UPDATE ON AVERY'S GAMBLE...

JOHNSON WANTS THE BIG DOGS...

   

John Brown, Jr. has Tide on his short short list

 A short while ago I wrote a post about the danger of Avery Johnson's gamble to go after highly rated recruited status players. I'm talking five-star recruits and those players who are right at five-star status. Is it working? Well, at this point it is difficult to say. We keep hearing about players like John Petty and his interest in the Tide. So far we have no verbal commitments. I'd give Coach a lot of credit for even getting five-star recruits on campus. John Brown comes to mind. I know from talking with a few of the players they have some interest in the Tide. Would I call it a burning interest? I don't think so. For Johnson just to create enough interest to get those calibre players to visits is progress. Even if Alabama got only one five-star player to commit that has be labeled progress. A visit can create a burning interest. Give Johnson credit. He's working the circuit. 

    Rumors are flying faster than tear gas canisters in North Carolina at this point. Some say we are in good shape for Brown, Petty, and Sexton. Others say that Petty tried to commit to Kentucky earlier in the week. So what does this writer have to think about all this? Nothing. Recruiting big time basketball players is a thankless task and truth is an absolute stranger to the process. My gut tells me that all Avery's hard work is going to pay off. But that's all I have to offer. TIDERINSIDER, who does excellent work, says we have two private commitments. I'll take their word because I know where they get their information. I'd also like to offer my kudo's to the Rodney and Dalton for getting on board and taking hoops more importantly. The interest is there. They had been stymied by find out a way to get information in my opinion. Regardless, they have shown they are capable of doing an A-1 job in college hoops recruiting. Hoops recruiting makes football recruiting look like jello on a hot summer day. 

    I know that the Tide has been listed on the Top-Ten Watch List by other publications anticipating big years. Are they guessing, or where their is smoke their must be fire. I bet we get two or three big dogs. I think we know who the usual suspects are by now, but let's go over them a minute.

1. John Petty -  The Huntsville native is ranked as the 25th best player by ESPN in the Country. The 6-5 senior is a prototypical shooting guard. He'd start from the minute he hit the campus. Or would he? My guess is yes, but the Tide has some good outside shooters who can score. He'll get his minutes. 

2. Troy Brown, Jr. - might just be the best small forward in the nation who can also play the two in a pinch. I idea of him and Petty on the floor at the same time makes Bama fans salivate. ESPN checks him in at number 18 in the USA. The Las Vegas native, via Centennial High School is a great player. Johnson got him campus but can he steal the kid away from Kansas, Georgetown, Oregon, UNLV, (lot of pressure to stay at home) Arizona, and Cal. Local AAU coaches say Johnson made a strong impression. Don't leave out Cal in this hunt either. 6-6 - 185,

3. Herb Jones - I'm going on record to say that Bama needs to offer Jones and recruit him hard. He has a big upside once he's played against some big time competition. He dominates everyone locally. He's from Newbern, Alabama and has the frame to play the small forward, but the kid is a scraper and a scorer. 6-5 180.

4. Alex Reese - The Pelham native is 6-10. He's a power forward, and if you said he is the best player in Alabama you'd get a lot of support. He's going to either Alabama or UAB. I think we all know the importance of his recruitment. By the way, Vandy is pushing him hard, and Pitt just visited and made an offer.

5. Collin Sexton is instant offense. The 6-3 shooting guard from Georgia has easily been the most impressive recruit I've seen this summer. He was a game changer in a lot of AAU match ups. ESPN has him ranked as the 10th ranked player in the Country, and he is much better than that. No smoke blowing here, I've seen him play. Easily the best player the Tide is after. 

    Tide fans think the Crimson may sign four of these guys which tells me you can still by LSD on the streets. Could they get two? They just might.

AVERY JOHNSON TO NAB FIVE STAR?

     
      A couple of days ago I talked about the gamble that Avery Johnson was taking going after great players. Over the past couple days, I've come to believe the Collin Sexton is 'Bama  bound.  Sexton is a five-star rated point guard from Mapleton, Georgia.  Johnson and Pettway have recruited the young man hard and long into the nights. They have followed him to all his AAU summer gigs. At the ELYB tournament, he dominated. I watched his games on TV and all I could say "this kid is very, very good." And after talking with a bunch of people who know him, they believe he's a lock for Alabama at this point. If that is true, he would be a huge jump for 'Bama's program. He's rated #9 on ESPN Top 100, but that number is likely going down. Whatever the number ends up being it doesn't' matter. He is who he is, and who he is a great high school player. If Alabama signs Collin, it will be a hard-fought battle over some of the blue blood in college basketball. Here're a few of the names that contacted him. Duke and Kentucky are the latest schools which have reached out to him. North Carolina wants him. Add Arizona, Villanova, Kansas, Florida and anyone else who needs a point. That would be every college in America. 

