What if Alabama hired new head coach?
Would that bring success...

      Right off the bat let me say that I am not advocating the firing of Anthony Grant. There is so just so much hatred and animosity built up within the fan base. Maybe we should all take a breathe and consider what happens if Grant leaves. The opinion piece is not about why or why not Grant should stay or leave. Let's just pretend that some day, perhaps soon, that Bill Battle wants to go in a different direction. Would hiring a new coach be a magical move to insure success. Of course not, it might be even worse. Success isn't like putting on a new coat and tie you just bought down at the local clothing store. Sure, it might look nice, but how will it look in a couple of years. Let's look at this scenario for the sake of argument.

April 2016 - Anthony Grant announces he is leaving Alabama. Failing to get a team in either the '15 or '16 NCAA Tournament led Grant to make the decision. " I want to thank all the wonderful people who gave me this opportunity to coach at the University of Alabama. The community welcomed our family and we grew to love Tuscaloosa. The terrible tornado that ripped into our hometown gave my family a strong sense of belonging. I am regretful that we were unable to provide the type of teams the fans wanted and deserved. There comes a time when regardless of how much you want to succeed we fall short. I fell short, but gave it my best effort. Thank you for your support."

April 2016 - Fans are placated with the departure of Anthony Grant. Speculation runs wild about who will be the next head coach. Everyone has an opinion, but no one actually knows who the next coach might be. It will be difficult to find the right man.

May 2016 - The Board of Trustees, having already named a search committee, meets with that group to talk about the candidates. They also will report, as part of their mandate, what it will take for Alabama to be successful. That encompasses more than just a hiring change.  John Smith, head of the Committee starts his report with this reminder. "You selected me, and this committee to make serious recommendations for both a coach and the road to success for Alabama basketball. We have taken this job seriously. There has been spirited debate among the Committee as to who our next coach will be, how much should he be paid, is the candidate the right to lead us into the next era of basketball at the Capstone? Some of what I say will not be popular. Some may not be feasible at this time, but everything we recommend is necessary to meet your goals." With that being said, John Smith, turns the floor over Mike Jones, an ex-player, and successful businessman. "as it relates to hiring a new coach there seemed to be three distinct paths to follow: 1. Do we hire a big name coach with a similar reputation as Nick Saban? 2. Do we find a current coach who is successful at his current job and pay him enough to come to Alabama?" 3. Do we find a bright young head coach at a lower level who we think can win at the SEC level? All of these choices have their good and bad points. If we hire a coach in the first category we will have to pay that individual a minimum of five-million dollars a year for a five year contract, and no buy out clause.

You might ask us why we should pay that type of money for basketball? The answer is three-fold. 1. that kind of money is needed to attract a top coach. 2. That amount of money is not a lot higher than some coaches make now. 3. The basketball program has descended into a state of irrelevance, and will require a lengthy period of time to recover regardless of who we name.

A top coach will have a national recruiting base as opposed to a regional basis as matters stand now, Alabama is simply not an attractive destination to young men wanting to further their careers at the next level. It will take someone with a national reputation to re-establish our program. That is a sad but honest appraisal. He will not come cheaply, and he will demand an increase in his recruiting budget, and some better facilities. We will address that later. College basketball has evolved to a point of lesser regional loyalty. We can longer assume or expect top local prospects to come to the University due to growing up in Alabama or the South. The new campus in America is ESPN and all their reporting, and game telecasts. As ESPN and like networks expand their coverage they are going to look at perennial winners, and larger markets. Exposure is guaranteed with a big name coach. So does the likelihood of success.

