TIDE NEEDS TO FINISH STRONG AND CORRECT SOME MISTAKES

NCAA? NIT?

        One of the regular posters on TiderInsider sent me an email and asked me how I evaluated the Crimson Tide basketball team. That was one great question and caused me to give some thought to writing this blog.  So exactly how should this year's team be measured? First, the team has a lot of positives in my opinion.

THE GOOD...

1.  The Tide has a great coach who made a living with high-scoring offenses but has proven he has the flexibility to tone it down with this team's talent level. A lot of coaches can't do that. So I'd give Avery Johnson an A+ for what he's done so far.

2.  The Tide has some outstanding shooters from the perimeter. Obasahan, Edwards, and Norris can rip it from downtown. Coleman has his moments. Hale can get on a streak and isn't afraid to keep shootings. In fact, all of the above-mentioned shooters aren't afraid to let it fly. I'd give the Tide perimeter shooters a B+, but they can climb above the curb often enough to be dangerous.

3. Retin Obasahan is as good as any of the legendary Tide point guards. He can penetrate and score. He is a hand full. But he also does something else that makes him even more dangerous. He can penetrate and find the open man outside. If you watched the State game, he found Edwards, Norris, and Coleman ready to set and shoot. Mississippi State tried to put two men on Obasahan to keep him from shooting a lay-up, only to see Retin dish to the open man outside. Obasahan's career might not mirror some of the Tide's great point guard, but for one season he'd match up with anyone. I'd give Retin an A+ for his play this year.

4. The Tide is an excellent defensive team. Keep in mind the shot clock has shortened the time shoot the ball. In some ways, I've always thought this favored the offense, but if you can play good defense, it helps your team on the defensive end. I think that Johnson has done an excellent job finding that balance. I'd give the Tide a B+ on that end of the floor.

The Bad...

5.  This is one weak rebounding team. When you look at some of the teams, the Tide has beaten they have rebounded well. The losses tell the story of a different sort. When a 6-6 small forward is your best rebounder, it isn't a good sign. Riley Norris is one stubborn man in the paint. No one seems to have told him he has no business being inside. On the other hand, Jimmie Taylor, who should be the Tide's best rebounder, struggles at times. Don'ta Hall is raw but he shows a lot of fight. Michael Kessens needs a lot of work, and more strength. Shannon Hale is a good rebounder but spends most of his time on the perimeter. Retin Obasahan is an excellent board man. That's the deal. You have a small forward, and your point guard as top rebounders, and that isn't good.

6.  Turnovers. If you the ball to Jimmie Taylor or Michael Kessens you have a 50/50 of either catching the ball. I think we can say part of the problem is learning a new offense, but Alabama has too many decent ball handlers to have 20 turnovers in a game. If the Tide could cut that number to 10 per game the wins will soar. One thing that is troublesome is that the problem seems to be getting worse and not better. If that number doesn't improve Alabama will lose a lot more games this season.

7.  Free throw shooting:  There is no reason for a college team not to make 70-75% of their free throw attempts. From shooting line drives to throwing up balls that rotate sideways, the Tide has some real problems. Free throw shooting is two things. It is practice and form. I heard one of the announcers on the Missississippi State game say college teams don't practice shooting free throws like in the old days. A team like Alabama doesn't have the luxury of shooting poorly from the line. It has cost us, at least, three games this season. Not that important? How about being at 15-6 instead of fighting for an NIT berth. No, excuse for this one.

THE UGLY... 

       I'm sure someone can think of some things this team does that are ugly. I can't. You might make an argument that our free throw shooting and rebounding is ugly. I don't see it that way. Both of those areas can be fixed. I used to hate practicing free throw shooting. Our coach would make us stay at practice until we had made 25 free throws in a row. We weren't  a good team, but we won a lot of games at the line. We didn't have a lot of height on our team, but we were mean as a cornered rattlesnake. We had to be that way, r we'd lose, or we'd lose. So this team has a couple of weak areas but both can be overcome by practice, fundamentals, and clear thinking.