WHY ALABAMA?

     Let me give you four reasons why I think Alabama will have Collin on their roster next season.  The first two reasons are Avery Johnson and Antoine Pettway. Two old point guards who can teach this young man a lot about running the point. Throw in the fact that Johnson can fast track him to the NBA must be enticing. Number three is that the Tide was the first school to recruit him. Think about that. This season is Johnson's second recruiting class. That says the young man has gotten better. He has been the most impressive player on the AAU circuit this summer. Number four is that he loves Tuscaloosa, and it is close to home. Mom has already cast her vote for Tuscaloosa. Collin may a kid from Georgia but he made it clear to Dawg coaches he wanted a situation to help him reach to the league. His recruitment tells us a lot about our coaches and our University. I think we get him, and let's hope he pulls the trigger soon. His commitment would tell the rest of our recruits that if you come to Bama, I'll get your rock. 

AVERY'S GAMBLE...

Johnson Rolls the Dice on Big Time Recruits...

   You have to love Avery Johnson. He is an enthusiastic coach and leader who believes in his ability to recruit the best players in America. He is dealing with a classic zero sum game. He is going to be highly successful, or someone else is going to be highly successful, and there is no room between the two. He either wins big, or he loses big. He is doing what Nick Saban does in football. Whether he is successful remains to be seen. 

Tide has a decent basketball history...

         Let's be honest with ourselves. Alabama is not a big name in college basketball. We have been historically more successful than most people realize. In Alabama, there is only room for one theory of recruiting - go big or go home. Tide fans will only accept winning. I have no idea of whether Coach Johnson will succeed in his big game hunt. I've talked with several recruits, and they have some real interest in Alabama. The recruits have more interest in whether Johnson can help them get to the NBA as quickly as possible. The Tide might grab a few kids who grew up Bama fans, but the Tide is now casting a wider net to attract big name players. 


The Tide needs a great class to jumpstart the program...

   

Five Star Troy Brown has Bama in his final cut...

     One good recruiting will bring in the next class. I liked what Johnson did with the team last season. He had some talent, but a lot of it was just gutsy basketball coupled with overachievements. One thing is sure - if Alabama is going to be a national player in basketball again, Johnson is doing the best thing possible. There is another road I hope he won't forget. It's what I call the Gonzaga method. Gonzaga became a player in the NCAA by hiring a great coach and then recruiting good players who hung around four or five seasons. I think that Johnson will look toward the Gonzaga example, and he has done so already. Donta Hall is the obvious example. He has some talent. Hall is a good athlete, but Donta isn't a good player yet. I stress the yet because he can end up being a superb basketball player. Right now, he has demonstrated that he will clean your chops on the inside with his shot block ability. Hall is a player to watch to judge Johnson's coaching ability. By the end of last season, I thought Hall was the best post player on the squad. 

Johnson is drawing national attention...

     One thing that leans in Bama's favor is the national reputation of Avery Johnson. He is well respected, and admired by a lot of AAU coaches. That is generally a recipe for success. We can talk about the recruits themselves another day, but we need to give Coach Johnson a pat on the back for his putting together a great staff and a couple of excellent recruiters. Someone asked me the other day where is Bama recruiting? One word answer on that one - everywhere. Johnson as divided up his staff to send them to any camp where the big named recruits migrate to in the summer. The Tide has made the final cut for a lot of big name recruits. More on them later and what i learned from them...

Tide's Pre-SEC schedule...

Faulkner (exhibition) on Nov. 3

2015 record: 20-14, 11-7 SSA Conference

Coastal Carolina (season opener) on Nov. 11

2015 record: 21-12, 12-6 Sun Belt

Dayton on Nov. 15

2015 record: 25-8, 14-4 Atlantic-10

Ball State on Nov. 18

2015 record: 21-14, 10-8 MAC

Valparaiso on Nov. 21 (tournament in Las Vegas)

2015 record: 30-7, 16-2 Horizon League

Charleston Southern on Nov. 29

2015 record: 9-21, 5-13 Big South

at Texas on Dec. 2

2015 record: 20-13, 11-7 Big 12

at Oregon on Dec. 11

2015 record: 31-7, 14-4 Pac-12

USC Upstate on Dec. 15

2015 record: 10-22, 4-10 Atlantic-Sun

Clemson on Dec. 18 (Birmingham)

2015 record: 17-14, 10-8 ACC

Arkansas State on Dec. 21 (Huntsville) 

2015 record: 11-20, 7-13 Sun Belt

Stetson on Dec. 29

2015 record: 12-22, 4-10 Atlantic Sun

PERCEPTION IS THE NOW REALITY IN BASKETBALL RECRUITING...

