pulling down 5 boards and scoring 5 as well. He made the only flat footed left handed hook shot I've ever seen much to the delight of the crowd.

      But the night belonged to Obasahan.  The 6-1 guard scored 18 points on an assortment of drives through the paint, and a couple of ESPN highlight dunks. If you wondered why Trevor Lacey transferred it showed last night. Obasahan was stealing minutes from the now NC State guard at the end of last season.  Lacey would have had a hard time winning back his starting role this year. Obasahn looks like he was chiseled from granite. He is quick,  fast, and explosive. On one play last night he stole a ball, kept it in bounds with his speed and intelligence and then soared over a couple of defenders on what can only be called a thunder dunk. It was a play you had to see to believe. Retin adds new dimension to Bama's already hard defensive play. Oh yeah, he also blocked 3 shots to save baskets. When Bama signed him people had no idea his upside. He is going to be even better as the year progresses. It was a solid when against a team that could win the Sun Belt.

      Bama now flys to NYC to play Duke on the 27th. This is a game that is all upside for the Tide. Tide fans can measure their team against one of the truly big boys of college basketball. It would be a tough win for the Tide. This will be a very interesting game due to the match ups. Not all favor the Dukies either. Win? I doubt it. But I think Alabama might surprise a few people. See you in the Garden.

           

CRIMSON HOOPS - Releford lights it up...

'Bama rebounds to beat Texas Tech...

Releford puts on a show for fans

 

Grant questions backcourt timeout

       Two things were obivious last night. Trevor Releford was on fire, and played an all world game. The second was that Alabama decided to rebound. After a poor outing under the boards in the Oklahoma game the Tide got a little more physical. They didn't dominate the glass but they get 32 rebounds and cut down on the number of offensive rebounds given up. Tech had 26 rebounds for the night. Rodney Cooper offset a poor shooting night with 7 rebounds. Freshman Jimmie Taylor had 6 boards in only 21 minutes of play. Releford got in the lane for 5 boards including 2 offensive boards that netted baskets. Carl Engstrom had a bad night and played sparingly.

 

Tide backcourt is getting to be pretty darn good... 

Releford celebrates in final seconds

     

 

      More than anything, the night belonged to the point guard, Trevor Releford.  The All-SEC point was 5-7 from downtown and finished with 29 points. He was 11-13 for the night and was the spark plug which ignited another fast start for the Tide. There is no better point guard in the SEC. He leadership and talent will give the basketball team a chance to win some games. Retin Obasahan played another good game. He is so fast, quick, and strong you tend to forget he plays the shooting guard postion. He started to get better at the end of last season, stealing minutes from from Lacey, and continues to progress. He will better by the end of the season, and along with Releford, may be the best backcourt in the SEC. He's one 'project' that worked out.

 

Tide adjusts to defensive rule change...

     

Taylor pulls down 6 boards
in only 21 minutes of play
blocks 4 shots

 It's always nice to win but Alabama has a long way to go. Day by day may be the motto of this team. The Tide had 17 turnovers and you won't win a lot of games against good games. The Tide seemed to adjust better to the new foul rule for this game. The Tide forced 5 shot clock violations, and one failure to get the ball past half court. They also forced Tubby Smith to waste two timeouts to get past half court. All in all it was a gritty defensive statement. Allowing a team to only score 64 points is going to be a low number in light of the new officiating rules. I suspect that as Levi Randolph gets back in plaing shape the Tide's offense will cut down on turnovers. When you integrate so many new players into a lineup you are  going to make some mistakes.

 

        Kudos to Grant for having his team ready to play and making adjustment to touch fouls. Putting Taylor and Jacobs on the floor was a no brainer, or perhaps a recognition of having no other choice to be competitive in the paint. Grant seemed particularly happy with play of Taylor in post game comments. Give the Tide points for effort, shooting, improved rebounding. Give them negative points for defensive lapses, turnovers, and fluid play on offense. Game two was better. The Tide as two more easy games before the tough games start.

