GRANTS FAILURE TO CALL TIME OUT WAS FATAL...
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.
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| Missed time out costs Bama |
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.
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