TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT FOR STARS OVER ALABAMA TO SHINE
HALE EXPECTED TO PLAY

     Tonight's Texas A & M game is the most important game Alabama will have played in the season. If Alabama wins, you have a too feel really good about our NIT chances. You can't discount a slim possibility on the NCAA Tournament either. If the Tide loses tonight the chances of either postseason Tournament look pretty bleak. The good news is that 'Bama gets to play on their home floor. The crowd, the familiarity of the rims, some home cooking, and some sort of undefinable confidence seems to happen at home.  The bad news is that TAM is a darn good basketball team that gives us some matchup problems. Billy Kennedy can coach the round ball. Joe Lunardi had TAM as a two seed before the Aggies lost their last game. In other words, they are an excellent team that should, by all accounts, beat Alabama. But, by any account, we know that doesn't always happen. I'm not sure that the Aggies, full of Texas swagger, are going to walk into to Coleman Coliseum and win. Let's put it this way. It would not surprise me with TAM won because they are clearly the better team. It wouldn't surprise me if Alabama pulled out a win, because home teams, win when they shouldn't.


   

 If we asked Avery Johnson, Jr. how good TAM is, he probably says they are tall, tough, and can shoot the ball. He might not say that TAM is the best team in the SEC, but they'd have to be no worse than the top three. Trying to figure out how Alabama will play TAM reminds me of the time, when lost in South Alabama, how I got to Pensacola. The man I asked pondered a bit and finally said, "you can't get there from here." That's how I feel about the AGGIES. I don't think that getting there against TAM has much to do with TAM. Avery Johnson is worried about what his own team must do, and or not do. John Woodand never scouted other teams. He thought it was a waste of time.  He was only concerned with what his team was going to do. "If we do what we are good at doing, and execute well, it doesn't matter what our opponent does". 

         

So much in basketball is repetitive. But here goes.

1. Bama cannot match TAM's talent level. We are not even close. But that doesn't mean that lesser players can't play better than the opposition which has the most talent. Alabama, as individuals and as a team must do that.

2. We can't throw the ball all over the court and have unforced errors. If we can keep our turnovers to 10-12 it will help.

3. For once, our inside players, have to break even on the boards. I'd forget trying to run off misses and commit more players to rebounding. 

4. Can we make 80% of our free throws?

5.. How much and how well can Shannon Hale Play? 

6.  Alabama needs to keep TAM below 70 points. If the point total gets too high, I'm not sure we can keep up.

7. Can we shoot 50% from the floor, and make 40 % from behind the arch. 

8. We have to try to let Taylor score inside. If he can keep up is recent production TAM will have to give him some respect. 

9. Okay, Retin, you need to have a great game that is better than all the great games you've already played. 
10. Justine, Antony, and Riley need to have a great night shooting the ball. 

That's all we have to do. We don't have to do those things for the rest of the season. Just doing for two halves is enough, and we need to try to challenge House in order to draw fouls and keep him off the floor. 

My head says TAX by 6. 

But I'm going with my heart on this one and say Bama by 2.