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| 63 years of watching Tide Hoops |
Who is going to start?
This is the one that inquiring minds want to know. First, Alabama has a lot of talent. Some of it is experienced and some are not. But even the freshmen have a lot of game experience because of the AAU summer circuits. When you have played 50 AAU games over a three-year period against other top recruits you have some idea of what it is like to play Division 1 competition. Here are the likely suspects:
Riley Norris – A true senior. A perfect number six man off the bench. He is a good all-around player. He can shoot, has learned to take it to the basket, and is a fierce rebounder. I think that Norris has been the best player on the floor in the Johnson era. He has contagious spirit and his teammates love him. He may start just to give the team some cohesion.
Don’ta Hall – The big boat inside. If you shoot it inside you must get around Hall. That is not an easy task. Not only does he block shots, he alters a lot more. A defensive force inside. He improved a lot on the offensive end last season, and word from the grapevine is he has improved even more. A better than an average player. The coaches have been trying to get him to block shots ala, Bill Russell.
Dazon Ingram – Last season was a good one after sitting out a year with a medical redshirt. The end of the season was a great one. Ingram rose to the top of his considerable game in the SEC Tournament and gave us all a glimpse of this future. So now we get to speculate about the point guard 'battle' with freshman Collin Sexton. Perhaps Johnson has a surprise for us. I'm betting he does.
Braxton Key - He is a lot like Riley Norris. Solid in fundaments and is poised to have a big sophomore year. A little unfair to the burden of the go to guy as a freshman. No way he doesn't start for the Tide. Key is an important player for the Tide. Word has it that Key has made some big strides over the summer.
Armond Davis toyed around with transferring last season. He decided to stay and don't think for a minute that Johnson didn't explain his role this season. Davis must have liked what he heard. If Davis can find his outside shot he will contribute. It will likely be off the bench. Davis had a couple of big games down the stretch for the Tide.
John Petty is an odds-on favorite to start. The question is will Johnson play three guards? Petty is the poster-child for down town Freddie Brown shooting. He has the range to be a big time scorer. He can also take it inside for some slams. He needs a little weight and strength to become a one and done. I'd say he may stay for two before he is through.
Collin Sexton is the most dynamic player I've seen as a Tide player in the 63 years of watching the Tide play Basketball. He is faster than any player on the floor. He is quicker than any player on the floor. He is the best open court player on the floor. He is 6-3 and has length. He is the best assist man on the floor. Any weakness? His outside shot needs to get better. One and done. Watch him while you can. The team 'buckle up' was made for him. One more thing. He can bring the verbal heat and back it up.
Daniel Giddens is going to play and play well. He is more rounded than Hall and I've love to see both big men at the same time. He was a top prospect in High School. He has seen the hoop-wars in the classy Big Ten.
Avery Johnson, Jr. has earned some time on the floor. Not because he is the coaches son but he is drop dead good. He is a good outside shooter and drives inside with surprising ease. He is also a good defensive player as well.
Those nine will see the bulk of playing time. This is about as good as you can get. Check this out - Everyone of those eight are four and five-star players. The future for Tide basketball has arrived. So who starts? It depends. The Tide can play big or small. They can dominate the glass and then run like the wind. They can play two point guards. You put two great ball handlers in the game and you are going to do some remarkable things. In my way of looking at things here are our starters.
Collin Sexton is a sure fire starter.
Dazon Ingram will start.
Don'ta Hall will be one of the first five
Braxton Key earns a starting role.
I'm projecting John Petty as a starter, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is Riley Norris with Petty coming off the bench as a shooting guard or small forward.
These nine will be our rotation. How long has it been since the Tide had had this much talent on the floor and off the bench? Perhaps never?
Would you like to write some articles for Crimson Hoops? Let me know on TiderInsider.
BREAKING NEWS: TIDE COACHES ARE EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH HERB JONES SO FAR...
Is Robert Woodward close to committing to 'Bama? More news coming later next week. The shooting guard is a five-star prospect and 'Bama is very high on his list...
Braxton Key - He is a lot like Riley Norris. Solid in fundaments and is poised to have a big sophomore year. A little unfair to the burden of the go to guy as a freshman. No way he doesn't start for the Tide. Key is an important player for the Tide. Word has it that Key has made some big strides over the summer.
Armond Davis toyed around with transferring last season. He decided to stay and don't think for a minute that Johnson didn't explain his role this season. Davis must have liked what he heard. If Davis can find his outside shot he will contribute. It will likely be off the bench. Davis had a couple of big games down the stretch for the Tide.
John Petty is an odds-on favorite to start. The question is will Johnson play three guards? Petty is the poster-child for down town Freddie Brown shooting. He has the range to be a big time scorer. He can also take it inside for some slams. He needs a little weight and strength to become a one and done. I'd say he may stay for two before he is through.
Collin Sexton is the most dynamic player I've seen as a Tide player in the 63 years of watching the Tide play Basketball. He is faster than any player on the floor. He is quicker than any player on the floor. He is the best open court player on the floor. He is 6-3 and has length. He is the best assist man on the floor. Any weakness? His outside shot needs to get better. One and done. Watch him while you can. The team 'buckle up' was made for him. One more thing. He can bring the verbal heat and back it up.
Daniel Giddens is going to play and play well. He is more rounded than Hall and I've love to see both big men at the same time. He was a top prospect in High School. He has seen the hoop-wars in the classy Big Ten.
Avery Johnson, Jr. has earned some time on the floor. Not because he is the coaches son but he is drop dead good. He is a good outside shooter and drives inside with surprising ease. He is also a good defensive player as well.
Those nine will see the bulk of playing time. This is about as good as you can get. Check this out - Everyone of those eight are four and five-star players. The future for Tide basketball has arrived. So who starts? It depends. The Tide can play big or small. They can dominate the glass and then run like the wind. They can play two point guards. You put two great ball handlers in the game and you are going to do some remarkable things. In my way of looking at things here are our starters.
Collin Sexton is a sure fire starter.
Dazon Ingram will start.
Don'ta Hall will be one of the first five
Braxton Key earns a starting role.
I'm projecting John Petty as a starter, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is Riley Norris with Petty coming off the bench as a shooting guard or small forward.
These nine will be our rotation. How long has it been since the Tide had had this much talent on the floor and off the bench? Perhaps never?
Would you like to write some articles for Crimson Hoops? Let me know on TiderInsider.
BREAKING NEWS: TIDE COACHES ARE EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH HERB JONES SO FAR...
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