      The Tide is six games from winning the number of games they won last season. Look at the remaining schedule. Do you see six wins. We have at least one SEC Tournament game. We have a tough schedule left. We have Texas AM at home, then at Florida and at LSU. We have State, Auburn, and Arksansas at home. We play Kentucky and Georgia on the road. I don't see six wins in that group. No doubt the Tide as to win all their home games, and then win at least one SEC Tournament game. I don't see a win in our four remaining road game, but Avery Johnson has the Tide hanging around in everygame.We aren't likely to make it to the NCAA and the NIT is going to be tough. But the Tide has 3 wins over top 50 teams. We need to steal a road win, and it seems that Georgia is or best bet. To make it to the post-season, the Tide is going to have to rebound much better and cut down on mistake. We also need to get people healthy. I'm not worried about long term success of our team. We all knew this year would be hard. We have four good players hurt right now. I think we are going to find out if we have a great coach who is also a miracle worker at this point.


Visiting this weekend: Garrison brooks Auburn High School

TIDE NEEDS TO BEAT MISSOURI TO KEEP POSTSEASON HOPES ALIVE

KESSENS, COLEMAN, HALE QUESTIONABLE

THE MAN FOR 'BAMA

      Anyone who thinks that Missouri is a pit stop because they are at the bottom of the SEC race might want to reconsider. Did you watch the Missouri vs. Ole Miss game earlier in the week? Missouri had a late five-point lead and appeared to have the game in the bag. Ole Miss then drops in three long three-point baskets and suddenly the Rebels win 76-73. The Tigers lost but they didn't look like a bad basketball team. Wes Clark, the team leader, is one heck of a point guard. The match-up between Baldwin and Obasahan will likely determine the winner of Saturday's game. That is going to be the game within the game. Two of the NCAA's better point guards get to square off man to man so to speak. The nation may not know much about either of these great players, but ask anyone around the SEC and they understand just how underrated the pair is viewed. While the game may be between two teams fighting to keep out of the cellar, it will be a good game. For the Tide, it is a game they need to win. 

     If Alabama has any hope of reaching the post-season they have to win this key game. Although Missouri is 8-14 overall and is 1-8 in the SEC they have come close to winning a lot of games. In that respect, they are a lot like the Tide. The Tigers saw their season fall apart when it was disclosed that Missouri had numerous NCAA violations. The Tigers will not be eligible to play in the SEC Tournament. That was a self-imposed penalty. Missouri also gave up one scholarship as well. It remains to be seen if the NCAA will accept these penalties as enough to keep from additional sanctions. None of the violations were under Coach Kim Anderson or his staff. It's hard to gauge what effect these revelations have on the Missouri team. They certainly haven't rolled over and died. They continue to play hard-nosed basketball, but just like Alabama they have limited talent. It's likely that Coach Anderson is getting as much out of his team as possible. He'll be selling the fact that Alabama is a team the Tigers could beat on the road.

Look for Bama to be 6 point favorite.

      The real issue for Bama is the status of Hale, Coleman, and Kessens. Look for Coleman to play. He will not be 100%, but if he can repeat his last game's performance the Tide's chances of winning increase. I think Kessens and Hale are not likely to play. So what does the Tide do. They do exactly what they did against State. They need to reduce the turnovers. 20 is not quality basketball. This is also one game where Hall and Taylor might be a factor inside. The Tigers are small. When you have three key players on the bench things can go bad quickly. So far, Avery Johnson has shown he can find the answers to win regardless. I like Bama by 8.

Late breaking news: Missouri suspended two players for the Bama game.

TIDE WINS A SWEET ONE AT STARKVILLE

 Avery Johnson and this year's Crimson Tide basketball team just won their first SEC road game. The Tide took a big lead, lost it, fought their way back to an overtime win over Mississippi State. The Hump is not an easy place to win. No road game in the SEC is easy. Retin Obasahan is the best guard in the league. A lot will be said about Retin's 25 points, but it was his defense on Malik Newman that beat the Bulldogs. Give Obasahan the nod for player of the game, but it took a lot of contributions from other Tiders to win this game. Justin Coleman, playing at less than full speed, and in the midst of a shooting slump, had a big night. Riley Norris hit some big baskets when the Tide needed them most.

        Arthur Edwards knocked down a couple of bombs, but it was his overall play that made him outstanding. Shannon Hale, bothered by an injury to his foot did not play. Michael Kessens injured his ankle late in the second half. Jimmie Taylor pulled down a team-leading six rebounds but got schooled by Ware down low. Could you imagine how good we could be with a better offensive center? I'm not knocking Jimmie for effort. Your talent level is what it is.

      Our record is now 12-9. We play Missouri this weekend. The Tigers just lost a nail biter to Ole Miss. My belief is by winning 17-18 games we go to the NIT. Should we win 20 we might get an NCAA bid, but that would put me way out on the end of a limb.