 

The Box Score:

 

Texas Tech Red Raiders
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Jaye Crockett, F	33	5-9	1-2	1-2	4	3	7	3	4	0	3	0	12
Dejan Kravic, F	21	4-8	0-0	0-1	1	0	1	1	0	2	2	0	8
Jordan Tolbert, F	34	7-9	0-1	0-0	1	6	7	0	1	3	0	4	14
Dusty Hannahs, G	19	2-6	1-5	0-0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	5
Robert Turner, G	38	6-15	0-4	2-3	1	1	2	2	2	0	3	1	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Alex Foster, F	3	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Aaron Ross, F	10	1-2	0-0	0-0	3	1	4	1	0	0	1	0	2
Kader Tapsoba, F	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Luke Adams, G	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Toddrick Gotcher, G	14	2-4	1-3	0-0	1	1	2	0	0	0	2	1	5
Jamal Williams, Jr., G	17	1-4	1-4	0-0	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	3	3
Randy Onwuasor, G	8	0-1	0-1	1-2	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	1
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		28-59	4-20	4-8	13	13	26	10	8	5	16	15	64
		47.5%	20.0%	50.0%
Alabama Crimson Tide
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Nick Jacobs, F	26	4-8	0-0	1-3	2	0	2	0	1	0	2	1	9
Jimmie Taylor, F	21	2-3	0-0	0-0	3	3	6	0	1	4	1	1	4
Rodney Cooper, G	36	3-9	0-4	1-2	3	4	7	1	0	0	2	1	7
Retin Obasohan, G	37	5-11	0-2	5-5	1	3	4	4	5	1	3	1	15
Trevor Releford, G	33	11-14	5-7	2-2	1	4	5	0	0	0	4	1	29
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
Dakota Slaughter, F	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Shannon Hale, F	6	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1	0
Carl Engstrom, C	2	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0
Algie Key, G	11	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	3	3	1	0	0	1	1	2
Levi Randolph, G	27	2-5	1-1	5-5	1	1	2	3	1	0	1	0	10
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
		28-51	6-14	14-17	12	20	32	9	8	5	17	9	76
		54.9%	42.9%	82.4%

 Technical Fouls: PLAYERS: None - TEAMS: None
 Officials: Don Dailey, Antinio Petty, Pat Adams
 Attendance: 10,746

Tide seems ready for Red Raiders...

Tide should win this game going away...

     If Alabama can't beat a Texas Tech team in Tuscaloosa this is going to be a long season. I'm anxious to see if our team has started to adjust to the new defensive rule. It is mandatory we learn how to play defense without touching someone with the ball. I have no idea how you can do that. Since the first peach basket was hung on a wall hand and forearm checking been a part of the game. I have no idea who the sissy was that dreamed this one up. Well, actually I do. I think this is a TV rule. Television believes that higher scores bring viewers. Games are going to last longer because of whistle blowing and free throw shooting. The rule hurts some teams and kills others. If you believe that defense wins games (like Anthony Grant) then this a potential career ending rule. This is an ESPN money rule.

 

   Hats off to Levi Randolph for playing 31 minutes in the last game when he was out of playing shape. That says a lot about the young man. He's a winner. Trevor Releford will take the floor with strict orders of not touching anyone. If a Texas Tech player has the ball he is home free until he hits the paint. Let him go, just shout out to the inside players he's on his way. This is supposed to be the SEC/BIG 12 Challenge. No way that Texas Tech can challenge anyone right now. No disregard to Tubby and Tech but they are probably going to finish last in their league. Tubby Smith can bring them back in time,but he can't bring them back from the dead. That's where their last year's coach left them. Alabama fans take nothing for granted anymore in hoops. But honestly this should be a 20+ win for the Tide.   

Keys for game:

1. TR stays around for more than the first    act
2. Can anyone rebound name Jacobs and Big Swede
3. Algie Key needs a big one
4. Remember this guy name Cooper?  Hope he shows  up
5. Something positive from the freshmen
6. Retin needs to keep it up
7. Break even on the boards
8. Make those free throws. There may be a lot of them shot

Alabama has the speed and quickness to get to the line. If the inside can do anything we should be okay. If Bama doesn't win this game Coach Grant should be concerned. But then again we got the top player in the country to commit to Nick Saban. To some that means all is well. Not me.

 

LEE CHOOSES UAB OVER ALABAMA...

YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT IT MEANS...

Fans are getting anxious about our program

     I thought that William Lee might go to SMU. Never in a million years did I think he would choose UAB over Alabama.  When a player of his calibre chooses a program like UAB over the Crimson Tide you have to give some serious thought about what it means to the long term success of our program. If you can't recruit the William Lee's in our state you are in trouble. If Lee was from Georgia I wouldn't give it a second thought. If you can't outrecruit you instate rivals that's bad.

      As you know, I've been a Grant man before we even hired him. The story of my radio shows and blogs supporting Grant to replace Gottfried started before there was any real talk about MG leaving. I was convinced that Grant was the man to run our program. Overall, I think our Coach has done a good job, but like many of you, I'm not satisfied with where we are. The question of where we are is not relevant in my mind.at this time.  It is what it is. For better or worse we find ourselves in a tough league with a lack of talent in the paint to make it to the NCAA. Geez, I hope we do make it there. The real question is whether we are going to be better in the future. I'm going to give that some real thought in the next few weeks. I've chosen at every turn to give the head man the benefit of the doubt. He's had more bad luck than any man deserves. He runs a clean program. He is a strict disciplinarian. And I've always thought he was a good coach and human being. We'll do okay by seasons end. Is okay enough? No, I don't think okay will cut it anymore. A lot  of Alabama fas wanted Grant pack and leave after last season. I wasn't in that  group.

