'Bama gets ready for Kentucky...
Sell out crowd expected with Kentucky buying 30% of tickets
Let's see some fire from our coach on the sidelines...

    
 

That had to be a  charge!

        We landed a man on the moon several times. That was hard. I think that beating Kentucky will be harder for us than that moon land. Why? Kentucky is very, very good. we are tying to be good. Kentucky has an inside game that is almost NBA caliber. Alabama has a struggling inside game at best. But we did land a man on the moon, so a lot of things are possible. I have been thinking about a game plan we might use to beat Kentucky. Short of a severe flu epidemic hitting the Wildcat team I just can't think of a single way we can beat them.

     Serious question to all of you readers. Do we have one single player who can make the two platoon system that Calipari uses?(I am aware he is drifting away from that). I'm thinking that Levi Randolph and Ricky Tarrant are the only possibilities of any Tide player making the team. I don't think they could. That doesn't  mean they aren't good players. They simply are Kentucky good. Good players can beat great players on rare occasion. Rollie M. put together a game against Georgetown and beat the Hoyas for a national championship. His team shot 76% from the floor. So can we beat the Wildcats? In theory. In reality? That is a different question.

      Quality losses have made analyzing a record more difficult in my opinion. It might be better to play and loss to Kentucky than beat a team like North Florida. Losing on the road isn't as bad as losing at home for some reason. A loss is not necessary just a loss any longer in college basketball.  I have to tip my hat to Bama for coming back against Carolina. Last year, I think the team would have drifted away. This year seems to be different. I don't think we will beat Kentucky, but I think we will play them a decent game. Whether it seems correct to lose in a close game seems kind of strange, but that's the new world we live in.

My biggest grip is SEC scheduling. It's not all home and home. You might draw Kentucky twice. Some teams don't. That doesn't seem and isn't fair. You might draw Mississippi State twice. I'd rather that happen to us, but it may not always occur. The beauty of home and home is the fairness that follows such a schedule. Truthfully, beating a team like Kentucky or Arizona once a year is better than beating some other teams two times. So if Bama plays Kentucky, and we win, that is like landing a man on the moon. Losing a close game to the Wildcats might be like orbiting the moon with no touchdown.

We just waited to long to respond to Carolina's rough ball tactics...

South Carolina played bully ball and we didn't respond the way I'd hope we did. Personally, I'd like for a coach to rogue elephant and get a technical foul using language that would a.) have to be bleeped, and b.) get you kicked out of the gym. I'm talking about going Norman Dale on the refs. I don't think coaches get fined for technical fouls. Better to get one then than at a post game interview. In my officiating career I could tell when a coach wanted to get tossed. One asked me what he needed to do go get tossed. I told him just ask and scream in my face a little. I had no problem with that. Coaches want to see how his assistants and players react in his absence. The fans love their coach getting a technical foul when the refs blow a bad one.

Time for Coach Grant to learn to value of temper...

Not that it matters, but in my high school career I got one technical. We were getting beat by 20. I was getting roughed up. I'd already shot 15 or so free throws. I was tired, hurt, and angry. Any time you talk to a ref and the first letter of the conversation starts with an F... you get a technical. I told the ref I said the word but not directly at him. If  he thinks you said the F word followed by you you are a goner. That gets you tossed. It also got me suspended for two days from school. I got sent to see the principal who asked me if the reports were true. "Yes, Sir", I said, beaming with pride. He said he was going to suspend me for two days for saying that. I appealed. Told him I wasn't even on the school grounds. He said it made no difference. I will remember this as long as I live. So I said, "you telling me that if I said FU I can get suspended for two days?" Mr. Collier said absolutely. I looked him in the eye and said "F U then". That got me a week. I'm not proud of doing that, but my teammates thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And by the way, I got to play three basketball games during the suspension which seemed odd. My first thought was - if I say those words I don't have to go to school and can still play. My father, Big Bill, straitened me out on that little plan. I seem to recall I was without transportation for a month.  That driving ban didn't include going to the store to buy my Dad his smokes. I was learning about life.

