TIDE FINISHES STRONG TO BEAT STATE...

     

     Itś not much of a secret that the Tide is a little short on talent. There are three things that Alabama has an abundance of this season. They have a big heart, they have excellent coaching, and the understand the meaning of the term team. All four of those things are important. What I´d like for Tide fan to imagine future teams that have all four. I believe that Avery Johnson will make that happen. I think Johnson has found the knack of coaching in the college ranks. Then look at next yearś incoming class. Iḿ not just talking about the two five-star members. The other three are fine basketball players. Iḿ personally interested in Smith from Mississippi. I would love to see what those two would look like in tandem on the inside. Jones is a great shooter and is at least 6-5 which is a little taller than reported. Reese is a very solid all round player. He can shoot it from downtown. He can also play inside but needs some weight and trips to the strength coach.

     Yesterday, Alabama won a basketball game by doing three things. First, they were very patient. The offense is starting to understand the benefit of one extra pass. Second, the Tide can play defense. They rarely gave State anything that wasn´t hotly contested. Bama shut down the best two players on Stateś team. 

     The third thing that Alabama did was play aggressive basketball which allowed them to shoot free throws. I thought Howland made a decision to put the Tide on the free throw line. Given recent history, it wasn´t a bad idea. When the Tide surprised everyone by making 31-36 free throws the strategy looked pretty short sided. 

     One thing that Johnson pointed out was the players used the legs more in their shooting. He was talking about from the free throw line, but Riley Norris finally was stepping into shots with some authority. I have no idea if Rileyś slump is over, but most of his hoops were pure nylon.

     On Saturday, the Crimson took a large first half lead and built on it after the second half started. Like so many other games the Tide got sloppy. When Mississipi State took a lead it looked like a back to the future finish. It didn´t happen. Alabamaś guards took the
game over, made free throws when fouled. 
The also utilized freshman Braxton Key. The budding superstar drained a three deep in the corner and the Tide was on their way to a win. 

TIDE IS NOW 5-2 ...

   The Crimson Tide is now 5-2 in SEC play. Now, granted the SEC is not the Charles Atlas of the basketball. Bama is not ready to compete with those type teams. You have to acknowledge that 5-2 with 3 road wins is pretty impressive. Road team with around 17% of their SEC road games.The Tide knocked off a pretty good, and getting better, Mississippi State team at The Hump. That is always sweet to Tide fans. Alabama also beat LSU and Georgia on the road. Thatś a big deal. When you have three road wins a lot of good things can happen. Will they happen to Bama? I think the first thing you do is to see Tide has left on the road which they could win.

    The easy part of the road games is gone. Bama might beat Missouri in Columbia. The Tide likely won´t beat South Carolina, Texas A&M, or Arkansas on their home floors. That leaves the Tennessee.The Vols are up or down. Catch them on a down night and Bama could have four road wins. Iḿ impressed we have three. So can Bama hold serve at home? Not likely with the Kentucky Wildcats calling. Alabama can beat Auburn. The two big man game may hurt Wiley. Make no
mistake, the Tigers have better players that Alabama. Wiley inside and four impressive outside shooters will win you some games. 

   On paper, the Tide looks good against the three teams and Ole Miss at. That would be a remarkable season for the Tide and Avery Johnson should be SEC Coach of the Year. If any told me this team could finish 9-9  or 0-8 I wouldn´t have believed it. Alabamaś lackluster pre-season will keep them out of the NIT. Their great conference performances will get them a home court NIT if, and this is a big if, attendance stays good.

    There are a couple of lesser tournaments but the Tide will give those folks a cold shoulder. I am a proponent of playing as many games as you can. Ingram, AJjr, Hall and Key could use the extra floor time. If Nick King ever gets well he could get a few minutes.

Surprise of the Season - Braxton Key was great at Oak Hill Academy. Itś also a big time program. Moving Key to the two guard is genius coaching by Grant. Key can make the long range bomb and can penetrate. He can also post up a smaller guard. 