When we hired the coach...

     When we hired our coach I sincerely believed that he was the man to get us back to the CM and Wimp days - those were the salad days of Alabama basketball. I wish to make one thing clear. My loyalty is to the program and not to the man. Am I ready to give up on Grant? Not yet, But I'm ready enough for some real concern about the program's future. Let's be clear - losing Lee is not the end of the world, but there is something very unsettling about a kid choosing another in state program like UAB. Nothing against UAB. I go to some UAB games. I support them as an occasional fan. Never in my lifetime could I think that any player would pick  UAB over Alabama in any sport.

Five seasons is enough to make a decision about what is going on in the program in my opinion...

     I said that it would take Coach Grant five seasons to put the pieces back together. Here we are. This was the season that I thought we'd have some real progress. And I'm not saying it's impossible to have a fine year. Grant is certainly capable of putting together a good season with his coaching. Something is missing with what is going on or perhaps not going on in our program. We are a fine University with a proud basketball tradition even if most don't know or care. I'm really addressing this to our fan base. The ones who support Alabama live or die. I would like to see some real progress this season. We have a good bunch coming in next season even without Lee. The sun doesn't rise or fall with William Lee. Consider this  though - why would Lee, a good inside player, pass up a better program that needs big men? The answer may well be that he knows how good Kessons and Taylor are going to be by next season.  Kessons is going to be a prayer answered in my opinion. But I don't think that's the reason he chose UAB. Our fans owe the coach a great deal in terms of supporting his effort. But let me tell you this and I'm not beating around the baseline when I say it - the coach owes the fans even more. He owes us his effort, his recognition of our support, and he should always remember that. He works for us. We pay taxes for his pay check. I'm more than satisfied with the effort. I'd be lying if I said that where we headed in the future is not a worry.

Program needs our help...

      Let's give the program  our full support this season. Perhaps the next as well. If things aren't getting better next season Bill Battle could be forced to make a change. He didn't hire Grant and it's hard to judge how much loyalty he has. I'd cry like a baby if Grant doesn't succeed at Alabama.  But I'll be first in line to suggest we replace him when I believe the day comes to find another coach. I'm making a list and checking it twice with the names of basketball coaches. The name at the top is Anthony Grant right now. However; coach as had long enough to get his house in order. It is time for some real results. Tomorrow night

we play Texas Tech. Let' pack the house. This team really needs a home court advantage. I hope we can bring out of what a friend of mine calls .sustained mediocrity.' So to all our readers who think I blindly support Anthony Grant you are wrong. I do blindly support Alabama. All this has been difficult for me to acknowledge. Fans vote with their feet. The vote with their opinion and their postings. This morning I posted a queston on TiderInsider. "Assume Alabama does not make the NCAA the season should Grant be given another year?" I'd say 75% said no. That's not good.Several fans laid out reasons why Grant is where he is. None as what I'd call wholehearted support. One fan said it depended on who was available. I took that one as saying if we can find a better coach he should go. If not, let him stay. What we witnessed in the Oklahoma game was scary. I know we'll do better if we can find a way to keepTrevor in the lineup, and Levi gets back in shape. Perhpas our players can adapt to this new rule and at least stay on the floor. I do think that our primary offensive weapon which is our defense is gone. Those days are over. It may be the wussifiction of basketball but it's here.  I'm going to very interesting to see what Grant can do about this. One thing is for sure -  we better make 75% of our free throws and find an inside game where apparently the officials haven't figured out to implement the new rule. We better have multidimensional players but some people are going foul out. Now Grant can lay to rest all the people who say he can't coach. He better coach his butt off or we are in for one horrible season. I was watching LSU and couldn't help but think just how much they might beat us. Grant seems to fnd a way to get the most out of his players at the worst times. Let's hope that trend continues.

Good signing class will help next season since these kids can play offense...

