TOUGH QUESTION, FEW ANSWERS ...
In fairness to Grant he really has few options left for this season. That's part of the problem of being a coach on the hot seat. He needs to win as many games as he can to solidly his future. Let's just assume that Grant knows he will be back next season. Is there anything he could really change that would make a difference? The options are limited. The talent is thin, and its possible that making any changes won't win any additional games. Has Bama reached a point where building for next year is more important than winning this season? That's pretty tough for Tide fans to swallow. This season is so dead that a visit from the cast of True Blood won't help.
Let's throw out a few ideas. First, play Jimmy Taylor and let him take his lumps. If he is truly the future of the Tide inside game he needs the experience. It's not like it's going to hurt the team with him in there instead of Carl Engstrom. Put Taylor in the post and turn him loose. Stick Jacobs at the power forward and leave him there. This might at least allow those two players to gain some prime time where they need to be playing. Honestly, we have recruited so poorly to find more inside players it won't really matter. Even a couple of JUCO bangers would have helped. We didn't try to get any from the two year ranks. That alone tells me that Grant knows he'll be back next season. So we know find ourselves in a kind of basketball limbo. We have enough talent to not completely embarrass ourselves most nights, but not enough to really be a threat to beat great teams. I wish this was a question of just having better coaching. It's really a problem of not enough talent. How do you make up for a lack of talent. I suspect the short answer to that is you can't. You might win the odd game now and then. You are not going on any ten game runs.
Here's my take on Bama's current roster:
1. Trevor Releford - needs more shots and some help
2. Levi Randolph - our second best player who needs to shoot more as well. I don't care if he misses a few in a row. He can also make a few in a row as well.
3. So who's the third best player? I'm not sure we really have one. Is it Obasahan who has great physical skill and his getting better. Is it Nick Jacobs who gets as much out of a limited talent level as he can. Is it it Rodney Cooper who has lost his game? If we had third offensive threat it would help. Right now it is Shannon Hale who will get better. Let him start, let him get more minutes and help his game grow.
4. Carl Engstrom needs to just go and create as much chaos as someone his size surely can do. He might foul out in a half but what real difference does it make. In the meantime he might get a few more boards.
5. Find a way to play Algie Key more. Maybe put four guards and Hale on the Court. I think the only way we win this season is to do this. If we go long run then Taylor and Jacobs need more time. Really, I just don't see much we can do. We are playing hard defense, not always smart defense, but when you play on the a razor's edge you've got to find some edge. Bottom line for winning this season in my opinion is put Hale on the elbow and play four guards. We cannot seem to rebound enough to be a threat on offense. Maybe more speed on defense might help. I honest belief is none of this matters. I'd like to see next year's players get the key time. regardless of how they do. If Cooper can't shake his slump let him sit for a while. I think that most Tide fans would be willing for our coach to try anything except what we are doing already. How do you only score four field goals in one half? Ask Georgia. The beat us doing that. Our offense is unagressive. We need to get to the line. We need so much and we have so little to make it happen. This all pretty sad for Alabama basketball fans. I'm expecting a losing season now. Maybe it will take take a losing season to get the attention of the powers in the AD's office to wake up our powers to be. Will Bama pay a huge buyout and then pay a huge sum for a great coach and recruiter. I doubt it regardless of how much money we have made in our football program.
And for god's sake please run a few more set plays for Trevor.
Here's my take on Bama's current roster:
1. Trevor Releford - needs more shots and some help
2. Levi Randolph - our second best player who needs to shoot more as well. I don't care if he misses a few in a row. He can also make a few in a row as well.
3. So who's the third best player? I'm not sure we really have one. Is it Obasahan who has great physical skill and his getting better. Is it Nick Jacobs who gets as much out of a limited talent level as he can. Is it it Rodney Cooper who has lost his game? If we had third offensive threat it would help. Right now it is Shannon Hale who will get better. Let him start, let him get more minutes and help his game grow.
4. Carl Engstrom needs to just go and create as much chaos as someone his size surely can do. He might foul out in a half but what real difference does it make. In the meantime he might get a few more boards.
5. Find a way to play Algie Key more. Maybe put four guards and Hale on the Court. I think the only way we win this season is to do this. If we go long run then Taylor and Jacobs need more time. Really, I just don't see much we can do. We are playing hard defense, not always smart defense, but when you play on the a razor's edge you've got to find some edge. Bottom line for winning this season in my opinion is put Hale on the elbow and play four guards. We cannot seem to rebound enough to be a threat on offense. Maybe more speed on defense might help. I honest belief is none of this matters. I'd like to see next year's players get the key time. regardless of how they do. If Cooper can't shake his slump let him sit for a while. I think that most Tide fans would be willing for our coach to try anything except what we are doing already. How do you only score four field goals in one half? Ask Georgia. The beat us doing that. Our offense is unagressive. We need to get to the line. We need so much and we have so little to make it happen. This all pretty sad for Alabama basketball fans. I'm expecting a losing season now. Maybe it will take take a losing season to get the attention of the powers in the AD's office to wake up our powers to be. Will Bama pay a huge buyout and then pay a huge sum for a great coach and recruiter. I doubt it regardless of how much money we have made in our football program.
And for god's sake please run a few more set plays for Trevor.
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