NO QUICK HELP FOR BAMA IN THE SPRING...

   

 This is one of those bad news type posts. I have called recruits, coaches, assistant coaches, and anyone who might have any news about Alabama basketball recruiting in the late period. That concerns me. Or am I just overreacting? 

     No one could give me a single name connected with the Crimson Tide. Nada.Zip.Zero.Nothing. Feel free to fill in your favorite synonym for striking out. Here's what this means for Tide fans. We signed two excellent players in Davis and Key and lost two good players in Ferguson and Coleman. You be the judge on Kessens. No pun intended but Kessens can teach us some lessons about accepting transfers from lower mid-major teams. Throw in the fact that Obasohan and Edwards are gone, and this might end up being the spring of our basketball discontent. 

     I keep looking at my list. Not one name on it has any involvement with Alabama. That doesn't mean we won't sign anyone, but I do think it means that Johnson is going to have to make a decision on whether to gamble on someone or just hold his cards. I don't see how we can be successful next season without a backup point guard. We just never seem to land a good post player. Taylor and Hall were both four-star rated players. Really? I think Hall has some definite upside. I think the other players like Taylor and we have to keep him to put someone on the floor. Taylor can't shoot, is a weak rebounder, but he can create some chaos on the inside. I think Hall is a much better athlete, and I suspect the staff is going to work him to death on some drop steps, baby hooks, and put-backs during the summer and fall. Avery, Jr. must have made some tremendous strides. Otherwise, why would Coleman have left? His family told me he wanted more playing time. He's a good kid. His departure might also say that he has seen the writing on the wall regarding his future? Is Johnson, Jr. that good?


   Dazon Ingram, on paper and in limited action last season, seems to be a winner. So as it stands today, we have Ingram, Johnson, and Schaffer to play the point. I don't think Austin can play the point. If Johnson is okay and is ready for SEC ball, we will be covered out front. If Johnson is not ready for prime time, we are going to have a lot of problems in my opinion.  

    Nick King and Braxton Key will both bolster the power forward next season. It wouldn't surprise me to see Hale play the two guard. He can shoot the ball well in streaks, and he has to get on the nerves of the officials with his constant complaining. The man has some woeful looks to give the refs. Maybe he will be a surprise to the Tide faithful ala Sprewell and Farmer. 

     I'm looking at Tennessee, Auburn, Mississippi State as a progress comparison. All three of those programs is mired in the same morass as Bama. Are we ahead of those teams? I don't know. Missouri has so many problems I don't think we can use them to gauge our progress in any meaningful manner. 

     Wimp Sanderson once said he'd take a JUCO player if he could start next season. Present Bama coaches must think Davis can do the same thing. An old rule of thumb regarding JUCOs is to bring them in to start, or to back up a center and a point. Otherwise, pass on them. Gosh, we need some rebounding and inside scoring. I watched a few practices, and King can be that man. Key has tremendous potential. One has sat out a year and will have some rust, and the other must adapt to D1 ball. 

    I said three years recruiting would be needed to see if we can get some hops in the program. I'm standing by that, but in all honesty, I wish coach would find one more inside player in the late period.