 

I think maybe it's time for Grant to learn a little something about sideline demeanor. It means a lot to players to think your coach is getting tossed because he thinks the refs are cheating you, the player, unfairly. Heck, my daughter, even got tossed from a game when she was a cheerleader. I beamed in admiration. That girl was a fighter, and her sense of right and wrong had no area of gray. So Anthony, let's get you teed up one game. Throw off that Armani or Hugo Boss shirt in the stands. Kick over a chair. Get in Teddy Valentine's year and tell him to toss you. Sports are about emotion. I want noise, I want loyalty, I want a man who makes me believe in his mission. If you don't understand exactly what to do, call Wimp Sanderson. You could call Bobby Knight and as bonus learn about slamming down phones and throwing chairs. Don't give me one of those drive by technical fouls. You know, the kind that no one really doesn't know what happened. Give me a technical that would make your mama blush. Throw in a little Rodney Dangerfield for good measure. Stick you chin out like Churchhill. Inspire us if you can. Get outside that little coaching box. Show your disapproval in the officiating. Get tossed. Get fined. Make us proud. Most fans are starting to get back behind you. Let us know you care. P.S. Don't do that in a critical moment however

Prize fight breaks out last night in Columbia
'Bama misses a great chance to win...

Tarrant fouls out on some "who me?" calls.

   What a wasted opportunity. 20-30 from the free throw line. 66% won't win on the road. You need at least 75% to win. Bama did make 14-16 in the second half. That type of consistency in the first half might have made the difference. In a two point loss you could point to a dozen things which "lost the game". What really lost the game was Alabama's weak play on the boards. The Tide gave up 13 offensive rebounds last night. That is horrible. That is simply without excuse. When Carolina decided to switch to cage fighting in the first half, the Tide backed down. We all know the officiating hurt. It's a fact of life in the SEC that road teams are going to get hosed unless you are Kentucky. The fouls were even at 27. It was the big fouls that killed Alabama late.

        The problem that Bama created was putting themselves in a position to make those fouls matter. After the "trying one" offense of the first half, the Tide decided to take the ball inside more in the second. That made a world of difference.  Grant called time out with 11 seconds to set up a play to tie or win the game. That didn't work. That didn't come close, and the Tide went down 68-66. It was the first prize fight I've ever seen Alabama lose. Uncalled intentional fouls was only the start of the poor officiating. I can't say for sure poor calls beat the Tide. It was a travesty that the SEC allows officials of that poor caliber call games. One official in particular just isn't up to NCAA standards.

    I officiated basketball up to the level of Jacksonville State, West Alabama, North Alabama, and other leagues of that level. Basketball is a very difficult sport to officiate. First, the players are simply too big, strong, and fast to really determine a lot of fouls. That leads to "situational" fouls. You know, the ones where some one gets on a fast break, ups goes to the glee level of the crowd, and a whistle blows. Hysteria follows from the home crowd. That is what I call horrible officiating. Last night the officiating went well beyond that. It happened to both teams. Frank Martin decided to play bully ball last night, and got rewarded for doing so. I've always felt that basketball was a game of grace and skill for the most part. Last night was just trench warfare. Put Detroit Pistons on the Gamecocks and they would have fit right at home. That was good coaching on the part of Martin. If you can cause the other team to back down, you've won more than half the battle.

    Despite all the things that happened, the Tide could have won. South Carolina scored four points in the last 90 seconds on fouls that an illusionist could market in Vegas. A general rule by great officials is to let the players decide the outcome. Officials can do that and still maintain control of the game. Last night the refs did neither. The result was an abomination of a game. I'm not saying the officiating cost the Tide the game. It merely hurt the integrity of SEC officiating in general. It's not like the league is doing anything to eliminate the problem. Back in the day poor officiating was self enforcing. The other ref, or later, the two refs, would kindly suggest that the offending official get his whistle out his rectum and start making decent calls. I've always maintained, and always will, that officials have a responsibility to insure the visiting team gets a fair break. As on official there is nothing more assuring that making a tough call, getting it right, and having the home crowd go into a hissy fit over the call. I loved that. Good refs don't go out of their way to make such calls. They just have the nerve to make them. I never had any league officials suggest that some leeway might be given the home crowd. I'd like to ask other officials out there the same question. Did that ever happen to you?

