TIDE GIVES UP OFFENSIVE BOARD TO LOSE

TIDE COMES UP SHORT AGAIN....
Someone failed to block the shooter
Poor free throws hurt again




   

 Alabama is not a bad basketball team. It may very well be that Avery Johnson is getting all out of his talent he can. When a highly talented team such as LSU has to fight back to take a 72-70 win, you have to think you that Johnson is one heck of a coach. He is a great defensive coach. I know he wanted everyone to #buckleup for his offense, but it has been his defense that is winning games. The second thing you notice is that Alabama plays hard. They leave it on the floor. It breaks your heart to see kids with everything they have and still come up short. Like last season, the Tide is losing a lot of close games. The Tide ended that season with an 18-14 and 8-10 in the SEC. I'm looking at the remaining games, and it's difficult to find 18 wins. If anyone can do it, it will be Avery Johnson. One thing about this rendition of the Tide is they don't quit. Building for the future in basketball isn't about winning the first season. It's more about getting your players to build a foundation for the future. I have no doubt this is what Johnson is doing. 

      Tide needs some inside muscle and scoring. Jimmie Taylor can block shots. He can score a little, but he can't score enough to convince anyone he is going to beat you. Same with Michael Kessens. If you are a JUCO center, you can come to Alabama and play. If you are highly rated high school post player, you will play next season all you want. I don't knock Taylor. He is doing all he can do. Limited talent is what it is. I have to admit to being disappoint in MK. He still looks weak and is very unaggressive.  Neither of the two is precisely a rebounding monster. Taylor is disruptive inside. But he can't dominate the boards. Once again, Riley Norris was the Tide's leading rebounder. He had 10. Taylor and Kessens had a total of 3 each. Alabama won't and can't win with those numbers. 

     Retin Obasahan is doing all he can do. He has limits. LSU knew who the go-to guy was in the last minute on Saturday. The Tide needs to trust Norris or Edwards to do what they do best. That is shoot jump shots. I understand that Johnson wanted Retin to either score or go to the line. Alabama needs to find the necessary second alternative. To my way of thinking, it seems like we have two great outside shooters. I know that Coach Johnson is thinking about who that needs to.  Edwards seems cool and collected. Riley can get on a roll. Obasahan is also a good outside shooter. No fault in going with the collective wisdom of Bama's last two attempts. One thing that did concern me that Retin is not a great free throw shooter. He's around 66 percent. Given the same option, it might be acceptable to try Coleman on the floor at the same time.

       Tennessee comes to Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday night.  If Bama has any chances at a post season, we need to win the remaining home games. To to do that we need to rebound better. Kessens and Taylor need to have a talk with themselves about what they want to do with the rest of their careers. Better efforts from both would mean so much to the Tide.