Iḿ also in impressed with AJjr. He is a baller. He runs the floor, doesn´t turn it over much, and can also penetrate and run the floor. His off the glass shots may be a little unorthodox, but aren´t they sweet? 

And finally Shannon Hale.  Itś a money season and that has gone away one way or the other. He has been a major problem for Grant this season. Bama needs some senior leadership. Hall didn´t answer the bell. I wouldn´t be stunned if he is gone. Official word is a lower leg injury. Word on the street is he is no longer on the team. I'm going with the official story until I learn anything more definitive

BAMA MIGHT BE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SEC

Some tough times lie ahead...

    "The captain has turned off the seatbelt sign. You can unbuckle your seats and walk around the cabin. We ask you not jump off the plane, however," That pretty much sums up the way a lot of Alabama fans must feel tonight.  For the first half of the Clemson game, the Tide was an embarrassment. Coach Johnson's promise of a fast paced game seems like a distant memory.  Before the season started I thought the Tide would be hard pressed to match last season's win total. Right now, it's hard to see more than a handful of games the Tide will win. I think believing Alabama is going to win a few road games just isn't going to happen. I'm sure the Tide's coaching staff will come up with something to win a few home games. Beyond that, I don't see even 16 wins for the season.

        The Tide's offense is hopeless. We have no inside game, and our guards can't drop a ball off the end of a pier and hit the ocean.  They all seemed scared to death to even shoot. I'm glad that Johnson finally put Shannon Hale in the last ten minutes. He'll shoot. He might not make a lot but he'll cause the defense to seek him out. Add to that he will take the ball to the basket and it causes some offensive movement. Alabama even managed to get the Clemson down to single digits, but it was far too little and far too late. The Tide's record is now 5-5 with a possible win coming up on Wednesday in Huntsville. You tell where the Tide is going to win enough games to make the NIT, much less the NCAA.

       No doubt, the Tide has recruited well for next season. You might even see four of the Tide's recruits in the starting lineup. Right now, Don'ta Hall is the only Tide player I believe would start next season. So what does the Tide coaching staff do now? I'd give some strong consideration to calling this season unimportant. Would the Tide be better off just playing those players who might contribute next season?  I see only two Tide players, Avery Johnson, Jr. and Braxton Key that seems to play up to what the coaching staff wants to do. The strange disappearance of Riley Norris and Shannon Hale is surprising. Point guard Dazon Ingram has been like a lost sheep on the floor. Granted, the point guard position is a tough one. Even graduate transfers have been ineffective.

     Johnson's team is on the brink of collapse. Even the most miraculous coaching possible isn't going to turn this season around. The talent isn't there, the chemistry isn't there, and more than a few boos were rained down on the floor from fans who questioned the effort. Coach Johnson has a Merry-Go-Round of a playing rotation. Surely, that is going to stop at some time in the future.

     Coach Johnson pumped this team up to the fans. Perhaps he has misjudged or his boundless enthusiasm got the best. The Tide showed some enthusiasm in ten minutes. Kudos to them for doing so. The deficit was just too great.  It was the worst half of basketball I've seen in some time. Our offense doesn't exist. Our defense allows guards to penetrate untouched to the basket far too many times.

      Next year the Tide has better players coming in. But what are we getting off this year's team to help the newbies transition into SEC ball? Hall might continue to improve. Braxton Key    will be rock solid. Can Ingram figure out his problems? This team is on the verge of a complete disintegration unless like Saul they see the light. I don't think they even know where the light bulb might be. 

SLOW START HAS 'BAMA FANS WORRIED...

Players have closed door meeting to sort things out

 

         

Best Tide single season ? 