   On the positive side we did have another top 25 signing class (Lee would have moved us into a top 10 class).  If you look at the best ratings for Coleman, Norris, and Mitchell all are ranked as four stars in at least one publication. All three can shoot the lights out from the outside. Coleman is going to be a great college point guard. Norris was down to 'Bama and Florida. That's pretty high cotton. Mitchell is a deadly shooter and turned down several SEC schools, a couple of ACC schools, and Wichita State if reports are correct. Great players bring high expectations. The potential is there this season and could be better next year.  I believe a lot better next season, in fact.  Remember what Charlie Brown said about potential? Grant has a lot to live up to at the Capstone. Expectations are always in the clouds if you follow the Crimson and White. I do know one thing - there are reasons that Alabama hasn't been able to improve much under Grant. Reasons should never be confused with excuses. I wonder if I personally have taken excuses and turned  them into reasons why Coach Grant hasn't done what he said when he took the job. Perhaps all the hard work I did to push Grant in the media and on the radio caused caused me to become nonobjective.  That won't happen in the future. Things happen to cause you reevaluate. It did to me recently. It was almost like a slap in the face so to speak.

       Bama plays Texas Tech on Thursday night. They are once again heavy favorites. Tech is coached by Tubby Smith now. He is a veteren of many SEC wars. He'll be ready. The line is 10.5. I hope Bama can find some inside game to compliment Releford. A loss would be really bad for the team. A bad start can deny the Tide a berth to the NCAA like last season.





Incidently, our LA apartment has two bedrooms. We'll be there for the UCLA game. And we'll be there in case Bama plays in Pasadena. If you are interested in a place to stay let me know.
 

Boomer Sooner over Roll Tide...

Bama Falls Apart in Second Half

Foul trouble kills the Tide

Rebounding is non-existent

 

      Here is the most important thing to take out of Bama's 82-73 loss to Oklahoma.  Alabama can't play it's usual type of pressure defense with this new wimpy touchy foul rule. Today had nothing to do with our players, our coach, or our program. I know people will start calling for Grant's head on pike. As long as Alabama was allowed to play tough defense they were fine. When the officials started to call touch fouls Bama was dead.
 

        The season is not over. The sun will rise in the east, and a lot of Bama fans will continue their criticism.  I know for a fact that all this negativity has cost Alabama a commitment of a one player, at least at this time. Posting comes with a cost in some cases. Tread lightly even though a screen name protects who you are.

Releford couldn't play his game...

       The fouls called on Releford were laughable. I'd be laughing but I understand that this team's future will not be decided on coaching or talent. It will be decided on some stupid rule. So what does Bama do?  They did it today. Drive to the basket. Go dribble-penetrate on almost every possession. I'll let the readers decide if the new rule was applied equally today. There is an unspoken rule in college basketball - you don't foul out stars in the pre-season. Our best hope is that this new rule will be called both ways.  The Tide has plenty of players who can prosper - Key, Obasahan, Releford, and Randolph. For those who are going to criticise Levi try to remember this is the second time he's been on the floor since his knee injury.

Algie Key is a player...

     I was very impressed with Key. Of the new players he is obviously the best. Obasahan looked much improved, and Releford continues his fine play. Hale and Taylor have a long way to go. Engstrom was lost. He's clearly favoring his foot. Rodney Cooper played like this was the first game he's ever seen. Very disappointing. It's hard to talk about Jacobs because he rarely go a touch. We don't rebound. I'm not sure we can rebound with Engstrom and Taylor in the lineup. All totaled a bad day for Bama, but a worst day for basketball with a silly rule that takes hard nosed defense out of game. Here's what I see for this team. If the new rule is called like it was today we are in trouble. If the rule is called in a manner to allow contact we will be fine. In the meantime I'd be working on a zone defense and trying to some size that can play. That was what was so disappointing about William Lee's decision to delay his college choice. All the perceived negativity surrounding Coach Grant has confused the young man. I have long suspected that all this social media and ability comment about coaches effect recruiting. This is the first case I know it to be true.

College basketball headed the way of the NBA?

     Despite the new rule we have to deal with it. College basketball is about to change. It's going to become a junior NBA where defense is an after thought. Games will be longer because of all the foul shooting. Quality of play will suffer because players get in foul trouble. It is going to be very interesting to see how teams deal with the rule. I think zone defenses will become the rule. Outside shooting will be more important in the second half of games. Games will begin with guards flying toward that basket like a Kamikaze pilots. The kids will try to score on the these penetration but the main goal of basketball may become fouling out players.

Rebounding effort was an embarrassment...

