Will Grant ever catch a break?

Lacey and Pollard are quite the pair...

 

          Kiddnapping? Seriously?    Is some type of dark stormy cloud  following Anthony Grant?  The Devonta Pollard story is so bizarre it is almost unbelievable.  Trevor Lacey leaves Alabama for better coaching?  And he considers North Carolina State as his next stop?  Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor from my laughter attack. The laughter is about Lacey not Pollard. Nothing funny there.

       I’m not going to say anything bad about the character of both these players but they have something in common – classic underachievers. Beyond that, it would be difficult to compare the two. Maybe Pollard was so concerned about his pending indictment he couldn’t concentrate on basketball at Bama. I do know that both these players are so pumped full of sunshine about their abilities, it hinders their ability to think of themselves with any objectivity.  I’m concerned about Pollard.  I’m just disgusted with Lacey.  Frankly, Pollard was a monumental bust. Lacey was a huge disappointment in more ways than one.  I met Pollard’s mother once. Once was enough. Devonta had it rough growing up in his household.  Lacey didn’t. It’s pretty obvious that Pollard does what his mother tells him to do. I think Pollard is somewhat a victim. I also think the Department of Justice is going to have a hard time convicting him of kidnapping or conspiracy. This kidnapping story is so interwoven with family matters, feuds, and stupidity it is almost hard to imagine it really happened. I think Pollard should get a second chance and I think Grant should try to help him get that chance. Pollard is not a criminal in the evil sense but is afraid of his mother, and does what she tells him to do. The hard fact is that young black men in America go to prison in disproportionate numbers, and that doesn’t bode well for him. Criminal behavior cannot be overlooked, and I'm not suggesting that Pollard and Lacey are cut from the same cloth. I am suggesting both used poor judgement.

 

      The best thing might be to send the mother to prison and let Pollard get on with his life under strict supervision. I don’t know if he will ever play basketball at Alabama again. I do know that there could be no better influence on his behavior than Anthony Grant. If it was left up to me, I’d let him play again. There would be a lot of conditions attached to his return, but this is a young man whose life is worth saving. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens. I am of the opinion that Alabama has a chance to make a real statement about education here. It might not occur in the classroom.  America is a nation of second chances. It would be expedite to just dump the kid. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. 

 

  

   Lacey said the other day that he thought most Alabama fans understood and supported his decision to leave the Capstone. Trevor, what planet are you from? I don’t think people wish you any ill will,  but you betrayed your school and teammates. I’m old school. You just don’t do that.  I understood why some players transfer. A lot of kids see little playing time in their mind for the next season and they want to play.  Hankerson is a great example. Gueye might have seen the same thing happen, but the tall one just doesn’t fit in Alabama’s offense at any rate. Lacey seems to be a nice person. This transfer might say more about his family than it does the player.

       Grant bent over backwards to accommodate Lacey’s development. He allowed Lacey to share the point position if Trevor Releford.  If anything, I learned two things about Lacey this season. One is that he isn’t a point guard, and second, is that his outside shooting is so inconsistent it negates his value. I thought that Bama was a much better team late in the season when Obasahan started to play well. The increased time Obasahan received was at Lacey’s expense. Lacey’s parents asked Grant to give Trevor a chance at the point prior to the start of last season. He was given that chance.  It wasn’t helpful and it certainly wasn’t  pretty as we all watched Lacey struggle.  And then, in the midst of this point guard “experiment” his outside shooting went south.  Not just a little south, but deep-south. His turnovers went up. He became sloppy with his ball handling. The only thing that Lacey excelled in was hard nosed defense. That’s kind of ironic isn’t it? At least he has defense to take with him to North Carolina State (if he lands there). Just for the record, NCState gave up 71 points per game last season. Alabama gave up 58 ppg. Maybe Lacey can be the stud defender. That’s kind of funny to think that State might be recruiting him more for defense than offense. That is probably not true but it is worth mentioning.

       Here’s some cold hard truth. Alabama’s two five star recruits averaged less than 15 points a game together last season. Lacey has some good skills. Mainly, he understands basketball. That lets him play at a higher level than his talent. Pollard is a complete enigma to me on the basketball floor. Now he’s carried that enigma into the real world.

    I have this book. It’s entitled, WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. Maybe Coach G has a copy. I hope so. He needs it.

Coach Moore takes a promotion...

