Tide season needs to end with a couple of wins...
Alabama is currently projected as a four-seed in the NIT*

       The season is almost over. Alabama will play Mississippi State or LSU on Thursday. I think getting the #5 seed was much better than most expected. Once again, a season-ending slump ruined what might have been an unexpected run into the NCAA Tournament.  Bama had four games left the could have won, but honestly, they could have lost all four. The one win the Tide squeezed out against Ole Miss was important. That win will likely get the Tide into the NIT. Bama had an extremely favorable SEC schedule this year. That accounts for the 5th seed as much as anything. I'm just stating the obvious.

NIT would be a nice finish for Tide...

      I know all Tide fans are going to be disappointed going to the NIT. The only road to the NCAA is to win the SEC Tournament. That isn't going to happen. Considering how the team finished the season I'm not sure that Bama will beat State or LSU. Alabama had some bad breaks this season. They first lost Nick King. Then Shannon Hale disappeared from the face of the earth. He may rejoin the team for the SEC Tournament. I don't see a lot of upside in that for anyone but Hale. He might try to redeem the embarrassment that is his senior season. Hale was supposed to be a big part of the team.  Instead, he became a liability. I know we get tired about what happened to the pair but it is relevant. I'm not sure he will be reinstated for the remainder of the season. Frankly, he hurts the team. Sad ending for a player who could have been really good.

Pre-Season prediction was close...

      I had predicted before the season started that Bama would be hard pressed to match the number of wins of last year. Bama might just get their 18th win on Thursday. I think that would surpass what might have been expected for this season. It hardly what Tide fans wanted, however. It would be uplifting to see the Tide win two or three more games this season. The younger players need the experience. I don't care if it is a lesser tournament than even the NIT. They need to play. Key and Ingram have the potential to be All-SEC players. Each may have NBA potential.

Key named to All-SEC Freshman team...

      You have to be impressed with Braxton Key. He made his share of Freshman mistakes, but overall he had a good season. He made the All-Freshman SEC team. I'm not sure whether Ingram was eligible for that honor. If so, he should have gotten some votes. Those two had a lot of success this season, but they also had some really bad games. I think Armond Davis proved he belonged. I never considered him to be an inside scorer. He surprised a lot of us with his head fakes and taking it to the paint. Overall, I think Davis proved to have a good season. He may be that classic sixth man each college team needs. Don'ta Hall improved this season. He isn't going to scare anyone with his scoring but he is a shot blocker to be feared.

Riley gets my nod for MVP...

     I think that Riley Norris proved to be our most valuable player. He has some great shooting games,  but he was a hard-nosed player and did yeoman on the defensive end.  He frequently drew the opposition's best offensive player. Truthfully, naming an MVP for Bama is wide open. You might believe it is someone else and I wouldn't argue.  A.J. jr. proved his worth. In fact, at times I thought we were a better offensive team when he was running the point. Therein lies a part of Bama's problem. Ingram doesn't seem to be a natural point guard. If he cuts down his turnovers he might be a winner.  What Bama needs is offense. The Tide signed four great offensive players. Two are probable starters next season. We should improve. I'd like to see Bama get a grad transfer power forward to beef up the inside. No doubt, the Tide should beat LSU or Miss. State. No doubt, the Tide shouldn't have blown a 16 point lead to lose to Tennessee. I view the SEC Tournament as a road game for all practical purposes. Bama has been a good road team. They have seemed to play better on the road than in the Coleman Coliseum. 

Tonight I like State by eight.





*NYCbuckets.com