     You can't sugar coat the Tide's obvious problems. The inside game is lacking to be kind. Taylor will help. Engstrom needs to get well, and Jacobs needs more touches. We don't rebound. Rebounding is effort. Playing four guards will become more and more risky. The upside falls like a rock because of the new foul rule. The landscape of college basketball is about to change. Officials will be looked at like bacteria under a microscope. Bama got the bad end of officiating last night. How Grant deals with this is going to be interesting to watch unfold. His main offensive weapon is on the bench due to legislation.  I have quit watching NBA ball because it is so boring. Is college basketball about to become the same? My bet is that enough coaches will complain to have the rule modified. When you reach out to touch an offensive player, not necessarily to impede progress,  it is silly. But then again the NCAA has always been a clown college in my opinion. I'm not overlooking Alabama's shortcomings. This article is about a bigger problem.

Bama survives West Georgia

Bama beats West Georgia 65-64...

Let to whining begin...

 

 

    Let me say right off the left hand margin that I do not put any stock in exhibition games.  We all know that Bama squeaked by West Georgia in OT. We also know that Trevor Releford used the game to prove he is the best point guard in the SEC.  Okay, we already knew that. We also know that the little magician can make free throws. He did all those things and more.  What everyone wants to know is this a real preview of what is going to happen in the season?  I think the answer is yes and no. I think that until Levi Randolph is back and in shape we are going to have some really tough games. We are also relying on two freshmen to make major contributions. That doesn't always work. Ask Kentucky how that worked out last year.

 

     Here's what I noticed:

 

1. Algie key scored two points

2. Jimmie Taylor scored two points

3. Shanon Hale score four points.

 

Here's a few more things to think about:

 

1. 15 turnovers are an ouch factor

2.  Rodney Cooper who we need to score had only 9 points

3. We shot the ball so bad it hurt to watch

 

But there was some good.

 

1. Nick Jacobs played 31 minutes and is clearly off the Krispy Kreme dream diet

2. I thought Carl play in his time on the floor. I counted 5 boards and 2/3 from the floor.

3. Retin played 41 minutes. Trevor had 31 on the floor and Coop played 46. Good and            

     bad in those numbers.

4. Jimmie only had two fouls and I was afraid he would go foul crazy. He played smart.    He also had 6 boards.

 

 

All in all we stunk up the place. But it was an exhibition game. I tried to count the different rotations we played but just gave up. Here' what I did notice. We didn't find one that replaced Levi. What to do? I'd play Jimmie and Nick inside at the same time. The score says the rest. Roll Tide and see you in Texas

 

LON KRUGER IS ONE GREAT COACH...

Wherever the stop the man is a winner...

        Any talk about Oklahoma basketball has to begin with their coach Lon Kruger. Wherever he has coached he's done a great job. Among the 514 wins that he has amassed were 20 last season which got the Sooners into the second round of the NCAA. He's coached at Pan American, Florida, UNLV, Illinois, and Kansas State. Kruger had one team that won 30 and a slew of other teams that won 20 or more. He's taken 15 of those teams to the NCAA. One made it to the Final Four when he coached at Florida.

        He got the UNLV 'Runnin Rebels running again. He took Florida to unheard of heights. He took Kansas State to the Elite Eight. He left UNLV to take the job at Oklahoma. It was a move that took a lot of us by surprise. Basketball is the sport in Las Vegas. It is a community event where the coach and his players are public stars. No joke, in Vegas the UNLV players get the same type of attention as Hollywood Stars. Let's put it this way - if Coach Kruger wanted a front row seat for Celin Dion he'd be given the best seat in the house. I am personally unsure why Kruger would leave such a setting to coach in the Big Twelve. Oklahoma is primarily a football school much like Alabama. Like Alabama, they also have a great basketball tradition that sometimes gets lost in the quest for gridiron glory. Kruger has shown he has no fear of new challanges. Anthony Grant finds himself on a seat growing warmer. Alabama fans are crying to make the NCAA. If the Tide is to do it they'll have to do so without three starters off last years team. Alabama has done a great job in recruiting five new players who can be the cornerstone of a great team. None of those players can play this season however.

   

   On November 8th these two football powers square off on the hardwood in a very important basketball game for both teams. One team is fresh off an NCAA appearance and the other feeling like they should have made the field. Alabama will play without a key player, Levi Randolph. Oklahoma lost key players from last season. Alabama also lost two other starters to transfers. Alabama was picked 6th by the media in the pre-season poll. That won't happen without a heathly Randolph. The return date for Bama's most versatile player. Bama needs a red hot preSEC start. Losing Levi won't help.

     Oklahoma is looking for good guard play. Alabama has good guard play and that might give 'Bama the edge on Friday. Oklahoma has been picked 7th by the media in their league. It's hard to pick winners in early season games. This one should be a close game and I'd bet Bama will be a very slight favorite because of Releford. Trevor was named as a First Team All SEC Player by the media and deservedly so. He's one of the most loved players who ever put on the Crimson. I expect he'll go out with a bang.