       Coaches make millions of dollars a year to coach now. Officials owe it to both coaches to get it right to the best of their ability. When someone asked me about a game, who will win, that sort of thing, the first thing I ask is who is blowing the whistles? It is the single most important thing about a game and no one ever thinks about it. After the game, coaches get fined for complaining about biased officiating. There are two things in life that I know are certain. 1. We will all die, and 2. Kentucky never gets a bad call in key situations in Lexington. (or almost anywhere for that matter). The final score was 68-66 on a split card.  Next up is Kentucky.

One final comment. I respect the maturity of Ricky Tarrant. He handled the last foul call very well, when the world could see what a joke call it was.

Tide has a big opportunity tonight

A win in Columbia would move Tide to 3-0

 

Bama needs some big defensive
minutes from Obasahan...

     South Carolina is 0-2 in the SEC. If you have any doubt as to whether Frank Martin's much improved Gamecock team will be ready just look at that start. It is tough to dig your way out of a 0-3 start in the SEC. The game tips off tonight at 8CST. That means it will tip off at 9PM local time in South Carolina. Let's hope the late start might keep a few fans away.

   South Carolina got off to a great start early on this season. The Gamecocks now stand at 9-5. That includes  four point loss to Florida at home and a 16 point road thumping in Oxford, Miss. Las Vegas line makers have the Gamecocks as a 4 point favorite. That's not surprising. The road has historically proven to be a tough place to win in the SEC. The Tide is coming off an absolute crushing of Tennessee on the road. The Vols scored zip for a period of 12 minutes in the second half in face of an inspired Alabama defense. The over/under is a whopping 124.5 points. That essentially means that the first team to 63 is projected to be the winner.

     Carolina has beaten some good teams. They beat ISU by four on a neutral floor. The Tide lost a road game to the Cyclones. Carolina took down Oklahoma State by 16 in Columbia, and Clemson by 23. Those are three good teams. The Gamecocks certainly have better wins that Alabama, and have no real embarrassments either. This game would probably be a pick 'em on a neutral floor. Last season the Gamecocks beat Alabama 66-65 in Columbia. It was not a good game for Bama as they managed to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory. 

The Match ups: 

1. The last ten games have been decided by less than ten points;
2. Free throws - Bama has won every game they have been able to get to the linen more often than the opponent. That means that Randolph, Cooper, and Tarrant must creat situations that put them on the line. 
3. South Carolina is going to start three guards. All are good shooters from the outside. Sindarius Thornwell might be the best of the three even though he is not their top scorer.
4. Alabama is going to extend their zone to cover those outside shots. That means that Taylor and Kessens will have the burden of helping on penetration. The Gamecocks are not as tall as Bama but have quickness on the insider that might cause the Tide problems
5. Alabama guards are going to have to wear down their defenders. They need to press and keep South Carolina's legs a little tired, especially in the last ten minutes. 
6. Alabama is going to need some help from Justin Coleman in this game. Not only can help on defense, he is quicker than anyone on the floor.
7. Rodney Cooper is going to get some match-ups with a Carolina guard.He might have the opportunity to abuse someone down low. On the other side of the coin he is going to depend on length to offset Carolina quickness.
8. Taylor and Kessens will need to offset the insider game of Laimonus Chatevicus, a former three star recruit. He is 6-11 and weighs 260. He's not the least bit shy about throwing his weight around.
9. Bama would be in great a place with no more than 12 turnovers.
10. A fast start. And some though defense from Obasahan. 

       I think Bama can win this game. That's not the same as winning however. Prior to the Florida loss the Gamecocks had won seven straight games. Frank Martin and his team were getting a lot of notice from ESPN as one of the most improved teams in the NCAA. The question is whether Bama can bring the same energy and focus as they did against UT. You'd believe that SC will be ready with their backs against the wall. 