   

  Excuse me for not posting an article about our last basketball game.  A great man, Mal Moore, has moved on from this world to the next. I’m sure as much as we will grieve his passing, old friends at his next stop will be happy to see him again.  In trying to express what Coach Moore meant to my family simply cannot be done. I knew him as an AD, a confidant at times, and a friend.

 

The last time we spoke was at the formal opening of the Mal and Charlotte Moore Caring Days Center in Tuscaloosa. My wife’s family is but one of very many whose lives have been affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Her father, A.E. spends time every week at the Center.  

Coach Moore’s personal struggle with the disease is a story not known to many because he chose not to talk about it much. His wonderful wife, Charlotte, died in 2010 after fighting against the illness for 20 years. I find it remarkable that anyone who cared for someone suffering from this long slow death could accomplish the things he did. That’s who Mal Moore was and that is how he will be remembered. He was a true hero in every sense of the word, although he would remind us that merely doing the right thing is not courageous.

His remarks the day of the ceremony differed greatly from the remarks most of us hear. We hear him as an Athletic Director.  That day, all of us heard him as a husband, a father, and a man genuinely touched by the people who turned out to honor him and his late wife.  I’ll be honest. I don’t remember all the words he spoke that day. I was touched by the gentleness of his voice, and the melancholy of his grief. My spirits were also lifted by his belief that things will get better for Alzheimer’s patients. Here was a man who carried a heavy burden even as he helped return Alabama to greatness. Of all the things he did while he was AD,  the most profound thing he did had nothing to do with his job. No, it  was how he helped his wife for two decades while she was ill that separates him from a lot of us.

After the speech and inside the center we chatted a few minutes about what his contribution to Living Well meant to our family. He expressed what it meant to him to be involved. He pointed out his grandchildren, son in law, and daughter. Here was a man who loved his family and you could see the pride he held for each of them.

The last words Coach Moore ever said to me were so much like the words I’d heard before, “Bill, thank you for coming here today and being a part of all this.” He said it with the sincerity that is just a part of who he was. He was still the boy whose mother had “raised up right.” He was a man who was burdened by so much and yet blessed with much at the same time. He was a man whose grave stone could read, “Here lies a man who everyone loved” and it would be perfectly true.  

I remember the time we talked about Mike Price. He was catching a lot of fire from certain alums. I said Mike was a great hire. We were lucky to have him and that in my opinion he would make all of us proud. We know how all that ended. None of those problems were the fault of Coach Moore. But he felt so much of a burden it saddened everyone to see him so down and out.

A year or so after the Price firing we sat down and talked on the sideline of the basketball court while the teams warmed up. “Coach, he was a good hire, and a heck of a coach. You only hire them, you can’t raise them.” He chuckled, said thanks, shook my hand and said give me a call next week. I called him soon after, and many times after that. It was always about basketball. I wish I’d had to common sense to talk about so much more. Time is precious. The days go by so slowly but years stream by  quickly. I will miss him. He was a great Athletic Director but an even greater human being.  I think maybe our University is getting some bonus points from Heaven because of how he was and how he treated everyone he came into contact with. Anytime you talked with Coach Moore you felt better.  He listened to what you had to say. He cared. I am not sure that there are truly words to define greatness. I know that if someone asked me I’d say “be like Mal Moore”.  His greatness was measured not by the things he did for Alabama, but the character of who he was as a man.

 

 

 

 

 

ONE MORE FOR NYC....

Bama and Maryland are similar...

Maryland has beaten Duke (twice) and UNC...

 

 

 

Therein lies the main difference between the two teams. Maryland has a 3-5 record against top 50 teams.  Alabama hasn't beaten a top 50 team. The Tide enters the game a 2 1/2 point favorite. I've haven't year a single basketball talking head who believes 'Bama will beat Maryland. Maybe its the halo effect that surrounds the ACC and anything basketball from that league. It's funny to watch Dick Vitale, Digger Phelps, and the rest of the motley crew on ESPN fall prostate to the ground when talking about the ACC. 

 

  

  In the Alabama bracket of the NIT the Tide was seed #1 and Maryland number #2. Both made it to tonight's game as expected, although Denver played the Terps to a much closer game than the 62-52 score indicates.  Alabama never waltzes past anyone. They beat Northeastern in a very uneven game of runs. They then put together a great game over Stanford. Anthony Grant called it the "best game we played both offensively and defensively this year." The Tide have had a few better games both offensively and defensively during the year but not that well in one game. I thought it was the best game we've played all year. The Tide will need that type game tonight. They cannot afford any scoring droughts or even lulls. They can't lose focus on defense as they have on occasion.