TIDE NEEDS A ROAD WIN ...

ALABAMA NEEDS TO WIN A COUPLE OF SEC GAMES ON THE ROAD

POST SEASONS CHANCES DEPEND ON WINNING AT LEAST 17 OR 18 GAMES
'Bama goes to the Hump
Coleman may not Play

           

I think the excitement of Avery Johnson remains high, but the reality of where the Tide sits as a program is pretty obvious. We are a decent team, but we have a long way to go. Decent is not enough in Alabama Sports. Until a coach can take the Tide back to the standard set by the Rocket Eight, C.M. Newton, and Wimps Sanderson most Alabama fans will remain discontent. Johnson clearly has his work cut out for him. I think he's doing a great job and is probably winning as much as he can, given the talent he has available. The loss of Dazon Ingram hurt the playing rotation, the lack of progress by Michael Kessens has been disappointing, and the failure of Justin Coleman to live up to his high school ranking is surprising. In fairness, Coleman is suffering from turf toe and his mobility is limited. That probably hurts more than we understand, but his shooting is just short of the South Pole. Jimmie Taylor is good on defense, but his offense, though improving, isn't keeping coaches up late at night. 

    On the other hand,  Riley Norris has turned into Mr. Reliability. Retin Obasahan is playing as good as any player in the SEC. Shannon Hale is picking up his game, and can be one heck of a player when he puts it together. Arthur Edwards is a pleasant surprise isn't he? The man can shoot the ball. The strength of this team is the guards. I'd throw Shannon Hale in the guard mix since he shoots so much behind the arc.

 Next season the Tide has some excellent new players all of whom can shoot the ball. Terrance Ferguson, who is a top ten national recruit in four services. Brandon Key is a 6-7 combo forward who can offer the Tide some inside help. Perhaps the Tide's most intriguing new player is JUCO small forward, Armond Davis  6-6 ,  who is ripping it up out in Idaho. He has three-star rating, but I think that is because he is a real unknown. How did Bama get him? Johnson reached out to his network from the NBA and someone recommended him. Key is rated as a four-star player who is having a five-star year.  I am still confused why Ferguson didn't sign. Some have said it was a grade problem.  Tide coaches seem convinced he is coming.

On the road at the Hump...

 

   Tonight the Tide travels to Starkville to take on a very game Mississippi State team.  State hired Ben Howland who is biggest hire in the SEC since John Calipari. The three Final Fours in succession and one National Title are big achievements. Signing Malik Newman a top five national recruit was a great launching pad for future recruits. Gavin Ware, the post player, can overwhelm a lot of other centers. Taylor has his hands full. Weatherby. a less heralded freshman has played as good as any freshman in the league. And then of course is Craig Sword, a player I begged Grant to sign, is the team leader. He has had some back trouble but seems to be back on track.

State by 10
Vegas line: State 4/5

Final thoughts -  Can Alabama keep State off the offensive boards? When they come close we win. When the differential gets into the embarrassment zone, we lose. Rule one in hoops is rebound. Rule two is protect the rock. Rule three is make your free throws, and Rule four is shoot a decent percentage from the floor.

 
 

TIME HAS  COME FOR ALABAMA TO INVEST IN NEW BASKETBALL ARENA 

IF ALABAMA IS SERIOUS ABOUT ITS 

PROGRAM, LET'S BUILD SOMETHING LIKE A SNAKE PIT

EVEN OLE MISS AND AUBURN HAVE NEW ARENAS

     Seriously, if you are sincere about having a first rate sports program, a great coach isn't going to be enough for the Univesity of Alabama. We don't have the tradition of Duke and UCLA. Those two programs can get by with Cameron Indoor and Pauley Pavilion. Now is the time. Alabama has the money to build a new facility and quit wasting money putting new lipstick on a pig. You can add all the beautiful features, scoreboards, video boards, make it wi-fi friendly, have half time shows, and have the dance team wear thongs, and it won't help the Tide win a game. Wait, if we had the dance team sit on the visiting bench, it might help. 