       This road game is going to tell us a great deal about the Tide's future this season. I hope Bama can find some really carryover from the UT game. I never feel good about a road game. Tonight is no exception. We do have three upperclassmen. That helps. Two of those players are backcourt players. Guards win games. I think the experience of Randolph and Tarrant could be the edge.

       

Tough year for some power teams...

Start at UCLA and Travel East to Find NCAA Powers Reeling...

Florida in the SEC is an Example...

      It hasn't just been Alabama who has struggled to remain a powerful program. Look all around the NCAA and you will find some of the real blue bloods struggling to catch their breath. It's been that kind of season. I'll be really interested in seeing if the Selection Committee treats all teams equally regardless of pedigree. We can start this hoops trail of tears looking in the SEC. Florida has won two recent NCAA Championships and now finds itself with a 9-6 record despite the infusion of recent talent. The Gators have not beaten a single noteworthy opponent this season. A road win at South Carolina is a long drop from some of their recent successes. Every other ranked team has spanked the O'Gators this year. 

Those great programs lanquishing in the trash bin is a pretty impressive list. In the past you would think of each of teams fighting for an NCAA Championship. Here's my short list: UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse, and Memphis. A few other other teams might easily fit in this group. SDSU is not exactly soaring to recent heights. St. Johns is on the cusp of having a bad season. Last week Duke, Arizona, and Wisconsin all got beat.  Those programs are not struggling but those losses just show that the NCAA is leveling out this season. 

Bama stops a bad streak...
Cooper and Taylor have big game...

    Alabama put the stop to a 16 road loss skid with a win over Tennessee this past weekend. SEC road losses stood at 12 straight. When you keep a team for scoring for over 12 minutes you are doing something right. If you watched the game, it was clear that Alabama had the Vols number. Tennessee couldn't have scored at a hooker's convention on Saturday. The Tide kept the Volunteers from scoring on 15 consecutive trips down the floor. Alabama wasn't liquid rocket fuel on offense, but the Tide overcame the home-court advantage by patience and taking good shots. The Tide also kept the turnovers down to 12. They rebounded well, and got  big games from Taylor and Cooper. I bet Tennessee has had they care to hear from Alabama and anyone named Cooper.

Cooper beats Tennessee inside for easy basket.

 Cooper hit a bunch of key baskets though out both halves, and really hit the boards hard. Cooper had 17 points. Taylor dominated the paint. He showed us some nice moves around the basket. He hit 2 free throws in succession. The Tennessee Vols took at 36-35 lead in the second half and then were shut out for the next 12:02. The home team got a Bronx cheer from the crowd when they finally made a basket with 38 seconds left. Randolph then drained a three pointer to finish the scoring. Bama had an impressive 56-38 win. 'When you hold a team to 38 points you are playing great defense. Of particular note was the amount of contested shots the Vols were forced to take, and how many times the shot clock was almost dead when they were able to shoot.

It was a big win. I don't think that Alabama is going to win the SEC. With a 12-3 record they are going to surpass last years win total, and I'd bet they will be playing somewhere in the post season. The NCAA is in reach with a couple of additional road wins and keeping the home loss number down to 1. If Alabama can beat SC this week it will be huge for the Tide. The Tide doesn't match up well with SC, but our backcourt is so solid they can help tip the balance toward home. If Bama can shoot the ball well in Columbia they can win. 

The addition of Ricky Tarrant has been key. He is a hard-nosed combo guard who isn't afraid to take it inside. His maturity has been helpful to Taylor and Kessens. Each of those two big guys are making strides. We may not win  the SEC but we'll have a strong say into who does. Alabama can beat Kentucky if they shoot a high percentage, keep the boards fairly close, and hold turnovers to a minimum. Then you have to hope that Kentucky helps with poor shooting. I couldn't pick the Tide to beat them today, but it is possible. Ole Miss and TAM had a chance. They reached for the brass ring and just missed it. Kentucky is going to lose a game or two I'd bet. 

