Bama goes big for win over Detroit...

Three bigs inside net 49 points...

Mitchell finally gets to play his natural position due to
the insertion of Nick into the starting lineup

     Bama's win over Detroit Mercy may not seem like much of a big deal. The Horizon League isn't a household name in Alabama, but they play great basketball. Butler plays in that league and the Bulldogs have been in two consecutive National Championship Games. The league is that good. The Titans start three players who could start on almost any team in the country including Alabama. Detroit was bolstered by the return of an all-conference center and they had a pair of guards that could play almost anywhere.

     In fact, if you watched the game personally you could see that except for Tony Mitchell the talent level was pretty equal. This was not just another stiff coming into Coleman for the Tide to add a win. I believe when selection time arrives it will be more than just a good win, it will be a quality win.



 

 

Green liked the change as well. Not as many double team

     Bama has dropped to 23 in the polls and that is to be expected. I believe that Grant has hit upon something that will make a big difference. He is playing his big three men (not counting the Swede) in the starting lineup. Bama won't be as fast and mobile, but maybe the Tide can keep Green around in the game for a while. Green did foul out but it was at game's end. Cooper has had some good moments but not enough of them.


Lacy is going to be good but Randolph adds that rebounding diminsion. The quiet 6-4 freshman has been grabbing a lot of rebounds. More importantly he grabs a lot of big rebounds. When the Titans were making their second half run it was Randolph who pulled down rebounds and cut into the offensive boards which were killing the Tide.

   Dayton made 10 three point baskets. The Titans made 0. They missed 12. What if they had made 4 of those baskets. We might have had a different outcome. The game score was 62-54. That 54 was about 30 below Detroit's average going into Sunday's game and that was without their star post player. I'm glad we caught the Titans when we did. Come March they are going to be a pretty salty bunch. They may be the best thing out of Detroit since the original Mustang.

So the Tide goes to 8-2 and has a huge game in Kansas City this weekend. It was a game that Coach Grant promised Trevor Releford when they signed him. Bama goes into that one an 8 point dog. We can laugh at Big 12 football but not hoops. The purple have a great team. This is a true road game into a big time college enviroment. A win would be big.

Recap you need to remember:  Jacobs had 13 in his first start, Green had 21, and Mitchell had 15. Releford only scored 2 points but had 5 assists.We are a better team when Trevor has more assists than points. Kudos for Randolph. We thought he was 'Bama's best signing and so far it has proved to be true.

If you are going to the game, or would like to go shoot me an email.


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Dayton thumps 'Bama 74-62

Green's flagrant foul was turning point...

Grant looking for answers 

     Anthony Grant is too much of a gentleman to say anything negative about officiating. However, I am under no constraint in saying the flagrant foul which sent JayMikal Green to the bench for most of the first half was uncalled for on the part of both Green and the Officials. Green certainly shoved a Dayton player in a scrape for a loose ball rebound. There is no doubt he pushed the man, but equally true is the fact that it was not done in flagrant manner. It was a reaction, and I suppose depending on your personal view it was either intentional or not. What it wasn't however was flagrant under the rules of NCAA basketball. 


     Regardless of how you viewed that little push-shove deal it showed what Alabama fans have feared all along. Bama cannot win with Green on the bench for long stretches of time. The six minutes he sat out in the Georgetown game beat the Tide. His first half absence sealed Bama's fate as well. Earlier in the year we said that 'Bama would be as good as their bench inside. I think we know get the picture. Nick Jacobs is going to be a good player. But he is a freshman and last night he was still a freshman on his first road trip. It showed. It showed for all of Bama's freshmen until Trevor Lacy "caught fire" to score eight points. Catching fire is a relative term however and had Lacy's fire been a 20 blazing fire it might have made a difference. Once again,  the Tide was ineffective from the outside. Mitchell and Releford got their points but that was about it. Releford got all his in the second half to lead the Tide from 17 down to 6 down, but the hole was to deep.