We also think that from a cost benefit analysis basis such a hire will be less expensive. Game day revenues will expand, merchandise is more marketable, and large donors will give more to a defined winning program. Each of us should remember the effect that Saban had on our revenue stream. Alabama is a brand name. There is no reason not cash in on that brand in basketball as well. The initial expense will be high. The end result will be higher

He went on to say, "it's all about a serious decision to elevate basketball at Alabama or not". In essence he went on to say that Alabama had merely paid lip service to basketball over the past decade or so. "To be a real contender in basketball you have to have a total commitment to the process", he said. The renovation of Coleman Coliseum was a monumental error in judgment" he added. "If you serious want to contend for the SEC Championship, NCAA Tournament, and go after the really big recruits you'll have to publically make an announcement of your intent.' Football produces enough revenue to make that happen. We can do that without jeopardizing the football program." To conclude his comments on option one - "there is no middle ground. We have to jump in the deep end of the pool. We are not just Alabama football, but are Alabama period, and that includes basketball."  The room became very quiet. A few mummers were heard, and then a trustee raised his hand and said, "do you realize how much that would cost us?"  The member replied "do you know how much it cost us to not do that in terms of revenue and national brand."  We are no longer relevant in college basketball. There is simply no other way to express that regardless of how it sounds". We are not sure we can find such a coach unless he is convinced we can put our money where our mouths have been for far to long." 

"We need to build a new facility just for basketball. I'm not talking about 15-20 thousand seats. We need maybe 10-12K. Demand will cause revenue to soar as the team wins. We have to do that or we fail. And it to put it bluntly -  our arch-rival has done it why can't we". Getting top name coach will not be easy at a football school. But I don't believe it is an issue of having one at the expense of the other. We have all seen what has happened at Auburn after they hired Bruce Pearl. To put it bluntly, they are the best basketball program in the State, and will continue to be until we make a decision to end that run. But we need to do that with more than an ad hoc approach. We need to build, fund, supply, promote, and support our basketball program with the same type vigor as we do football. Attracting the head coach we need will simply not happen because we are Alabama. We need someone who will take up the challenge of making Alabama tantamount Alabama football, or as close as he can make that happen. Thank you your attention and love for our University. Roll Tide.

My point is hiring a really great coach will not solve all of our problems in basketball. It is a great start, but why not commit to something even greater. Something with a vision to the future.

Tomorrow: The Florida game
Later this week: The additional two approaches to rebuilding Alabama football



 

Auburn at Bama - A Second Look


       The team Alabama had on the floor in the last 6:20 played pretty darn  well. Levi Randolph has excellent hands. He stole a backdoor pass when Harrell was open. I have no idea why Bruce Pearl was running back door plays for a guard. But, thank you Bruce. Alabama played with a sense of urgency down the stretch but they weren't forcing shots. Anyone who has ever played the game of basketball knows how hard that is to do. Credit to the Tide for running their offense and taking good shots. More credit to Levi Randolph for creating some good shots. 

       Putting Cooper on Harrell was a smart move. That was a coaching move and credit to the staff. Coopers length caused the Tigers leading scorer to alter shots. He missed more than he made. He also played out of control in the last three minutes. That's the time  of a close game where the brain quits working for most players. It's also the time of the game  where great players see things in slow motion. I bet Levi would tell you that himself. Randolph played with a composure and confidence lacking last season. I wish he'd double his shots. It was a great comeback. It also happened with Tarrant  on the bench. 

     After watching the last 6 minutes Coach Grant made a couple of defensive and offensive moves I failed to see while watching the game. On offensive, Grant effectively thinned out an area in the paint for Randolph to operate. When the Tigers moved up to stop him he dumped a pass down low. After that, the Tigers seemingly decided to give up the easy baskets and concentrate on shutting down Randolph. They did neither.Randolph scored 11 points. And Cooper and Kessens had a couple of easy chances down low.  Cooper's rebound off a missed shot was the winner.  The Auburn players were watching the ball in the air, but Cooper was looking for position. That is smart play under a lot of pressure. Auburn committed the same error that Alabama made Fayetteville to lose that game. 