I know that fans are going to continue to question Grant. Right now it is hard to do so. His teams have been close to being 13-2. That loss to WSU hurt, but I think it showed our team that we can compete. Keep in mind that Tennessee had already beaten two ranked teams and had won 5 games in a row. They were playing there best basketball and then lost by 18 on their home floor. When I watched the Vols this weekend I had a hard time understanding how they had beaten anyone. Alabama's defense was that good. 

• I like the unselfish play of Levi Randolph, but please shoot more often.
• Taylor had his best game as a post player.
• Kessens is getting closer to being a good player. He still makes some errors like putting the ball on the floor. But he is learning. I bet he has a breakout game soon.
• Tarrant has proven himself to be the Man in my opinion. He's the kind of a guy I'd like in my foxhole in tough times.

You have to give Grant some praise as well. It's hard to coach under good circumstances. He'll have this season and next to prove he can coach. Some will not like that prediction. I just think it is true. At least, I have been told as much. Right now It's just fun to watch the team improve. Maybe Grant turns into Norman Dale and Levi is Jimmy Cheatwood. Every team deserves a Hollywood finish at least once. 

CRIMSON HOOPS - Time to support the team...

Time for Bama fans to stick together...
Tide dismantles the Aggies with hard D


   I don't know about you, but when  Texas A&M was not able to play their top scorer and rebounder, it was a big break. Alabama probably would have won regardless, but it made it easier. I'm not sure that the casual fan understands that keeping a team to less than 50 points is phenomenal. TAM scored only 44 points. In fact, I think they were lucky to get over 40. It was a great defensive effort by the Tide. As predicted, the Tide used a zone the majority of the game, but switched to a man when it appeared the Aggies might find some success. That switch killed TAM. The mixing of defenses seemed to confuse TAM. Alabama came out in the second half and had more energy than I've seen this season. Obasahan supplied the energy in the last 10 minutes. All in all, it was a great win. It was a step forward.

Alabama wasn't a dynamite offensive team themselves. They proved to be good enough. The final was 65-44. 21 points is a huge differential in today's games. Keep in mind there are no bad coaches in the SEC. The "worst" SEC coach is probably much better than anyone who coached any of us. Grant gets some knocks from the fan base, but this game shouldn't fall into that category. I don't know what else a fan could expect from a team or a coach, than a 21 point win. Most people who post of some boards clearly don't have the slightest idea what they are talking about. There are a few who do, and their insight is great to read.

   Anthony Grant is our coach this season and will be next year barring a complete implosion by the Tide. I think there is enough talent on this team to avoid a repeat of last season. My knock on Coach Grant has been an inability to recruit great players, and a reluctance (as I see it) to integrate himself with the fan base. Alabama has now won 11 games. The number last year was 13 for the entire season. If I had to rate the teams on a 1 to 14th basis my number would be 6 or maybe even 5. That is a borderline number for an NCAA invitation. Alabama needs to win at least 3 or 4 road games. That's entirely possible. If you watched the Florida-South Carolina game last night, it appeared that ' Bama is as good as those two teams. Two SEC losses at home would be hard to overcome. You have to believe that a win over Kentucky will be tough. The other games will be winnable if Alabama continues to play with the same energy and effort as shown in the TAM game. It seems to me that fans have had their say about Grant. It's time to stop. The point has been made. Bill Battle can read and write. He understands how much of the fan base  feels. South Carolina at home will be tough. They'll come in ready to go after the Florida game. 

    Someone accused me the other day of trying to kill the Alabama basketball program. This came from a poster I really respect. I'm not sure why he thinks I have "almost killed" the basketball program. First of all, I don't have that kind of power. Secondly, that would never be my intent. But it made me think about a few things. What really is wrong with our program? Part of what is wrong is based on what was done correctly in the past. Here's my take:

1. C.M. Newton and Wimp Sanderson set the bar pretty high for any future Alabama coach. What the pair did for our basketball program was miraculous. Newton had the temperament to build a basketball team in a time of change in America. He was the perfect man for the job. Newton was like the learned professor. He was almost above everything around him. He believed that Alabama had the players in state to win, and he set out on a single minded course to prove that. What Newton did was to take almost nothing and make something the State of Alabama should be proud in watching and supporting.