    I have read that many are questioning the 'Bama full court pressure. That press put Alabama back in the game. When you start 2 freshmen and your next 3 of the bench are two other freshman and a sophomore you are going to have some really bad stretches. Anthony has two choices - he can reign the freshman in and hope to win now, or he can let them go and win bigger later.  I think he is second and it will pay off. One thing we need to remember that when a team plays aggressive defense they tend to shoot poorly from the outside. Alabama is not an exception. The shooting will still get better. 


     What Bama has to do is learn to protect Green inside. That is a double edged sword however. To do that the team will have to give up some of the man to man in your face defense on the perimeter.  Grant will not do that. Green is going to decide to pick his battles inside, and everyone needs to pray that Guye comes back early.  The Tide is so thin inside there is no margin for error. When you play four freshman there is going to be a lot of error. That is just a basketball fact of life. A lot of people thought that Hillman and Hines would be easily replaced. Not this writer. I suspect that the coaches knew that as well. H and H did all the dirty little jobs that win games. I see Randolph picking up some of the slack. Will Cooper or Jacobs chip in to help. Big question. The answer will likely define the Alabama basketball season.


    Green needs to lead with his hook and not his jabs. If he is going to be a leader it is time to step up and do so. I believe he can get the job done. Alabama still shot over 50% despite hitting only 4 of 16 from the outside.  As long as Green was in the game the Tide won those minutes. It's very simple - Bama can beat some teams with Green on the bench. They can win some games shooting poorly, but they can't win with poor shooting and Green not on the floor. I have been surprised at some of the posts by "fans" about Green and the team. Not only were they not flattering but they were not truth either. The pieces are there for the Tide to have a good season. The team is so much ahead of last year we should all recognize how much last year's team improved in the second half of the second half of the year. The same is probably going to be true this season also. Mark this prediction - before the season is over we will know we can be an NCAA a team and  couple of freshmen step up their game to help that come true. 




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SEC Opinions - Do your remember tie games?

Roll Tide Crimson Tide 

     I wonder what the mood of those anti-Alabama voters would have been if overtime was eliminated from college football? Both LSU and 'Bama would have 11-0-1 records. The entire football world would have been clamoring for a re-match. Well, that is exactly what happened earlier in the season except for some silly and I want to ad un-manly change of the rules. Back in the day teams fought each other for 60 minutes and if the game was a tie it was tie. You would walk off the field with your opponents, not unlike brothers in arms, who had fought a vicious battle and lived to talk about it.


     Now we have overtime if the two teams are tied at the end of regulation. You have another coin toss, a receive or defend option. Two teams who fought for 60 minutes mano y mano are relegated  to a lucky bounce or a penalty which might decide the outcome. What a silly rule overtime has become. Not only do you have an overtime but at times you have two, or three, or four, and on rare occasions five. Tired players are more easily hurt. Tired players don't always make for good football. The fans want resolution but overtime (IMO) is not the way to do. If you play 60 minutes Mano y Mano and play dead even the game should be over. Both teams can walk off with their heads held high or at least not hanging. 


     This season if Bama and LSU had tied it would be the most monumental game in college football history. We would have none of this spinning that Oklahoma State should be in the BCS National Championship game. The only thing that would matter is that neither team had a loss and played to a tie. None of this whining and regional bias. None of this lets attitude of   punishing Trent Richardson because 'Bama backed into the national championship game.


I know this position is old school. That's okay. New isn't always better. Progress is an opinion of thought.  Alabama getting another shot at beating LSU is big. It could have so much more. Just to make my position clear - Oklahoma State is not in the same league as Alabama or LSU. I think they may be more like Georgia. Besides anyone who has a quarterback who is old enough to have grandchildren is as silly as overtime.

Bama drops one to Georgetown at home...

    

The Hoyas shut down
the inside game.