   

 Have you ever heard of something called the "Halo Effect"? It's an old educational term regarding smart students. If an excellent student turned in an essay that was clearly average at best, the student would always get an A. I observed a study in graduate school about whether the Halo Effect was real. It seemed to me that it is indeed a fact. Why would I write some scientific facts about recruiting? Here's why. If you sign a scholarship with Alabama in football, you will get a higher ranking whether that ranking is deserved or not. 

         If Kentucky signs a basketball recruit, it is highly likely that kid is a five star, and if not, he will be soon. The Wildcats have taken the Halo Effect to an even higher level. Not only are you a five-star recruit, but you are a one and done player. If a Kentucky coach sits in your family den with the family, you'll eventually hear the term one and done. "At Kentucky, we only expect you to play with us for one season, and then (of course) you'll be in the NBA next season. Anyone see a problem with that?  Not all Kentucky players are of the one and done variety. Not all Alabama players are five-star, I'll be free in three, type players. 

        That leads me to John Petty. He is a five star-star recruit from Huntsville, Alabama. He is high on the Kentucky recruiting list. High enough that he'd get a five-star ranking regardless if he deserves that rating or not. I've never personally seen him play. I've seen four or five videos, and he looks like a five star. In the past week, young Mr. Petty and family had in-home visits from Avery Johnson and John Calipari. Petty and his family are long-time Kentucky fans from all reports. The Wildcats are one of the top five basketball programs of all time in my opinion. I don't see what the University of Alabama has to offer this player. My late father bought an Edsel once, so anything is possible. I'd bet my last dollar that Avery Johnson can sell salt in the desert to a thirsty man. Johnson is talking about how he can send young men to the NBA based on his coaching in the League. Calipari can hand the recruit a list of kids he coached who are in the League. 

 

   For Alabama to sign John Petty, it is going to take some strong persuasion on the part of Johnson and Pettway. It is also going to take the Petty family to be convinced that sending their son to Alabama is going to be as beneficial as watching him driving north to Kentucky. That is a hard sell. In the long run, the Tide coaching staff must convince Petty that coming to Tuscaloosa is just a good as attending Kentucky plus. Plus? Alabama is going to have to sell Petty that they can do everything that Kentucky can do plus one additional thing. The likely plus is that you will be top dog in rebuilding Alabama to national prominence. You will become an Alabama hero. 

     And then, there is that football "thing".  What? What football thing? The football thing is that a large percentage of "Alabama" fans don't like basketball. Or as those guys like to say, "I don't follow basketball." Or in everyday language, "I don't give a tinker's damn about the round ball." In my book, those by guys aren't Alabama fans at all. The recruiting of John Petty is a perfect example of why being the head Alabama basketball coach is a tough job. I don't know who much Johnson makes. I do know it isn't enough. I do know that if I were Avery Johnson's agent, I'd have demanded five to seven seasons to get the ship afloat again. It's a hundred times harder to get a five-star player in hoops to come to Alabama than it is to get his football equivalent.  But, one day, a player will come. It might be this season or not. Johnson has the juice to land some good players. He got one of top JUCO players and one of the most impressive forwards I've seen in quite some time for next season. Johnson's heading in the right direction. 

IN PETTY'S OWN WORDS REGARDING JOHNSON - “He’s really just trying to turn it around,” he said. “So all the great Alabama players, we have to stay home. He’s just trying to prove to us he can turn the school around and keep Alabama a good school.”

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article73635157.html#storylink=cpy

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.

BAMA NEEDS A POST PLAYER AND A POINT GUARD ASAP

      It doesn't take a brain surgeon to understand that Bama needs a competitive post player and a point guard in April. Dazon Ingram is going to be a star in the SEC before he leaves. Next season, he's going to be a freshman all over. I understand that Dazon played some before an unfortunate practice injury. I know he will be stronger, fully rehabilitated, and full of energy to get back on the floor. Like most of you, I can't wait to see him. He will be rusty, and even though I'm sure he will have gained a lot of knowledge from sitting on the bench. What he does not have is playing time. The loss of Justin Coleman is going to hurt the Tide early on in the season. Nick King is going to step into the departed shoes of Michael Kessens, and he'll do just fine. In fact, he may do a lot better than just fine. 