    It was pretty clear that the Tide was leg weary the entire game. Sloppy execution is usually the result of fatigue. The purpose of a full court press to to tire the other team down. It's not to force turnovers per se.  I hope we get to look back at the game and see it mattered a lot for post season play. Next is Florida. At least the Gators don't get an extra day of rest. I'm not sure how Florida is going to react after losing to Ole Miss. They are out of NCAA competition. Donovan is a great coach. If anyone can get the ready he's the man. One thing the Tide learned from the game on Saturday. You have to play hard from the start. If Alabama starts off with a lackluster beginning I'd bet they don't have enough to beat the Gators. 

Randolph leads comeback...
COOPER'S PUT BACK IS THE WINNER

Randolph had a night to remember

         What do you say after last night's 57-55 win? The Tide was completely out played until the 6:20 mark of the second half. Aubie got a shot clock violation, and after that it was all Tide. To be precise,  it was the Levi Randolph show. The senior rallied his teammates for one final push. In the last 6 minutes the Tide finally started to show some energy, and it was just enough to win. Randolph scored 11 of his teams last 16 points. Included in that number was a great steal when Levi left his man, and jumped a passing lane for a steal. The subsequent dunk woke up an Alabama crowd who was fearing he worse. It was a fitting end for the senior guard and team captain. It was also the stuff of legends. 

    Lost in the happiness, or perhaps relief, you cannot overlook the fact that Alabama coaches put a team on the floor devoid of preparation. Frankly, what Tide fans witnessed the majority of game was completely ineptness. Tide faithful watched their worst nightmare unfolding. It seemed the coaching staff had no answers. Even Ricky Tarrant, who has been a stalwart this season, lost his composure, got two technical fouls, and a free bus ride home. His play, which was a complete departure from his regular game, summed up the Tide. They were out-hustled, clearly out-coached, and uptight. If you want to find a silver lining in last night it was that Alabama played as bad as a team could play, and still prevail.  When it mattered most, Levi Randolph led his team out of the abyss and into the light.  

   I want to point out that Alabama shot over 50% in the second half. They also had no turnovers the last 7 minutes, after handing them out like free candy the rest of the game. The Tide didn't panic when Tarrant left. Justin Coleman came in and ran the show. He didn't make any of his patented long range rainbows, but he settled the team down,  got the offense back on track, and did his job. Tarrant's second technical was something I've never seen before. The refs called a foul on Auburn, and after review,  took that foul away, and let Auburn shoot free throws. The referees finally realized that Tarrant had to leave. Bruce Pearl had to point that out. The officiating in the SEC has reached a level of complete comedy this season. Auburn got their share of bad calls as well. It was an equal opportunity meltdown by three men who lost control of the game. The constant whistle blowing not only made for disjointed play but kept the players on edge. No one understood exactly what was going to be called. Horrible. 

    So Anthony Grant escaped the full blown anger of what would have happened if the Tide lost. I want to be very clear about one thing. I think that Grant had little to do with the comeback. That was Randolph and his teammates. I'd give Grant this. He has three games in six days and that is ridiculous on the part of the SEC. Alabama won't practice today, but they'll watch video of the Florida. They will wear those astounding body compressors, soak in a little ice water and count their blessing. Bama moves the 13-6. Auburn is a very bad basketball team. Pearl got a lot out of a little talent. Keep this in mind for all those who wanted Pearl at the Capstone. Bama kept the Auburn big men from going wild, shut down the top scorer after his two early three point baskets, and caused more turnovers than any team can endure. Let's keep in mind that despite all the problems, the defense gave up only 55 points. We actually out boarded the Tigers which was key. There were some good things. There was a disconnect between our coach and what was going on in the game in my opinion. Bama won, and in that's all that matters. I think Grant lost more ground with the fans last night.  I'm not saying that matters or was fair. It is what it simply is. The fans want someone who can win big at Bama.  Maybe that's Grant. Perhaps it's not not. I'm just glad the game was over. It could have been a lot worst. 