2. Wimp Sanderson took the something that Newton started  and built, and infused his unique personality into the program. If Newton was the professor, then Wimp Sanderson was the beloved uncle we all wish we had. He was first and foremost one of us. He was (and probably still could be) the best coach in school history. I admire him greatly, but he spoiled us. Bully, for him. He was indeed the Man.

3. What the two men did was to set a standard. Anyone who followed them would have to live up to those reputations. How long did it take Alabama to find someone to live up to the standards that Coach Bryant brought to the Capstone? I have little doubt that had Wimp remained we might have won a national champions. His '87 team was as good a team as anyone in the nation. CM could match his '76 team with anyone.

4. When that is the test and measurement you have to follow, anyone was going to have a tough time being successful. Mark Gottfried got the Tide ranked # 1 for a brief period. He got to the Elite Eight and that was outstanding. I remember at the end of the Elite Eight season I wrote an article about the "downward spiral tjhat had started in our program. I got laughed at, spit on, and even worse. If you followed Alabama basketball you were aware of some of the problems. I'm not sure anyone but a die hard fan could understand what was happening. I don't think anyone takes any pleasure in seeing a Coach fail. That one extra year that Gottfried stayed was the second worst decision made regarding Alabama basketball. I understand why my friend, Mal Moore, made the choice. I asked him to note my exception, and Mark put himself in the position where he finally was finished. It was a sad day in our program. Almost as sad as the unwarranted decision made in firing Wimp.Sometimes an extra season can be fatal, but not always.

5. David Hobbs got blinded sided when McDyess unexpectedly turned pro. Big Mac had assure d David he was coming back. I don't think Big Mac lied to David. Money is money, and unexpected big money is something most of us can only dream of. He made the correct decision. Even David supported him even as  the trap door fell open.

6. The Peanuts character, Charlie Brown was said "potential is worst thing a person can have." That is what is hurting Anthony Grant. Grant came to Alabama with the same fanfare that football fans had for Nick Saban. That is as close as I can explain it. Grant had to win as much as CM or Wimp did, and come close to what Saban was doing in football. For Grant, this was a perfect storm of destruction. He also caught a lot of bad breaks along the line. Getting left out of 2 NCAA's was questionable. Grant had to live with the results. The real problem that Grant has, even today, is living up to what people considered to be his potential. I was doing some numbers the other night and realized that Grant is right on track to have average 20 wins per season since he came to the Capstone. 20 has always been one of those magical numbers on a coaches resume. It may not mean as much as it has in the past, but it's still hard to ignore. Looking back, that was an unrealistic expectation.

7. "Happiness is a warm puppy" is not in Grant's personality. He obviously doesn't read Peanuts. He has always struck me as the kind of guy you like despite his personality. Sounds like another coach we know. But the other coach lived up to his potential, and one has fallen short in the eyes of fans. I think we should note that Grant has not been far from being very successful, until last season.  Grant's personality is his personality. It's hard to change. I promise you if he was winning 25 games a year and making the NCAA Tournament he'd be the second most popular person in Alabama. Even then, the Tide fans, as unhinged as we can sometimes be, would demand Sweet Sixteen Rounds, The it would multiply to "we need a Final Four appearance. That is the nature of stupid beast that encompass Alabama fanworld.  An extra year for Coach Grant just isn't that important given where we are know.

8. The final thing that makes Grant unsuccessful is that he isn't living up to the expectations of a bunch of people who couldn't set a pick if they weighed three hundred pounds. That's just the damn truth. For years I have hoped that we could be a national power again in basketball. Bad decisions can set off a cascade of even worse results. In fairness to Grant, I think he got to Alabama at the worst possible moment in our basketball history. I'm not sure, Alabama will ever be what we once were in hoops. I'm still hoping and praying, but I'd rather have a couple of Parade High School All-Americans big men to play inside. . I'm starting to curtail my hopes, and temper them, a dawning realization that it may never be the same. And no, I'm not a CEO, but until we build a real facility to attract first rate players, I'm not sure any coach can deliver what we want. This year, or next? What difference does it make until we have an AD who can make hoops a priority. I'm not sure that Battle will not ultimately do that, but I'm not hearing much to make me hopeful. Let me put it another way - when you go to AU and see their facility, and the commitment to basketball, it makes me sick. We should at least do that. Maybe Grant is merely playing the hand dealt him. I don't know. I know enough about coaching to know he's not a bad coach. He's not perfect. He's not Nick Saban. Nick Saban isn't even the Nick Saban people believe exists.