      Good grief. ‘Bama lost a game at home. You would think our fans need a Code Blue. The team played hard. They played well. They shot the ball from inside the three-point line more than well enough to win.  They shot the ball so poorly from the outside it was astonishing to watch.  Georgetown, no Johnny come lately to big time basketball, defended ‘Bama well. The Tide was 3-16 from downtown. They needed to be 4-16. They needed to hit 2 more free throws. They needed to switch on a pick which allowed Georgetown to win on a 3 point shot. That failure to switch probably will cause Coach Grant to worry a lot more than missing shots. Everybody misses shots in basketball. Every team that plays basketball will have a game like the Tide had last night. When you hold a team with the national respect that a Big East team deserves to 57 points you’ll win 9 out of 10 games.

There are a hundred things that Bama did well. There were very few things they did poorly.  So let’s all take a deep breath and relax. Basketball is not a sport where losing one game will make or break your season. Well, it might if you are playing in the absolute last game of the college season and lose. The home streak the Tide put together was remarkable. It was remarkable in the sense that it was put together with teams trying to get better.

Here’s the way basketball is when you are trying to build a great program. First, you win a few home games and get shellacked on the road. Then you win a few more home games and knock off a couple of pretty good teams in front of your home crowd.  You also win a few road games against poorer teams. Next you win most of your home games and split even on the road. Then you put together a real home court killer (like Bama has) and also beat some good teams on the road and the good opponents are afraid they might lose to you at home. So that is where we are this Friday morning. Look back over Grants first two seasons and see how Alabama has followed that script. Alabama is going to win more games on the road against good teams than they will lose at home. Losing to Georgetown is not the end of the world. Losing to UAH might be. I remember when Alabama almost lost to Birmingham-Southern a short time ago. That caught my attention.

I commend Georgetown for coming into a tough road game and having the presence to run their sets, set their picks, and tone down the home crowd. When the season is winding down I have no doubt where Georgetown will be – in the NCAA Tournament. They are better than expected because you can’t predict poise and confidence. Alabama lost on a 3 point basket at the end.  A great player made that shot. Alabama had once short lapse of focus and became confused whether you switch on the screen or fight through the pick.  For those of you who don’t quite understand that, you always switch on a three pointer and take your chances on the other rolling down to score. Rolling down might have tied the game. Letting someone shoot a three point will get you beat some nights. Last night was one of those nights.

Bama’s shooting will improve. I know that. Why? Because, the Tide has too many good shooters to go 3-16 and suffer through many games such as last night’s. When those nights occur you hope you are playing Podunk College and not Georgetown.  Shooting that poorly at home is a rarity. Later on in the season it will be offset by 13-16 shooting one night when they need it most. Alabama will start another home winning streak. We will go to the NCAA tournament. I’m not worried about our shooting. I’m worried about a lack of depth inside. I believe Alabama will be as good as their bench plays. I’m not happy about losing. It is not the end of the world to lose a game as we know it. Ask the football team.




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Bama drops one to Georgetown at home...

    


      Good grief. ‘Bama lost a game at home. You would think our fans need a Code Blue. The team played hard. They played well. They shot the ball from inside the three-point line more than well enough to win.  They shot the ball so poorly from the outside it was astonishing to watch.  Georgetown, no Johnny come lately to big time basketball, defended ‘Bama well. The Tide was 3-16 from downtown. They needed to be 4-16. They needed to hit 2 more free throws. They needed to switch on a pick which allowed Georgetown to win on a 3 point shot. That failure to switch probably will cause Coach Grant to worry a lot more than missing shots. Everybody misses shots in basketball. Every team that plays basketball will have a game like the Tide had last night. When you hold a team with the national respect that a Big East team deserves to 57 points you’ll win 9 out of 10 games.

There are a hundred things that Bama did well. There were very few things they did poorly.  So let’s all take a deep breath and relax. Basketball is not a sport where losing one game will make or break your season. Well, it might if you are playing in the absolute last game of the college season and lose. The home streak the Tide put together was remarkable. It was remarkable in the sense that it was put together with teams trying to get better.