 

      I don't think there is any doubt Terps have more talent overall. But talent alone doesn't

always win. First, Bama is playing at home. Second, they are playing well. Don't think for one minute that Maryland is going to be effected by the home crowd. If Duke couldn't rattle the Terps I doubt we can. But big crowds are important to help your team as opposed to just unsetting the other team.  The old playground adage of "my dad can beat up your dad" comes into play tonight. Maryland has a distinct advantage as Center. Alex Len, the 7-1 sophomore was named honorable mention ALL ACC and to the 1st team All-ACC defensive team. Alabama will counter with Moussa Gueye and Nick  Jacobs. Gueye can help  the Tide defensively if he can avoid foul trouble. Jacobs can score.  If Alabama sticks to the game plan of late then Randolph, Lacey, Releford, and Obasahan are going to lower their heads and go where the big dogs play. Getting Len in foul trouble will be key for the Tide. If Len can dominate the post on defense we lose. It is as simple as that. Len is short of stamina at times and Alabama needs to run some and keep Len active on defense. If the Tide can't wear him out then wear him down some.

 

    Bama caught a break when the Terps lost Seth Allen to a broken hand suffered in practice on Sunday. He was the fourth leading scorer at 9.8 ppg, and was part to the scoring foursome that start for Maryland. The Terrapins play 10 men who all played more than 13.8 minutes a game.  They will have fresh legs compared to the numbers short Tide playing rotation. The recent explosion of Obasahan will help in the backcourt. Our three man inside rotation which includes Devonta Pollard will be hard pressed to match to stay fresh when the numbers of Terps keep rotation in and out. Pollard is coming off his best game of he season which included 8 big rebounds. He finally seems have gained some confidence and the playing experience has helped. 

 

      Bama has to shoot the ball well from the outside.  They have  to stay at least competitive on the glass. I have no doubt this is the best rebounding team we have faced all year. The Tide needs to shoot more free throws than Maryland, and if we keep the turnovers below 10 we can win. I'll be honest, if this game was played anywhere but in Tuscaloosa I'd be hard pressed to think Bama could win.

 

HOW WE CAN WIN:

 Shoot 40% from the arc and close to 50% overall

• keep the turnovers down to 10
• come close to even on the glass.
• get to the foul line. Levi and Retin can help us at the line
• Shoot 20 free throws
• Play slow and patient on offense
• play killer defense 94 feet all night.

Bama by 3.  

Bama wins # 23 over Stanford          

Maryland on top of their game right now…

Winner goes to NIT Final Four

      If you don’t like Anthony Grant stop reading right now. You certainly wouldn’t want a few facts to change your opinion of our coach. The Tide just won game #23. I view that as a pretty remarkable number considering all the factors which have gone into this season. We’ve had our ups and downs this year. Depending on your dwelling on the ups or downs, it pretty much puts you in pro the or anti Grant camp. Here are some things I think are important to consider.

1. We started the season as the pre-season 6th  ranked team. We finished second.
2. We had a 12-6 conference record. Only Florida was better.
3. We lost our starting Post player in the 7^th game. We were 6-0 before the injury. We lost to Cincinnati in that game on the last shot.
4. The Tide then lost at home to Mercer (NCAA),Tulane, and Dayton

5.  It took Alabama those games (in my opinion) to regroup and install

      a offense that was guard oriented

     6.   We lost 4 of our next 5 games during that stretch'   2 played in the NVAA.

     7.   It is pretty obvious if we played those teams again we would win.

     8.  I know that the kind of thinking in # 7 is useless in some ways. Not

           always though. We would now be 27-6 and playing in the NCAA.

9.       Would you blame Saban if he lost McCarron?  I’m not going to blame

Coach Grant for an injury to a key player.    I believe that is unfair.

10.    All things considered it has been one great, though tedious, season.

11.     Look how much , Releford, Lacey, and Cooper improved. Even

Pollard has started to show his skills.  Jacobs turned it around. Think

about how great these players will be next season.  Gueye is better.

