Tide really needs to win in Starkville...
Injuries to key players won't help...

 

Tarrant will miss the game in Starkville

    It seems we are always talking about how key a game is for Alabama. Tonight is no different. I don't know about you, but this never ending cycle of must win stuff is getting so old. Game after game, season after season, we always talk about about the importance of a game. So here we go into the Hump with three key players on the no-play list. A lot of fans keep posting comments about our winning in Starkville. Excuse me, are we talking about a team that wins on the road about as often as Russia has fair elections. Mississippi State is the worse team I've ever seen in the SEC.

  

Ray is under more heat than Grant

    We can complain all we want about our  floundering program but State could be the poster child for stupidity. Rick Stansbury was doing a great job at State. The powers to be at State (I shudder to think about who they might be) decided to fire Stansbury despite a remarkable run with the Bulldogs. Rick missed a couple of NCAA tournaments and the fans went on a "fire Stansbury" rampage. As Dr. Phil likes to ask, "So how's that working out for you?"  If we think that Grant is on the hot seat that means that Rick Ray has slipped into the fire itself. So why do I think that State might very well beat Alabama  tonight? Because it is entirely possible it will happen. Do you think we can play without Tarrent, RO, and Kessens and beat anyone? 

Hale needs a great
game for the Tide

    I think we can still put a better starting five than the Bulldogs, but if we get into foul trouble we are in trouble. Honestly, we will be in trouble the minute we hit the floor. Hale and Norris have to step up for the Tide to win. Norris is coming off his first double-double of his career. Hale seems to have calmed down and started to play up to his potential. Justin Coleman needs to have the game of his young career. He needs to score some, but he needs to keep the turnovers down, and distribute the ball. State will press and try to wear down the Tide. Look for the good guys to play almost zone exclusively. The staff will try to protect Jimmie Taylor and take advantage of State's poor outside shooting.

    So the we continue the roller coaster ride that has no ups, only downs. I am

Norris needs to continue
his play of late

so tired of all this mess. I hope we do something at the end of the season to give us hope for the future. It might be false hope, but it's still hope. Do we beat State tonight? I have no idea. I'll be watching. It will be like two cars in a demolition derby. In all fairness, I'm not sure how fair it is to expect Alabama to go into the Hump without full numbers and win. You can blame Grant for a lot of things, but it's not fair to judge him or the team under these circumstances. If Alabama wins this game it will be quite an accomplishment. Levi Randolph and Rodney Cooper need to play well and I expect they will. Who wins in a demolition derby? The last car that can still roll. I'm looking for a really great effort tonight.

Keys for Bama:

1. Stay out of foul trouble, particularly Taylor
2. Make free throws
3. Keep turnovers below 15
4. Control the boards inside
5. Randolph and Cooper need to play big time tonight
6. Get off to a decent start