Here’s the way basketball is when you are trying to build a great program. First, you win a few home games and get shellacked on the road. Then you win a few more home games and knock off a couple of pretty good teams in front of your home crowd.  You also win a few road games against poorer teams. Next you win most of your home games and split even on the road. Then you put together a real home court killer (like Bama has) and also beat some good teams on the road and the good opponents are afraid they might lose to you at home. So that is where we are this Friday morning. Look back over Grants first two seasons and see how Alabama has followed that script. Alabama is going to win more games on the road against good teams than they will lose at home. Losing to Georgetown is not the end of the world. Losing to UAH might be. I remember when Alabama almost lost to Birmingham-Southern a short time ago. That caught my attention.

I commend Georgetown for coming into a tough road game and having the presence to run their sets, set their picks, and tone down the home crowd. When the season is winding down I have no doubt where Georgetown will be – in the NCAA Tournament. They are better than expected because you can’t predict poise and confidence. Alabama lost on a 3 point basket at the end.  A great player made that shot. Alabama had once short lapse of focus and became confused whether you switch on the screen or fight through the pick.  For those of you who don’t quite understand that, you always switch on a three pointer and take your chances on the other rolling down to score. Rolling down might have tied the game. Letting someone shoot a three point will get you beat some nights. Last night was one of those nights.

Bama’s shooting will improve. I know that. Why? Because, the Tide has too many good shooters to go 3-16 and suffer through many games such as last night’s. When those nights occur you hope you are playing Podunk College and not Georgetown.  Shooting that poorly at home is a rarity. Later on in the season it will be offset by 13-16 shooting one night when they need it most. Alabama will start another home winning streak. We will go to the NCAA tournament. I’m not worried about our shooting. I’m worried about a lack of depth inside. I believe Alabama will be as good as their bench plays. I’m not happy about losing. It is not the end of the world to lose a game as we know it. Ask the football team.

ALABAMA WINS PUERTO RICO TOURNAMENT...

Great defense allows the Tide to Roll...

Tide celebrates after whipping Purdue

     No disrespect to the Alabama football team's great defense. By all accounts that defense is the best in the NCAA. Some Tide fans believe it is the best defense in Alabama history. Perhaps one day it will as good as Alabama's basketball team defense. Basketball championships, like football championships, start by winning on the defensive side of court. On Sunday night in San Juan Puerto Rico, the Crimson Tide used a relentless defense to hold the high scoring 'Boilermakers of Purdue to only  56  points in winning the Championship game 65-56. The Big Ten team got 12 of those points in the last three minutes when the issue had been decided.

     The Alabama defense has all the efficiency of a meat grinder on steroids. Consider that Purdue scored 91 and 85 points in their first two games. The 56 was 32 points under their average. We have speculated what might happen when Bama started to make three point baskets. In the second half we got a glimpse. It will only get better. The Tide is working hard to be a better offensive team. Tonight, they got better in the second half.


Mitchell is special...

Tony had an great tourney

     The SETI project whose goal is to find intelligent extraterrestrial life is a great side trip if you come to PR.  It might  be a lot easier if those learned scientists to pay 12  bucks and witness the sky high show of Tony Mitchell. Mitchell  ended last season on a roll. He is taking up where he left off. Releford had 20 to lead all scorers. He also had 5 assists. Green had 14 and so did Mitchell. Randolph had 12. A cold spell in the first half kept the Tide from running away against Boilermakers. 

THINGS WE LIKED...

