TIDE FALLS WITH A THUD IN THE NIT AND A LOOK-BACK AT THE SEASON

    Mercifully, the basketball season is over. It ended with a whimper and not a bang. Bama played the worst game of the season against a team they could have beaten. I saw two differences between the teams. One, Creighton has real post players. Bama was forced to defend them. Bama has no post players that anyone has to guard. Second, Retin Obasohan is worn out. The senior, All-SEC player looked exhausted and played the same. With no post scoring and a dead tired point guard, the JayHawks whipped the Tide 72-54. It was a complete beatdown. 


     Justin Coleman led the Tide with 18 points, and Retin Obasohan had 13. Retin  could not supply the emotional lift the Tide needed in the second half. No other Tide player scored in double figures. Edwards had 2, Riley had 3, and Hale had 9. Don'ta Hall had 5 points and 8 rebounds. I'm not sure how many blocked shots he had for the game. It was a bunch. The Tide shot 28% for the night and got outbound by 13. Bama also had 14 turnovers. That's how you get beat by 18 points. The Tide did make 12-15 free throws in an ironic twist. 

    It must be said the Tide collapsed at the end of the season. The Crimson went to an almost shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament to losing a first round NIT game.  The took us on a roller-coaster ride all season.  Tide fans went from exhilarated to humbled in the course of two weeks. The first negative posts about Johnson are being posted.  I'm not sure how to put this season into perspective. The final record was 18-15. Alabama beat 4 teams in the top 25 (at the time they played). That has to be considered quite an accomplishment. They also lost a couple of home games which killed their NCAA hopes. There was nothing in the middle about this team. They were either doing amazing things or looking like a lost team. Last night's offensive performance is such an example of the latter. There were a lot of ups and downs, but to find an average for this team was almost impossible. Anthony Grant's last season? He was 18-14, and Levi Randolph had a Retin Obasohan type season. And just to balance history we have to remember that Grant lost two starters in the last two weeks of the season. Had Shannon Hale and Ricky Tarrant stayed healthy the Tide could have gone to the NCAA, and Avery Johnson wouldn't be coaching Alabama. 

      I am convinced that Johnson brings a lot of things to the Alabama table that Grant couldn't do. To say that Grant couldn't coach would be a lie. He just couldn't keep great recruits in his program. To say that Grant was a fan favorite would be untrue. The fans love Avery Johnson. Give him three bad seasons in a row and he'll be maligned and hated. I think that Johnson is a great coach. Better than Grant. He probably is a better coach, but the only thing that matters is can he recruit? If he can't sign great players, he won't be a great coach. If he can, he will be a great coach. If he can recruit enough players to make the Tide a great team, he will be one of the most outstanding recruiters in SEC basketball history. At Alabama, it is as simple as that. 

    Making the NIT was a pleasant surprise. Retin Obasohan was not an entirely unexpected gift because he showed flashes of splendid play the last third of last season. Still, being named TFirst-Team All-SEC was stunning.  Riley Norris had an outstanding year, do did Arthur Edwards. Who had ever heard of him before Bama gave him a chance? That signing continues to tell me a lot about Johnson. Jimmie Taylor gave vigorous effort, and was a good shot blocker, but he can't score, and he can't rebound in the numbers needed by the Tide. Don'ta Hall can rebound and block shots, and I suspect he'll come into nest season with a sweet little drop shot and baby hook to stun the opposition. Justin Coleman showed us glimpses of what he can do. Shannon Hall may be ready for a good senior season. He can score and rebound. Michael Kessens remains a mystery to me. His playing time will be significantly reduced when Brandon Key and Nicky King get on the floor. 

     But none of that means anything if Bama can't find another point guard to back up Coleman or start ahead of him. If Creighton can win with two fat boys inside surely Alabama can find someone similar. Without signing a good post player who can score it will be another long and unsuccessful season for the Tide. You can turn around a hoops program with an aircraft carrier in the middle and couple of fighter planes on the outside. I understand that Bama is in the running for a pair of freshman big men.

       All things considered it was a good start for Johnson and company.