         In case you've missed the last three years of Tide hoops it is easy to understand Alabama doesn't have a real post player.  That's not a knock to Jimmie Taylor. He has given it 110%. Jimmie just doesn't have the talent to compete with big post players in the NCAA. The jury is still out if Don'ta Hall will make it or not. What Bama needs is a post player who can come in and play the center position next season. I don't see him on the horizon. The word is that Bama is close to getting that point guard, in the form of a grad transfer. The Word is that Alabama is also close to getting a more than decent center who will be a transfer. That means he will have to sit out one season before he can play. If Bama can't find someone to come to Bama to rebound and give Bama a few points inside I doubt next season will be much different from last season. You have to wonder who can take the place of Retin Obasohan?  The short answer to that question is no one. At least, no one I see today. 

       Braxton Key is going to help. I got to watch him five times on ESPN, and he is impressive. He's not flashy, but he is a good player. He is the type of player who can come in as a freshman and contribute. Oak Hill Academy is the best place for basketball players in the East. The Tide should feel good about being able to crack the wall the ACC has built around Oak Hill Academy. I'd bet he won't beat that Key won't be the last player that Johnson signs while he is the coach at Bama. Key is better than good, perhaps not great, but we are lucky to have him. The Tide also signed a tall and talented two-guard in JUCO Armond Davis. He is 6-6 and is going to be a tough man to guard. He can shoot, he can run the floor, and he has the hops to add a lot to the Tide lineup. Both are four-star players. I've wondered if Key might get his fifth star based on his senior season

     The real question in my mind is whether or not Johnson and his staff can add a point guard, and a post player. If Bama can do that, it is possible a much better season is coming up. If we can't sign a couple of good position players, we will have to hope that a year's improvement will carry the team to a higher won-loss record. Let's keep our fingers crossed the coaches have something up their recruiting sleeves. 

WINNERS NEVER CHEAT AND CHEATERS NEVER WIN, EXCEPT IN THE NCAA

  Remember that time-honored saying. College and Professional Sports have just about put an end to that belief. The NCAA allowing North Carolina and Syracuse to play in the Final Four is an outrage to decency and fair play. I academic fraud shown by both schools, and validated by the NCAA is an affront to every institution that plays by the rules. I don't care if these are two of the top five winning schools of all time. I don't care if the two respective coaches are two of the biggest winners in college basketball history. They are each, and the NCAA has backed up their cheating by allowing them to play for an opportunity to play for a berth in Final Four. Without a doubt, these two schools are the dirtiest schools ever to play basketball. Moreover; they wouldn't be able to play if it wasn't for the partner in crime, the NCAA Infractions Committee. Whoa, you say, what are you talking about? These are two of the top programs in college basketball history. 
 

     Syracuse was caught pay boosters, fixing drug tests, and misconduct of their coaching staff. The coaches are writing papers for players. It's called cheating, or in kinder circles it is called academic fraud. Their coach, the esteemed and always whining Jim Boeheim was suspended for a whole nine games. Last season Syracuse agreed not to go to the NCAA, which they wouldn't have received a bid in the first place. The report was comprehensive, cited so many violations it was 94 pages long. If you every want to know how to succeed in college basketball read the story yourself. Boeheim, who has about as much integrity as a war criminal, complained his nine-game suspension was overly harsh. I do agree it was improper. He should have been kicked out of the game forever. The NCAA said the punishment was adequate. So the punishment was so great that Syracuse made this year's tournament, in large part by ignoring the early season losses in Boeheim's absence. Yeah, buddy, that taught the Orange, who as undoubtedly kicked up the old program again. That one year wasn't a punishment it was a sabbatical for the devil himself.

     Those violations pale in comparison to UNC's. Forging teacher's names to show passing grades, as many as 220 UNC players took classes that simply didn't exist or did not meet UNC standards. The NCAA was so mad at UNC they caused the school Chancellor, to resign in disgrace. Coaches submitted papers for their players, communicated with college professors pretending to be the player himself. On example of the far-reaching, fraud was a player had his current eligibility re-instated after a basketball school secretary 
and basketball director wrote a paper for the student. These violations went on for a decade. After the NCAA had given their report to UNC they committed other violations the NCAA will levy punishment after the Basketball Tournament. In fact, the violations were so egregious the NCAA invented the moniker, "No Show - paper class. 

    The upcoming game will be a chance for the NCAA to explain why these two schools are even playing. This game will be like Sing-Sing playing Alcatraz in a match game to determine who cheated the most. I have the answer to that one. It was the NCAA who cheated its mandate to enforce misconduct. So if you want to build a big time program go out and buy players, have tutors take tests for them, and forget that go to class rule. Basketball isn't about sport. It isn't about competition; it is merely about money. This makes the Cam Newton decision look like a game of Candy Land. What' happening to our country? Men like those on the Infraction's Committee lead us by example.