• Hello Levi, welcome to the big time. Great game from a gifted athlete. 
• Nick Jacobs, had a great tournament and showed Grant he can trust him
• So did Carl Engstrom. He  didn't score much be he rebounded well. His picks are big
• Green got into the flow of the game after foul trouble and forcing the issue in game 2.
• Releford had a great week, his assists are starting to pick up, and that is VERY GOOD.
• Mitchell is quickly becoming a star. Insider or out # 5 is everywhere.
• Trevor Lacey started to show his real skills.
• Rodney Cooper is playing excellent defense and has hit a few threes. Getting better

     Bama is a top 15 right now. Come late winter it might be a national player. The defense is beyond good and offense is coming along fine. One thing people might want to remember is that the Tide expends a lot of energy on defense, and that hurts the offense. Bama shot 43% while limiting the red hot Big 10 team to 35%. Bama also cashed in on 14-18 free throws. Purdue out boarded the Tide 30-25. 17 turnovers is not going to make Grant very happy, Purdue had 13 to almost  even out some sloppy play.  Both teams played such hard defense it caused the offense of both teams to look pretty.  In the end, the Tide made three good runs during the game that Purdue couldn't match.

I'd give the Tide a solid A for the Caribbean.

Late update: Mitchell named SEC Player of the Week

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Revenge game?

Hankerson has improved  

      Not really. The  tonight's WS game will allow Alabama to return to the scene of the crime so to speak. Last season Alabama's magical run in the NIT was ended by very good and sound Wichita State Shockers. If you saw the Shockers last night they look very much like the same team that handed the Tide a loss in the final game of their season. 


     Alabama brings a much better outside game than last season. The Tide's perimeter shooting was so poor that it caused them to lead the nation in 2 point baskets against total points Tonight is a playoff game for the NCAA. Alabama has beefed up the pre-SEC schedule. Two solid wins so far, and win over the Shockers would be big on when team are selected for the NCAA field. Bama's horrible showing in the Bahama's last winter sealed the team's NCAA fate even though we didn't know at the time. At that time most people just thought we were a lousy team. You have to admire Grant for teaching his team, and JayMykal Green a lessons about what is and is not important. Whatever occurred in the Caribbean last year is behind them, but the lesson learned seems to remain. 
    If you think it is revenge on the mind's of the basketball team you might be wrong. Not replicating last years showing. In doing that they may well beat the Shockers. One thing Tide fans learned last night was that wins are possible against mediocre teams. If Green plays only 13 minutes tonight it won't be the same. Bama learned that Carl Engstrom can hold his own on defense. He takes up a lot of room, and his technique is improving. On offense he hasn't shown a lot of success but has developed a decent drop step to the basket. 


Keys to Winning tonight:

• Keep Green and Mitchell out of foul troube.
• Releford needs to pick up his assist production
• Cooper and Randolph need to keep up their defense and chip in a few baskets

     Bama will need to hit some threes. Hello Trevor Lacey. In all honesty every starter and the first two players off the bench can make threes. Look for 'Bama to start scoring a lot more points as they learn to play as a team. Bama's defense is great, and the offense has the potential to be as good. 

I like Bama by 6.

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The turtle couldn't win this one...

Green shows his frustration from the bench

     If Maryland was the turtle, then Alabama was the hare. Chalk one up for the rabbits. Bama used a pressing defense to stifle Maryland of the ACC 62-42. It wasn't that close. At one point in the second half I wondered whether Maryland would score 30 points. Once Coach Grant pulled his rotation Maryland finally began scoring a few points.  But only then. 


    What were the Terps thinking  when they were down 20 in the first half and knew that Alabama's best player was not playing?  Alabama did not play a perfect game. On defense it is hard to believe anyone could do better. The Crimson Tide took a mediocre and injury plagued Maryland team and turned them into the gang that couldn't shoot straight. Maryland looked horrible. The 'terps looked lost and confused. Maryland couldn't have dribbled a basketball to the end of a pier and hit the ocean. Let's recap some stats.