     12.Talk about firing Coach Grant is lunacy laced with ignorance and I wonder if a drop of racism as well. Not from most 'Bama fans. I’ve kept the list of those posting racial slurs and innuendos. That number is 23 sad people.  Not all questions or comments about race are racist – such as, do you think it would be harder to fire Grant because he’s black? That is an interesting question but one that is no longer relevant with the powers to be at the University of Alabama or civilized people as well. Perhaps it is with a few misguided fans. The vast, vast, majority of our fans don’t see black or white – they see Crimson.

      I’ve been watching Alabama basketball since the mid- 1950’s. Now some of you think that makes me out of touch. Think again. You’d be very wrong if you think that at all.  We need to recognize some of the things that have happened and factor them in. Some won’t. Most will. I will tell you what I know about Grants future. If it could be should in stock shares I’d buy a million. It is the long term that is important.  We have won over 22 games a season under Grant.

TOMMORROW – why the rest of the basketball world thinks Maryland is a lock to beat Bama …. game day perdictions

Bama plays great game against Stanford to win ...

‘Bama dominates the inside 

Levi Randolph plays a great game… 
Tide shuts out Dwight Powell

      I’m learning to appreciate this Alabama team as season grinds on. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide played high level basketball to beat a well-rounded Stanford Cardinal. If Dwight Powell is a first team All-PAC 12 player I bet he doesn’t want to play any SEC teams in the near future. Alabama’s best defense against Powell was to drive the ball directly at him in the early minutes of the game. He got two quick fouls and had to sit most of the first half.  It was only when Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins thought the game might get away from the Cardinal did he put him back in the game. That was in the first half, and it showed that the Stanford head man knew his team was in for a tough afternoon.

    One thing was obvious from the start – Alabama had much better athletes. The Tide used that to completely disrupt any chance of a Cardinal win. Alabama’s full court press is remarkable. It looks like a bunch of pickpockets on too much caffeine. Stanford never seemed to understand that if you put the ball on the floor Bama was going to steal it away. Levi Randolph has certainly elevated his game in the latter part of the season and today I thought he had his best game as a Tider. He was everywhere Stanford didn’t want him to be. He stole passes, drove for baskets, pulled down big traffic rebounds, and generally looked like a one man wrecking crew.

    Bama dominated the 50/50 balls all the game. The Tide’s speed, quickness, and aggressiveness did not allow Stanford to ever set up their deadly half court offense.  I thought we’d play a 2/3 to shut down the middle. Instead, Grant played an in your face man which stunned the Cardinal. Gueye did go 25 feet away from the basket to guard Powell. Powell finished with 2 points in the second half. The Tide clearly made it a high priority to get to the foul line.  Time and time again Bama guards plowed through the middle to make lay-ups or dish off for easy passes. The crowd has plenty to cheer about. The size of the crowd was impressive for a morning tip-off. They were loud and it helped the give Tide a decided advantage. Way to go fans.

                                                                         

     I thought that Devonta Pollard played a great game. He blocked a couple of shots, pulled down key rebounds, and made some nifty moves to the basket. His best move was called a charge but the defender was clearly inside the charge/block arc. Hey, if they put that thing down there to help make decision why don’t they review them to make sure they are correct.  What was impressive about Pollards move was the distance he covered in 2 dribbles.  Man, if he can put on some weight and get stronger he will play like a five star next season.  Perhaps it was a small thing but he smiled a lot today.

    Okay, I’m going to go ahead and say it to start the flame – Alabama may be a better basketball team with Lacey coming off the bench. Retin Obasahan, who was the butt of jokes last season, has shown the promise Tide coaches knew was there.  He is aggressive in driving to the hoop, can shoot the three, makes his free throws, is a little devil on defense, and he can also shoot the mid range jumper. I thought that when Obasashan was in the game our offense moved better and we scored much easier. I’m not saying we put Lacey in the pasture but Retin shows a spark we need. What about Nick Jacobs. He doesn’t have all the skill in the world but what skill he has is well used. I loved that nifty little reverse layup with is right hand.

      So what was the difference in today’s offense as opposed to the second half drought offense?  I thought it was three things;

1. The never let up the pressure on defense
2. We actually ran some new inside pick plays against the zone’
3. Obasahan was big time today.

         The other thing was some great coaching. Grant took a couple of big risk by not playing a zone, and deciding to dominate the paint with aggressive play by the guards. That aggressiveness lead to baskets by Jacobs. Pollard made two great passes inside to the lefty. Dwight Powell and his Cardinal teammates flew 3,000 odd miles to find out that SEC basketball is not as bad as some like report. Powell was 1-6. Stanford had to shoot threes to stay competitive. They hit 10. They tried 29.  That’s less than 33%. 2^nd seed Maryland comes to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. The winner goes to the Big Apple whether you think it is an honor or not. 