TIME TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP ABOUT EXCELLENCE

   

Lipstick on a Pig

  Coleman reminds me of my 2001 Volvo S-80. It just hit the 300,000-mile mark. It is clean and shiny, and it looks pretty darn good. We call it the junk mobile. It serves a purpose but I'd not want to take it anywhere and not worry about a breakdown. If I had to drive this car over a 100 miles, I'd be concerned. You can only get so many miles regardless of the upkeep. It's the same thing as what The Univeristy of Alabama is doing with Coleman. They are just trying to get by. As long as we keep Coleman as our arena we will just get by. That doesn't mean we can't have some great seasons. But we will neve have an excellent program. Excellent programs invest whatever it takes to be better. As long as our University continues to delude itself that Coleman is a perfectly safe place to play basketball we will never reach the potential that Tide basketball fans want. I don't know exactly how much money our football program makes. It's a lot. I know the SEC network is paying us around 50 million dollars. Alabama could get a corporate sponsor to build a new arena, or, at least, defray the costs. I'm not sure how we'd feel playing in the Blue Cross Coleman Coliseum, but it would help us to become a top twenty school, I'd learn to live with it. 

LETS BE TRUTHFUL TO THE FANS

    It's just time to the University of Alabama to admit they are not interested in having a top program, or break ground on a new building to show they want to excel. I love Avery Johnson and he'll do fine. I want better than fine. I want a program that causes other teams to curse their fate knowing they are coming to Bama.

 

 I think UAB has a  better place for home court advantage than Bama. At least, they've moved the media to a different location. The media in the State of Alabama doesn't give a flip about Alabama basketball. Get those students down on the floor. For nasty old men like myself, I'd creep over to the student section and give those 


guys a historical perspective about what it means to act like a fool at home. 

ALABAMA BASKETBALL DESERVES MORE THAN BEING TREATED SECOND CLASS

   It's time for the University of Alabama to quit treating its basketball teams like second class citizens. As long as your stands are a half wedge away from the court you are losing some home court advantage. I am tired of hearing people and fans say the word Alabama means winning. That's a half truth. They mean football. We could mean basketball as well. Roll Tide.

OFFICIALS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL...

THOSE THREE OFFICIALS NEED TO BE BARRED FROM THE SEC FOREVER...

Jale Bell. A lot of this
horrible officiating started with
the hiring of this man...

     Okay, I have to admit I'm upset. More than upset, I'm stunned at the inept officiating we've seen all season long. Today was the poster child for banning officials. There were so many bad calls against Bama today you can't pick out any single whistle as the worst of all. I'm giving it my best shot, though. The call on Shannon Hale, who when he wasn't involved in the play, was laughable. Then, when it was halftime, the announcers brought the call to the attention of the officials who changed the foul to Anthony Edwards.  They can't do that. It is against the rules to do that. It wasn't reviewable unless it occurred in the last two minutes of the game. Beyond that, and the fact that Carolina shot almost fifty free throws it was a pretty good game. 

    Let me say this to the head of SEC officiating. Remember that nifty speech you gave in Birmingham and told everyone that the ultimate goal in officiating is to let the players decide the outcome of a game? So, given those lofty words, here is a suggestion Dr. Bell.  You need to fix the problem or resign. Even though your selection was unanimous among the then current coaches, it wasn't popular. Your approval index is just south of Congress. Seriously, do your job or resign. Fix this mess or be man enough to know you can't. And don't give SEC fans the line that the NCAA is in charge of all those things now. Each conference has an influence on what they want or need.

     I've watched basketball games in our league for seven decades. Under your tutelage applications for clown college have bottomed out. Now, they all want to be referees. Instead of having the officials walk out on the floor give them unicycles and some of those big red noses.  I'm talking the Ronald McDonald look. Yes, the Tide took the brunt of your calls today. Just as sad is the fact that Carolina walked off the floor thinking they had beaten Alabama.  We all know why they won. When Bama cut the lead to six late, the officials doubled down for Carolina like Donald Trump on an immigration. South Carolina might have won this game with fair officiating. We'll never know. Take nothing away from Carolina. They were aggressive. They played hard and wanted to repay the Tide for the last game the teams played. That's the way it happens some games. It doesn't mean we have to accept quietly the fact wit happened. 


    And one final word for Avery Johnson.  At some point in the second half, you should lobbied for technical foul to let your team know you aren't going to let the type of stuff continue. I admire Retin for saying enough is enough regarding the officials.