     Maybe the time has arrived when even the die hard fans need to question the future of basketball at the Capstone, regardless of what Grant can and cannot do. Or maybe it's time for fans to demand something better. Let's be fair - Grant is not the singular problem we have in basketball. There is a lot of blame to spread around. The fans, the administration, the lack of commitment, are all to blame. I shoulder some of that blame. Maybe my dreams of a national championship were deluded from the start. I'm not giving up. But I am not going to blame Anthony Grant for everything he does. That is just is not true and it certainly isn't fair. I had hoped he could stop the leaking. What if the hole was so large it couldn't be stopped. Look guys, anyone can take cheap shots from behind a screen name. It's just time to stop and support our team. The rest of the problems are beyond our control. Let's be fans for a change.  

 

Bama Opens SEC with A&M Tonight...
Tide is a five point favorite

   

Stop Caruso and stop the Aggies?

 Here we go. Tonight, Alabama opens its SEC season against a pretty good Texas A&M team. The line is -5 for the home team. It is imperative that Alabama win every home game this season. I'm not foolish enough to think the Tide could upset Kentucky at Coleman, but stranger things have happened. The Crimson Tide now is 10-3. 9 of those wins count toward their potential selection in March. Tip-Off is at 8:00 CST in Tuscaloosa and can be seen on the SEC 

Lucky for Bama fans we have
such a great pair to broadcast games.

Network, and is carried by radio on the Alabama Sports Network. The gifted and always witty Chris Stewart, and color man Bryan Passink will call the radio portion tonight. Bryan played for Alabama, and boy did he have sweet jump shot. I wish he still had some eligibility left. I know its kind of strange to start a blog post about the broadcasters and not the game. Hey, these guys have hung in under some cruel and unusual circumstances. The last couple of seasons could not have been fun. The team of Stewart and Passink have hung in there like grim death. Follow them on Twitter for the latest news. They actually post more real news about the Basketball team than a lot of so-call Newspapers. For example, the Al.COM had one small article about tonight's game. Talk about a back-water sports page. Let's send the guys a tweet and tell them how much we appreciate them.

 

House has helped A&M

  Last season, Rod Caruso turned into a great player. He's 6-5 and plays the point. Most people believe that to beat A&M you have to keep Caruso from controlling the game. I'd love to see a Caruso-Randolph man to man fight, but I think Bama is going to zone a lot against the Aggies in hopes of getting through the first half with Taylor and Kessens out of foul trouble. The Aggies are 9-3 and have have plenty of confidence going into Tuscaloosa tonight. Texas A&M is a team on the rise. The Aggies has the third best recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN.  The program is trending toward the top. Like Alabama, the Aggies had a pretty good pre-SEC run. They avoided any embarrassing losses and beat some half-way decent teams. Caruso is the team leader, but forward Danuel House, a Houston transfer, has made the Aggies a much better team. House is 6-7 and weighs a little over 200 lbs. He's a lot like Rodney Cooper in build, size, ability. This should be a highly fought game. A&M believes this is a place to steal a road win. Bama will be protecting their home turf.

    Where does Alabama stand today? The Tide is not-ranked, unmentioned, and ignored. That is simply the national perception of the Crimson Tide now. But this team can change that with a few wins. A win tonight would move the team to 11-3 and that has to be getting close to the edge of the NCAA field. Tonight is the place to start to change the perception of the program. 

