Where will we be in a year?

Sunday was a sad one for 'Bama fans...     

       

Remember the good old days? The days when Selection Sunday meant something to Alabama? Those were the salad days for an Alabama hoops fan. No more. Now Selection Sundays are like drinking castor oil. It's now a bitter day. It's nothing more than a reminder of better days when things were done in better ways. It's like a slap in the face or a knife to the heart. Not invited. We are no longer even overlooked. We are an afterthought. Basketball is a game where recruits look at the here and now. The longer this dry spell continues the harder it becomes to ever come back.

Kessens throws one back on McDermott

         I have no doubt that we will return to play in the NCAA Tournament again. I guess there is some solace at looking at a lot of teams that made the field had a hard time beating us.  Perhaps that's just salt in the wound. Bill Battle said that basketball is a sport that the margin between winning or losing is narrow. I find that an incredulous statement for our AD to make. The margin between winning and losing is always small. The key to winning and not losing is finding ways to widen that margin. We lost a lot of close games. The losing margin was close but not, to steal from Somerset Maughn, a razor's edge. It was like a dull blade. Losing is losing and there is no way around that. I think that what hurts me more than anything is that the last five years have occurred in a period when SEC was really bad.  How little more would it have taken to rise above all the riff-raff play in the SEC Conference?  The answer, in my opinion, wasn't very much at all. It is true that Grant inherited a mess. In all fairness, it's a worse mess now. Perhaps our the incoming class of recruits and transfers will be a smaller version of  fab five. The SEC will be marginally better next season.

1. Florida - don't see how they can lose that many seniors and be really better.

2. Kentucky - Who knows?  I personally don't follow professional basketball

3. LSU -  If the inside returns and a couple of good guards are signed, its looking up.

4. Arkansas - Will be very good and not so hot and cold

5. Vandy - much improved, Vandy is always solid

6. Miss. State - can't be any worse

7. South Carolina - much better. Frank will get them over the hump

8. Missouri -  great basketball tradition will keep Tigers going even with Ha

9. Ole Miss - As long as Kennedy coaches in the talent rich State of Mississippi

10. Auburn - Don't expect much at the toughest job in NCAA?

11. Georgia - I'm looking for the Dawgs to get better - to much talent in Atlanta to be bad

12. Tenn. - Martin is not popular. A token appearance NCAA probably won't help

13. TAM- Texas is a hot spot for college players. Hoops looking up in College Station

 

The New Point Guard?

           And so that leaves Alabama. Here's the first question we have to ask. If you lose the best player in the SEC what happens next? Will five really good additions make up the difference?  I believe the answer to that is a resounding yes. In fact, the Tide may be one of the most talent laden teams in the SEC sans Trevor. Tarrant is very good. Either he or Obasahan might grow into a point guard. Or they may never have the chance. In my opinion Coleman is likely to end up at the point and Tarrant at the two. Retin will always have a place as the sixth man. Then the other two freshman figure in the mix. Both shoot exceptionally well.  So does Justin. They'll get a load of minutes as the season unwinds. The next question is what about the inside? Can Michael Kessens help us to turn around the paint. Let me put it this way - If Taylor can improve over the summer then we can turn Michael loose on the interior. He'll be able to play the power forward. He can also play the post, and he can score. Michael can rebound, and he is a good outlet passer. His defense is a little harder to judge because his practice sessions haven't caused him to really prove much at all. Don't forget Nick Jacobs. He could be back and I'd bet with a new attitude. Don't sell his offensive contribution short.  

Pleasant Grove's Tarrant is very good

         The final question is this - with Grant at the helm will it matter? I hope so. I'm wishing him all the luck in the world. I believe we will be much improved. How much of that is due to coaching will be determined. Grant can x's and o's with any of them regardless of what people think.  It is not the x's and o's that I'm concerned about.  I have no doubt in my mind about that. Can he start getting better players like the five newcomers? Can he sell the program and himself to the fans? Good players will. But from my little corner of the world the it's not the coaching. It's about the recruiting and selling himself. I don't know if Grant cares to reinvent himself or not.  He should.