 

 

Tide gets ready for Auburn tonight...
Pearl vs. Grant: Round One

 

   Is today the most important game for Anthony Grant since he arrived at the Capstone? If you listen to a lot of fans there is no doubt that a loss to Auburn will set off a hell storm of "fire him today" posts. I don't know whether that is fair or not, but I believe it is true. It's also a story that simply cannot ignored or glossed over as some of the large state newspapers have done. It's Alabama vs. Auburn and that brings the fringe fans in from the curb to voice their opinions. There is absolutely no one who should say that Alabama is a bad team, or they haven't improved from last season. But Auburn doesn't bring out level headed thinking, nor should it do so. This is rivalry. This is one of those games when the Tigers hit the number 44 on the scoreboard you are going to hear some noise.But this is one game where everyone is an Anthony Grant fan. If you aren't then you aren't a Tide fan in my eyes.

  Big game for NCAA hopes tonight...

    Alabama opened the SEC with two wins, and then lost three. The loss to South Carolina was one that we should have won. I'm just glad Kentucky has gone home, and the Tide lost an heartbreaker to Arkansas on the road. I don't have to cow tail to the SEC like big time media so I will say we got hosed by the refs. he Tide lost four starters in the Arkansas game on a lot of bad calls, a whole lot of bad calls.  Did the officiating lose that game? Probably it did. It was as bad as anything I've ever seen. But as an Alabama fan I was still proud of our team for hanging. I was happy we could put five on the floor for the start of the overtime. 

 

This Tide coach cannot lose to Auburn...

   Alabama can lose the KU, Arkansas, and South Carolina and fans aren't happy. We are just a second or two away from being 4-1 in conference play. You might not take any solace in that statement, but we are not a bad eam. We aren't a good team either. We are right on the edge of being good or being bad, and as odd as that may sound it is ture. The Tide is 12-6. One game you cannot lose in any season is to Auburn at home. This game is electrified by the return of Bruce Pearl, who may be a jerk of a human to many, but he can coach. Today, they aren't grading on character only points scored. Many fans continue to write that 'Bama should have hired Bruce Pearl. Are you serious? This man could go right into snake oil sales after coaching and not miss a beat. I would compare him to a used car salesman but I don't want to demean those guys. Like him, or hate him, here he comes. Of all the things that Pearl needs to do to establish a better program is to beat Alababam and Coach Grant. That is the apex of his goals this season. He needs to beat Grant twice. He knows that he can stab a dagger in the heart of our head coach with those wins.

    On the opposite side of the coin, Coach Grant knows this is probalbly the biggest game of the season. A lot of people think that Grant is finished with a loss and a stumbling finish to the season. I don't think that will happen, but I hope and pray the Tide wins just so I can enjoy reading the forum on TiderInsider in relative peace. Regardless, this is the very definition of a must win game for the Tide. They need to stay in the SEC race, the NCAA hunt, and to keep a house from becoming divided.  Abraham Lincoln said that a house divided will not stand, and that is where we are in our basketball program. I personally am pleased with the coaching of Grant this season, but he still hasn't signed any truly dominant big men. So who should win today?

Some Keys to winning...

• Alabama is a better team in my opinion. 
• Auburn has better offensive players
• Bama has a much better defense.
• Auburn can rebound
• Alabama is one of the poorest reboundng teams I've ever seen 
• Alabama has the best leadership
• Auburn has been together long enough to find any real cohesion.
• Alabama finally had a game where they made some three point shots.
• Justin Coleman and Riley Norris have proved to me they belong on the floor.
• Alabama seems to play better with Norris in the game. He isn't afraid to mix it up.
• If Coleman can produce anywhere close to iperformance we are going to win games
• Ricky Tarrant is still limping and that's not good.
• Levi Randolph will you please start shooting. again.
• Someone tell Jimmy Taylor you don't have to contest every shot
• Ditto that for Michael Kessens.
• Thank you Rodney Cooper for stepping up like the senior you are. 
• Grant coach one heck of a game against Arkasansas, and you can whine but he did a great job.
• Retin Obasahan is playing a little better and he is a team on the bench. That's important.

We have a pcked house for the game. about 90% will wear Crimson (or white if you read memos) Bama didn't get much rest or prep time for the game. AU had 3 days.We are tired.What do we need to do to win?