• Maryland shot only 26% on 13 of 49 shots. Very few of those shots were good ones. 
• Maryland shot only 16% of three-point attempts. They were 2-12 from the floor.
• Alabama out boarded the 'terps 44-28. When you only shot 26% there a lots of rebounds
• Alabama only allowed 8 assists. 
• Alabama shot 43% from the from the floor, but shot 46 % in suburb land. 
• Alabama uncharacteristically made only 7-14 free throws
• JayMykal Green  played just 13 minutes after learning exactly how the block charge line works.

I know the ACC is supposed to be the big dog league of the NCAA. Alabama clearly had better players, better athletes , and executed their game plan. Grant had his team ready. There would be no repeat of last years un-excellent Caribbean adventure. The Tide played well. 

     The Tide's largest lead was 25 with Green on the bench. Tony Mitchell had a team high 17 points. He got 15 of those in the first half when he  was  playing somewhere above the space shuttle. He hit 2 nice threes in the first half to jump start the team. Releford kicked in 10 with several of sweet penetrations to the basket. Green and Cooper each had 7.  Perhaps the biggest news of the was the big Swede. Carl Engstrom had 5 rebounds after replaced Green he also had 2 blocked shots. Engstrom is getting there and it seems that Grant's faith in him might pay off for the Tide. Charles Hankerson had 8 points and played another steady game. And in a news flash, Ben Eblen actually took a shot after a big league steal and scored. The bench went wild. 

 Trevor Lacy had 10 points in 25 minutes of play. Lacy is getting close to 100% coming off knee surgery. Levi Randolph may be the best athlete on the team. He played 22 minutes and was a demon on defense. He limited the 'terps best shooter to no points. Nick Jacobs continues to show what he can do. In his 18 minutes on the floor he had 4 points and 2 rebounds, but more importantly he got into the flow of the game. He's a keeper. 

Bama takes on Colorado in its next game. The Buffs beat a good Wichita State team  62-57 in what might be considered a mild upset. The game is set for an 8:00 CST tip. ESPN2 will have the live action. 

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Today we passed 50,000 unique users...

It is she who washes the good luck tee shirt - ROLL TIDE

This is probably not a big deal for you. For me, it is eye opening and very telling that their is a lot of support for 'Bama basketball. We have had readers from 31 separate countries. 32 if you throw in Mississippi. 'Bama fans are far and wide in their travels. Let me ask each of you a question - have you ever been on a trip when wearing your 'Bama hat  and hear someone yell, "Roll Tide"?  I have had it happen many times. I'm going to California next weekend. I'm sure I'll wear my 'Bama tee shirt and I'm just as sure I'll hear a few Roll Tides. 


My wife and I are going to watch the Auburn - Alabama at a small drinking establishment we know. I've got it already set up. We have advertised for any 'Bama fans nearby to come on down to watch with us. The only thing better than hearing one of those Roll Tides is when you hear Roll Tide  followed by ' let me buy you a drink.' ahh... Can life get any sweeter than that? My wife is very attractive. Her tee shirt looks much better on her than mine does on me. We are only taking our absolute, 100% reliable, and time tested 'Bama good luck stuff. I have a tee shirt that I've worn when watching every game this season except one - The LSU game. We had a lot of guests over to watch the game with us. I couldn't find my tee shirt.   ALL of us searched for that tee shirt. Including the dirty clothes. That might see extreme or silly to people who aren't aware of what the rivalry means. To all us looking for the tee shirt it seemed just fine, even necessary and was taken quite seriously. We never found it. 


I felt we might lose. We later found out the two LSU fans saw the shirt on the kitchen table (it was not yet time for the ceremony of putting on the tee shirt) and they took it as a joke. They said we should have told me but everyone seemed so serious and thought we would get mad at them. Okay, we did get mad. When we couldn't find the tee shirt I went with a fairly reliable back up good luck jacket. I put on the basketball warmup that Derrick McKey gave me. Although it had seen a couple of losses it was the best we could do on short notice. 