I've held off writing much because it seemed important to see the team play several games. I've seen six of the seven games the Tide has played and you can color me unimpressed. Last season, the Tide excited the 'Bama Nation with some good wins. I think most fans now understand how much Retin Obasahan meant to the Tide and how his inspiring play covered up a multitude of basketball sins for the rest of the team. Now, it is plainly clear that Obasahan meant a lot more than most fans and writers believed. The Tide's guard play this season and been average as best. I think the jury is still out on Dazon Ingram's play at the point. His outside shooting has improved. He penetration to the basket in undeniable. His turnovers are too frequent and come at the worst time. He is pressing in an attempt to carry his team. Ingram has all the physical skills necessary to be a great point guard. He will get better. His year off waiting for a foot injury to heal has left him rusty on the court. I expect him to show vast improvement as the year progresses. If Ingram doesn't or isn't able to step up the game it is going to be a long year for the Tide.

THE TRANSFERS...

   

Bama needs some points

Let's be honest. Nick King and Corbin Collins have been disappointing at best. King seems to be a jack of all trades but a master of none. Collins, who was a 40% shooter behind the line has not found his touch yet. He hit three bigs against Texas but has otherwise not delivered the offense fans expected. leadership cannot be denied. He's a solid addition at a time when 'Bama needs better than solid performances. Nick King has picked up with disruptive play inside on defense. His offense has been woefully short of what the Tide needs. The former top 25 recruit  signed with Memphis and then transferred to Bama. The Tide needs him to play the power forward. He is a classic tweener at the two forward positions. Avery Johnson, Jr. has been surprisingly steady off the bench. He is obviously well versed by his father and he has helped the Crimson. Nick King is now MIA due to an undisclosed medical problem which has caused him to lose "substantial" weight.

THE NEWBIES...

     

Davis needs to step up his game

When 'Bama signed Ar'mond Davis, the hot shot three-man from the College of Southern Idaho, there was a big hope his outside shooting would give the Tide some instant help. It has not happened. It's early in his Division One career. He has the touch to be a real asset.He is more of a catch and shoot three point shooter as opposed to creating his own shot. 

    If any player has exceeded expectations it is Braxton Key. Key who played at famed Oak Hill Academy. Key is 6-8 and checks in at 230 pounds.He is a real talent and is the best player on the team in my opinion. He can make the three-point basket and take it down low. He is good rebounder and has some real court sense. His play will likely determine just how well the Tide will do this season. He was a top 25 recruit according to some publications and was a consencus four-star player.

    Bola Olananiyan, the 6-7 grad transfer from Southern Illinois is a scrapper. It remains to be seen if excellent rebound skills will make his a strong addition to the Tide's team. Of all the Tide's new players he is the one that puzzles me the most. He got good reviews from fellow teammates for his leadership and hard work in practice. It has yet to manifest in games. He has started some games but his contributions have been modest.

RETURNING PLAYERS...

    I like Riley Cooper. He is an old fashioned blue collar player. In high school, he was a prolific scoring and rebounder. He has had two good years in Tuscaloosa already. I expect him to play well this season. Like a lot of shooters, he needs to shot. I know that sounds odd but long range shooters are not going to sit on the bench and come in a make a few very often.    

    How do you not pull for Jimmie Taylor, the much-maligned post player? He is a good shot blocker and that's about it. He plays hard, and I think he has lived up to his potential. That's about anyone can hope for. He has some good moments. But that's about it. Just moments and not games will to fall short for what the Tide needs. His backup, Don'ta Hall is an athletic animal who is short of any basketball skills. No doubt he can rebound and block shots. He has improved from last season. I think the time as come to put him ahead of Taylor

FINAL THOUGHTS...

    The excitement of Avery Johnson landing a gig in Tuscaloosa was huge. As usual, Alabama fans went completely crazy. That's okay because its been a long time since Bama has had a great team. If you understand Basketball it should have been apparent that this was going to hard season.

    I don't understand Johnson's refusal to key in on eight players and get his rotation settled. The Tide is averaging 33 points off the bench. That's not as good as what we'd like to believe. What that means for Bama is that the starters still haven't been selected. Tonight, the Tide plays Oregon. Alabama is a 12 point dog. We've all buckled up. Now we are going to find out if Coach Johnson can coach. Last season, he had already pulled off a couple of upsets. I hope he can get one tonight.

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