1. Rebound better. At least come close to breaking even.

2. Shoot the three to break down the AU Zone. Make 5-8

3. Penetrate so we can shoot 25 free throws.
 n
4. Keep the turnovers to around 10.

5. Better perimeter defense to keep Taylor out of foul trouble

6. The crowd needs to be somewhere around 10 on the noise meter all game.

Last second tip-in kills the Tide in OT 93-91

Tide loses a thriller in Fayetteville...
Lack of rebounds hurt Crimson
Cooper and Coleman shine




     When you lose a game by two in overtime no single play beat you. I'm sure that Anthony Grant is going to catch a lot of heat for this loss. Not from me. He put the Tide into a position to win on the road. You can teach players how to rebound, but you can't rebound for them on the Court. We are a horrible reboundng team. Arkansas got 18 offensive rebounds. Are you serious? How do you give up that many rebounds? You break down on a simple fundamental - block out someone. Block out anyone wearing white. Don't just stand there a wait for bread to fall from heaven into your arms. 

     I wish Grant would pull out some old schools films of one Reginald "Mule" King and let the team see how a real man rebounds. It starts with the word fearless. It moves on to mean and angry, and ends with pride. It they shot it, and miss it, the ball is ours. Last night Alabama certainly got its share of rebounds that sailed over the heads of Tide players. It looked like Arkansas was playing volleyball under the goal. In my opinion, we have one player who seems to understand the king of the painted jungle - Riley Norris. Norris understands how to block out, how to spread out his arms and body, and hold his ground. Same can be said about Levi Randoph. The senior comes in from the backcourt and gets more than his fair share of missed shots. Shannon Hale failed to block out Bobby Portis on the winning shot. I'm not going to give Hale a hard time. The truth is that with so little time remaining you are focused on the ball and not whose behind you on the floor.  

      Say you and I are sitting at Starbucks on Friday morning drinking coffee. You tell me that Arkansas out boarded the Tide by over 20 including 21 offensive rebounds and I'd say "how bad did we get beat?"  Then you say that the Rarzorbacks had more assists, steals, and blocked shots? The Tide got beat in so many categories you would  think they score was a landslide. But it wasn't.   Bama made 12 three point baskets and hit their free throws. And they didn' t quit. They never came near to giving  up. The didn't pack it in when starter after starter fouled out.  Coleman made five threes in the second half. Hale made a  huge three, and then found Michael Kessens under the basket for an old fashion three to send the game into OT. With four starters on the bench the Tide tied the game  in overtime with 6.2 seconds left.  Then came the tip-in. If you want to know what bad coaching is you need to ask Mike Anderson how come his team fouled Kessens when the game could have been over. I say that with tongue in cheek of course. All you can do is tell 'em what to do. 

     Now we have to hope that the Tide will get enough rest and preparation for Auburn. If Bruce Pearl beats Anthony Grant in Tuscaloosa, I don't want to be anywhere near Tide fans after the game. There are big games, and then are career ending games. 

Tide has a tough season left...

Winning at home is a must

     Ready or not the Tide now hits the road after getting thumped by Kentucky.  Next up is Arkansas, and the Crimson has to travel to Wal-Mart USA  for the game.  After the loss to the Wildcats I pulled up the remaining schedule to see where we might finish. Here is my take on our games.

1.  Arkansas - Loss, and this could get ugly if the Tide hasn't rebounded from UK

2.  Auburn at home - this is going to be tough. The Tide plays Thursday night and then returns home to play the Tigers on Saturday. Not rest for the weary. Bama should Win but the game really scares me.  

3.  Florida - the Gators are hitting their stride. Grant has never beaten Florida but I like the match-ups and our zone defense. I'm picking us to Win but not feeling good about it.