    Grading the Tide? I'd give them a solid B right now. Had the team won any of the games they lost, you might consider a little higher grade. The team is better than last season. That was pretty low bar to cross, however. Grant seems more inclined to slow down the pace than his early season decision to open up the scoring. What happened to change that? I think it is a combination of poor showings offensively by Cooper and Hale. Both players are key to the Tide, and both need to play better. Hale is pushing himself to hard. Cooper is an riddle wrapped in a puzzle to me. I'll give him credit for his defense and his rebounding. Despite the his scoring problems he has helped the team on defense, and has provided some leadership inside. One SEC assistant coach told me that if you put "any" pressure on Cooper from the perimeter he will hurry his shot. That's obviously true. Cooper cannot quick shoot the basketball in same way that Tarrant can. Rodney is good enough when left alone. Hale thinks the next one is going in despite missing the prior five shots. That's good and bad. Mainly, I think he is just pressing the issue too much. He needs to settle down and let the flow of game come to him, instead of trying to force the issue. You have to like his hard play around the baskets. He is penetrating and trying to slam home the shot.

    Kessens and Tarrant have been key additions to the team. Michaels is getting his game back, and has adapted to the tougher competition. He isn't going to dominate anyone inside, but he can help with some scoring and rebounds. Taylor is force inside. On defense he can block shots, but he makes a lot to shots to be altered. That can be better than a block. Put Kessens and Taylor together on the floor and you have good combination of offense and defense. If Cooper or Hale could play better it could really help our interior offense.

With Randolph you get a lot of steady plays. He's been around and is not intimidated by SEC defenses. He's starting to cut back on his shooting some. I'm not sure if that is by design or he's just be overplayed more often. One thing for sure, you can count on him in the clutch. He's cooled off some from a rocket start, but he's dependable, smart, plays great defense,and can finish off plays. He looks like a Gazelle on those lob slams off Tarrant passes. That is pretty impressive. He reminds me a lot of the great T.R. Dunn in so many ways. A Tennessee coach called Dunn, the ghost. "you might not see him but you are always afraid he's there." Randolph's double pump short jumper saved the UCLA game. The UCLA game is important to Bama. It was so informative. The first half showed us how good we can be, and the second half showed how far we have to go.

Lost in the shuffle of all that is going on is Justin Coleman. He needs to have some increased minutes. It is beginning to look like Grant is afraid to give him that time to do slim margin Bama enjoys on the offensive end. He is the future of SEC basketball. Next season, it will be Tarrant and Coleman that holds down the back-court. I think he needs some playing time.

Tarrant has been great. He has the tools to be a All-SEC guard. He is a good shooter, defends well, and has great court sense. He understands the overall flow the game and makes adjustments to changes better than most players. He is not just a great athlete. Alabama has always signed great athletes. Rickey is a player. He's a throwback player. He isn't flashy. He is like a rock. With Tarrant and Randolph holding down the back-court you have to feel good about scoring, defense, and turnovers. I think this team has a lot of upside. If everyone stays healthy we could be pretty good at the right time. We are going to lose some games in the SEC. The league is pretty balanced right now. Well, not counting the one NBA team we have in Kentucky. This team might make the tournament.

What does the team need to do?  This is an answer right out of coaching 101. They need to:

1. Starting making all those free throws we've missed lately,
2. Try to break even on the boards;
3. Hold turnovers to around 10-12 per game.
4. Hale and Cooper need to return to active duty,
5. Follow the example of Levi Randolph.

And, of course, they need to shoot the ball around 50% from the floor, and 40% from the outside. Cooper and Hale need to look at their shooting position and work on moving into the shot. Hale in particular is often off his back foot. Cooper is so unorthodox with his release, it is always going to be good or bad. We are a much better team than last season. Norris has been a great addition to the team, and he's going to get much better. You really haven't seen him shoot. He's playing within the system and following his role which is just what he needs to do. One night he is going to explode. Don't be surprised. He is a deadly shooter. He is fearless when shooting the ball. He thinks he can make them all. Most of all, he doesn't take a lot of bad shots. Justin can really help. I have to admit I'm surprised that he isn't getting more minutes as we talked about above. I believe Bama will win

'Bama 73 - TAM 65