Bama trounces MSU Bullldogs 80-61

Once again it's Releford...         

   Best Point in Bama history?

      How much does Trevor Releford mean to Alabama? In the midst of the seeming demise of Alabama basketball, Trevor Releford has shined like a full moon on a cloudless night. He is a warrior who won't quit. Around Tuscaloosa he is the man. He's Johnny Manziiel with class. He's one of a kind and we get to watch him play.

60 years of watching Tide Players

    I have been watching Alabama for almost 60 years.  I've been around the block a few times.  I've seen every great point guard that has taken the hardwood since the Rocket Eight.  Amp, Conner, Whately, Williams,  Waites, and a bunch I've left out were all great point guards. None of them is better than Trevor Releford.  How great would Releford be if he had the surrounding talent of Ronald Steele. How good would the 1976 or 1987 teams have been with Releford at the point?  Here's what I think - somewhere along the line Alabama would have won a national championship in basketball. If I had to pick a team under duress I'd pick 1987.  Not one bit of disrespect to Terry Conner.  Terry is a legendary point guard in Alabama basketball history. If you picked anyone off the list mentioned above you can state a case.  But none of them are as good as Trevor Releford, none meant more to their team, and fortunately none had to play on such talent

 

A little man with a big game

     Even on a night where Alabama played its best game of the season I have to talk about Releford. I've never seen anything like him. And now, he can shoot you out of house and home from somewhere in the Northport area. He's like the little engine that could. How great would this man's legacy be if he had the privilege of playing with other great players around him? How many assists would he have if he a decent inside player to pass the ball?  How many more would he have if Alabama had any really outstanding shooters?  Four or five times the amount of right now? What if he had Derrick McKey or Michael Ansley to pitch the ball down low with his uncanny ability to penetrate the lane

  Opponents have a one thing to worry about

 

     Let's consider this - the scouting report for any Alabama opponent is  "stop Releford". The opposition's game plan doesn't go beyond that in reality. I'm sure there is some talk about Bama's press, and there should be. The bottom line is  if you can stop Releford you kill the Tide.  It is, sadly to say, true. After the recent UCLA/Alabama game  a bunch of us went out for a few beers. UCLA fans are great people. They talked about the game, about their players, but mainly they talked about Releford. The general consensus among the Bruin fans was that Trevor was better than Gail Goodrich,  Walt Hazard, and a bunch more of UCLA greats. How did he wind up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama? The unspoken was that Trevor going to Alabama was a waste. I don't agree, but it is a shame he came when he did. But how lucky are we to see him play. You talk about little big man and the list starts with Releford. As long as I live the UCLA team giving TR a standing ovation as he slowly made his way to the dressing room will never be forgotten. Near the end of that long walk, he stopped and looked up at all the history hanging from the rafters of Pauley Pavilion.  He was soaking up basketball history. He made himself a part of that history with his 34 point night, and his almost single handed play that tied the game up with a couple of minutes. The crowd that had seen so many All-Americans stood up and clapped their hands in salute to Releford.

Bama played a good game against State

   

Bama played well in bring down Mississippi State. But truthfully, we all know that it was Releford who killed the Bulldogs with his outside shoot and relentless and almost obsessive defense. Once again the smallest man on the floor carried his entire team on his back. Let me tell you this - scoring 28 points in the SEC is big time. When everyone knows who's going to take the big shots it's almost unbelievable.  I have always said that Gary Waites had the best senior season of any guard I've ever seen in the Crimson and White. Gary had a two guard named James 'Hollywood' Robinson. Trevor has a backcourt teammate named Retin Obasahan. It's a long distance between Hollywood and Belgium. I'll leave it at that.

Questions of the Day:

Who do you think is Bama top point guard in the modern era?

How many SEC games can Bama win if continue shooting well?

What's your pick in the Missouri game this weekend?

Have you seen our new recruits play? What did you think?

Missouri this weekend...

    Earlier in the season it looked like Missou was loaded to bear. Lately some of the luster has worn with losses to Vandy, Georgia, and Illinois. Bear in mind all three were down to the wire games. The Tigers are a mere swat away from being 16-0. Can the Tide beat Missouri on the road? I doubt it. The key stat is that Missouri ranks 24th in the NCAA with 40 rebounds a game. The Tigers start a 6-5 point guard who might have better luck defending Trevor Releford than most mortals. All in all it seems to me to be an uphill climb. If Alabama cans shoot as well as they did against State they might pull off the upset. I dislike Missouri by 10. Jabari Brown is the Tiger point. He is 6-5 and is a load. He is physically intimidating. He is averaging over 18 ppg. Stop Brown and the Tide has a chance.