4.  Kentucky - In Lexington. Why us? Loss. I bet we play a little better though.

5.  Missouri - The Tigers are lost right now. In  T-Town Win.

6.  LSU in Baton Rouge. Next to Kentucky this team gives up match-up problems galore.

7.  Mississippi State - A road game we should Win. Lose this game the season is over.

8.  Vandy - Home again against a team we can beat. I think we Win

9.  Aubie on the road. As much as I hate to say it, its a Loss.

10. Georgia - At home gives us a chance to Win.

11. South Carolina - Like Georgia, this is going to be a tough Win

12. At Vandy - The 'Dores are hard to beat in Nashville - Loss

13. Ole Miss at home - This could be huge - Win

14. Texas A&M - we could win this if A&M is done, but I think a Loss is more likely

    That's five more losses in my mind. That could be eight more wins. The razor's edge that Bama lives on could make this a lot worse. The Tide could easily lose to Florida, Auburn at home, Vandy has a great big man. South Carolina and Georgia are going to be motivated to get in the NCAA dance. The lack of a home and home schedule hurts some teams, including the Tide. Someone needs to do some re-evaluating on this pot luck scheduling.

     Just for fun that would make us 20-9. Win one in the SEC and that might just, just might be enough. Certainly, the NIT will love us. Then the Grant arguments can really start. 

Kentucky spanks Tide 70-48

Tide seemed intimidated

 

            I've run my predictions for the remainder of the SEC. Best case outcome might be for us to win 20 games going into the SEC Tournament. That includes 4 maybe games. If we finished at 18-13,  I wouldn't be surprised. If we finished at 16-15 I wouldn't be stunned. Let's go over those later. I don't think anyone but the villiage idiot thought be might beat Kentucky. The score of 70-48 was every bit as throrough as the numbers suggest. This was like  little children playing with grown men. This was the difference between a University that values basketball, and one that seems to not care. It's about school that loves its tradition, and refuses to take a backseat to anyone. Alabama was a like a gnat to Kentucky's road to further greatness. If I could make a suggestion. Admire the skills and coaching of the University of Kentucky.  Kentucky realized a few season's  ago that they were slipping and their program wasn't going to become the next UCLA if it could be prevented.

 

         When the Wildcats held UCLA to seven points earlier this season I bet that a lot of influencial Kentucky administrators said, "we told you so". Kentucky decided to hire John Calipari and look the other way about what he did, or what his recruiting methods have done to their institution's reputation. Kentucky did not care about what it might mean to NCAA basketball. The only think that was on the table was winning. There were no methods that the school would not utilize to get back on top. Mission accomplished. You cannot deny the success of the methods or their result. Kentucky decided to play hard ball. The Wildcats were not going to let Alabama or Florida become the new Kentucky. Alabama shot itself in the foot and was out of the way. Florida is still around, and it seems that Billy Donovan is the only thing between Kentucky and what's left of the SEC Conference. 

   None of that took away from the absolute beauty of watching the single best game performance I've ever seen. If you love basketball like a lot of us, you had to admire the skill, power, and execution of the Kentucky team. They did it on both ends of the floor. I just hated it was against Alabama. Everyone on the TiderInsider forum seems to think that we played poorly and Grant couldn't coach his way out of a wet paper bag. That's not true. The Tide held UK to only 70 points. As long as Jimmy Taylor was in the line up the Tide had some chance to win. It might have been small. Perhaps it was just a theoretical chance. When the Tide cut the Wildcat lead to 9 it seemed that Alabama had found a way to keep the game close. When Taylor got his fourth foul the game was over. The margin of the win was just window dressing. If you love basketball then watching Kentucky play was thrilling. If you love Alabama it was a nightmare of the worst kind. Now the question is whether the nightmare is over, or do others follow. It is going to be very interesting to see where the Tide goes after Saturday. Calipari had lost in his two previous trips to Tuscaloosa. He wasn't going to allow a hat trick to occur.The man coached until the final buzzer sounded. He even made light of the fact that Alabama looked at him wondering why he continued to pile it on. Sorry Bama, if that statement is true you were looking at the wrong bench.

 Tomorrow: Where we finish the season

Email: Bamamidcourt@gmail.com