     Despite all the free-throw shooting, the soft play underneath by Taylor and Kessens, and crazy line-ups,  the Tide had a chance with 5 minutes to win. We were playing a group I never thought I'd see on the floor. All this tells me two things. First, Retin Obasahan is a man. Second, Alabama is going to be excellent in a couple of seasons. Give me five Obasahans and Norris type players and  I'd  go to war with anyone. Those guys are the personification of what Alabama players should be. And Coach you should have gotten a T in the midst of all that mess. I think the team might have appreciated it. In this league, the meek get eaten alive by officials. 

       The officiating is so bad it gives the fans the feeling that improprieties are taking place. The mere appearance of impropriety is enough to ruin a sport. Here's some stats 

10 Worst NCAA Men’s DI Basketball Referees, 2008-9 through 2012-13

Rank	Referee	Common Conferences	Home Foul Margin (per game)	Net Home Foul Margin (all five seasons)	Games
1	Antinio Petty	Atlantic Sun, SEC	-3.10	-942.6	304
2	Doug Shows	Big East, SEC	-2.99	-1157	387
3	Rick Hartzell	SEC, Sun Belt	-2.97	-1210	408
4	Bernard Clinton	A-10, ACC	-2.65	-772.4	292
5	John Gaffney	Big 10, Big East	-2.63	-972.3	369
6	Bo Boroski	Big 10, MAC	-2.62	-1034.8	395
7	Lamar Simpson	A-10, SEC	-2.61	-781.6	299
8	Terry Wymer	Big 10, MAC	-2.61	-976.7	374
9	Les Jones	ACC, Big East	-2.57	-1122	436
10	Tom O’Neill	Big 12, Mountain West	-2.57	-1121.3	436

       Bell splits time between the SEC and the Atlantic Sun Conference. The SEC has not yet become a part of the NCAA consortium of Officiating under J.D. Collins. I have written a letter to SEC office asking why they haven't joined the Consortium. If I receive a reply I will post it for our readers.

TIDE FACES SOUTH CAROLINA ON SATURDAY

Carolina is 18-2 and not ranked....

        I'm a big Frank Martin fan except when Alabama plays USC. The Gamecocks are 18-2. If you wonder whether or not Avery Johnson can return Alabama to being a feared program, I offer Frank Martin and the South Carolina Gamecocks as Exhibit #1. I love watching Carolina play. I still can't quite understand how they are so good. The Gamecocks don't look like an 18-2 team. They have some good players, but none is a franchise type player.  Their guards are tall by even NBA standards, and that causes some matchup problems. The interior game is solid but not great. They play ferocious defense. They never let up, and hang around due to that tenacity.  They win a lot of close games.  They are only ranked #27 in the country, and that is a joke. 

     Alabama dismantled the Gamecocks in Coleman Coliseum with excellent defense and red-hot shooting. The only other team that beat USC was Tennessee. That's ironic to me except for one thing. Both teams can beat almost anyone when they shoot the outside shot well. I'm hoping that the Tide can put together another similar effort this weekend, but not holding my breath. But, the Tide does match up pretty well with Carolina. Like Bama, the Gamecocks rely a lot on hustle and a tough hide. Unlike Bama, the Gamecocks win almost all their close games. I haven't seen a line yet. My guess would be Carolina by 7. Alabama can win this game by doing three things. 

1. They need to out rebound Carolina and cut down on giving 2nd shots

2. Bama needs to keep Michael Carrea from having his way on the offensive glass in particular

3. Keeping Thronewell under his average will be nice.

      The usual things matter just as much. Can 'Bama keep the turnovers down to around 10-12? Can Jimmie Taylor stay out of foul trouble? Can Donta Hall come in and give Bama some quality minutes? Will Micheal Kenssens turn it up and play like a power forward or just keep piddling around? 

      We'd love to think that Riley Norris can hit eight three-pointers. It will be super if Anthony Edwards catches fire and knocks down a few threes. We have to hope that Retin Obasahan continues to play like a man whose feet are on fire, and wouldn't it be nice to see Justine Coleman play a better game. In short, Bama needs to play a near-perfect game. The don't have to be perfect, but they can't throw the ball all over the place. They need to shoot somewhere over 45% and make 75% from the line. I'd feel much better about our chances if we can give up less than ten offensive rebounds. I know the Tide will play hard. Johnson will have a plan to win. A road win over Carolina would be one that might keep Bama in the post season hunt for a bid. It's a tall order. Alabama has the heart. They have the hustle. Playing the road is always difficult.

 I'd say Carolina by 12.

Carolina is  9 point favorite on Saturday morning.