Tide is four point favorite today...

Kick-off, ‘er Tip-off at 11 this morning

The to face Stanford in round 2 of NIT

          I know there have been tons of 11 o’clock kick-offs, but for basketball that’s early. Here’s another way to look at it – if you are from Stanford, it’s only 9 in the morning. I know of no self respecting college student who even gets up from bed at that hour. Let’s hope that one player on the Cardinal team fits the late riser category. First-Team All-PAC 12 center Dwight Powell will be the most talented big man the Tide has faced this season. Moussey Gueye and Nick Jacobs just can’t keep up with Powell. The big man

is averaging 15.3 ppg and 8.5 rebounds in a good basketball league.

      Here’s the problem the Tide will face – DP is versatile. He can play outside and inside with equal success. Alabama has no one who can match up with him on paper. Not many teams would have a player to match up with the Stanford’s top dog. Can you imagine Gueye or Jacobs having to extend their defense to the three point line?  Grant knows he can’t do that. So look for Alabama to play their two-three match up zone to try to seal off the inside. If I were Grant make Powell beat me from the outside. Powell is also a terrific offensive rebounder. He can run the floor on the fast break. Seriously, he can lead the fast break. Stanford likes to score, but they have shown they can win against a Tide type offense. They beat SFA in a game where both team scored in the 50's

       Okay, it’s Saturday morning and it’s raining. It’s spring break. You don’t’ have a lot to do. Spend 9 bucks and come watch the Tide play Stanford. If you don’t want to do that, then spend the money and come watch a great basketball player.  When you watch him you might want to think about how good Alabama can be with such a player. Is it possible that we might be actually talking to a similar player? 

      

Bama has their hands full with PAC 12 Stanfod

Alabama prepares for Stanford

Another small “crowd” expected...

   

     Alabama will face the Stanford Cardinal his Saturday morning at 11 CST, and will try to add win number 22 for the year.  The PAC 12 is considered one of the best five conferences in the NCAA.  The UCLA Bruins are the premiere team of the conference.  This season the PAC 12 sent 5 teams to the Big Dance. Oregon, UCLA, Colorado, Arizona, and Cal all made the field. Add Arizona State, Stanford, and Washington into the mix and it means that 8 of the 12 conference made the post season. What that indicates to me is that there were no pit stops for upper tier teams in the PAC 12. Competition was the rule and not the exception. In that regard, the SEC and PAC 12 had a bunch of closely packed teams. The margin of talent between the top and bottom teams was very slight.   

       Here’s and interesting stat – Alabama is 20-3 when they shot at least as many free throws as their opponents. The officiating in the Northeastern game was interesting to say the least.  The Stanford team can get to the line.   The Cardinal has one truly great player – Dwight Powell is one of the best players in the PAC 12.  He is a true big man. He’s 6-10, 235lbs., and is very athletic. He is averaging 15+ points per game, almost 9 rebounds, and is an 80% free throw shooter. He’s made it to the line 167 times this season. That gives you an idea of how active he is underneath. He shoots 48% from the floor and has pulled down 277 rebounds this season. Powell will be a test for Alabama’s two post players.  The big Stanford center  may be the centerpiece of the Cardinal team but he has three other teammates who are scorers. Most team struggle to find a third option, but Stanford has the luxury of having four players who are in double digit numbers in scoring.

 

     I’m really impressed with the Pac 12 in the NCAA, and that makes me worry about Stanford even more.  Cal knocked off UNLV which was a big upset, but Rebels were forced to play the game in San Jose. That meant a sell out crowd of Golden Bear fans.  Oregon knocked out Oklahoma State in a mild upset. The 12-5 seed is considered upset central. The truth is that the 12 seed is very frequently seeded incorrectly.  Oregon was better than a 12 seed.  In the regular season Stanford beat Oregon, Cal two times, played UCLA down to the wire twice, beat Denver, and lost by only eight to Missouri on the road.  The Crimson Tide has their hands full.  One thing that Stanford didn’t do is win close gamers. Like Alabama, Stanford was only a few bounces here and there from winning 26 games. Alabama may be a slight favorite, but Stanford can win the game.  Stanford comes into the Alabama game as the defending NIT champion.