It was with a heavy heart and a little trepidation that we started watching the game. I always thought we would win that game. Not finding the tee shirt had allowed doubt to creep in my mind. Our friends noticed the effect and they became worried. At half-time we looked again. By now the LSU fans were terrified to admit they had taken it, and said the baby sitter called and they had to go home. I grew suspicious. Did THEY have the tee shirt? I had no proof other than the early exit. People have been sent to prison on less evidence. 


Everyone in our home had their own good luck charms. One friend had an Elephant bracelet. Another had his favorite hat. You could tell it was Crimson at some time but by that night it was almost dirt brown. My wife went through her clothes and stuff to make sure she didn't put it in the wrong place. We had the lucky stuffed elephant in the room and the banner proclaiming all of our national championships. We keep the banner in a box an, we drape of the banner on a special little frame we built. The draping is always done the same way. Everyone present  had seen this before and when we did that it was like being in Church. Once the banner was in place everyone said "Roll Tide". We had done everything exactly right. Except the tee shirt. However; all the other lucky charms had been present in past losses, including the Auburn game last year. They would certainly not do, and they were simply not up to the task of carrying good luck to the Tide.I grew concerned, even scared. 


Half way through the fourth quarter I was really worried. I, myself, due to lack of due diligence, had allowed the tee shirt to disappear and I had to man up to that fact. No one present thaat night thought that any of this was bizarre or not normal. A couple of guys asked how I could let it happen. Their wives told them to stop."Wasn't it clear that he was already upset."?


I know that there are two types of Alabama fans. There are those who do similar things and those who will not admit they do them. The first bunch is normal. The second bunch needs some type of medical treatment. I want to assure everyone that I now have my tee shirt. It is in my closet in the top drawer, neatly folded like a good soldier waiting to go into battle. I only have had that tee shirt for this season. It was a replacement for the one that had seen too many games and made too many road trips. It had endured a thousand trips through the washer and dryer. It even suffered through a couple of coin operated washers and dryers. I am truly sorry for causing that original shirt all the pain and suffering I caused. I'm sorry for the tear stains and sweat stains where my Right Guard had failed. It survived being torn by a Miami fan in New Orleans. In short, that tee shirt was a real trooper. It was my friend. 


Now I buy new tee shirt at the start of each season. I got the present one for the Capital One Bowl game. It still hasn't seen a loss. It was kidnapped by LSU fans and still found its way back home. I'm going to enshrine it after the Auburn game whether we win or lose. All that seem logical and makes perfect sense, right? Roll Tide my brothers. 


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Oh Boy!!!!

Bama blasts a good basketball team...

Green shows extreme concentration

     Freshman are still freshman. That is unless your names are Jacobs, Lacey, Cooper, and Randolph. Last night at Coleman Coliseum the Alabama Crimson Tide put on a defensive show that even football fans would appreciate.  If you were at the game last night please check and see if you still have your wallet. It might be gone. I have never seen freshman play defense the way these kids played. It was in your face, overplaying the passing lanes, cutting off the lane, and generally causing as much havoc as Sherman did to Atlanta. Excuse Oakland if they seemed a little dazed and confused at the end of the game.


        Even the Oakland coach, Greg Kampe, acknowledged in the post game interviews that even though his team prepared just for Bama for one month he was still surprised at how good Bama was. Coach Kampe said his original game plan was to double down on JayMykal Green and Tony Mitchell. That was fine except for Trevor Releford and the new freshman players. "I can't teach defense like that," admitted the Oakland coach.  Coach Kampe made it crystal clear that the play of the freshman stunned him. After watching Alabama basketball for over a thousand games I have not seen freshman play D the way these first year players played. Their offense was just as good. 


     Here's a bit of advice for future Bama opponents - Double down on Green and Mitchell and you'll die. Don't double down on Green and Mitchell and you'll still die.If Nick Jacobs can develop into a 15 minutes a game player this Crimson Tide team will be very, very good. The only problem this team has is depth inside. Jacobs, who resembles a 6-8 concrete block only needs some experience.For all those who laughed when we said that Randolph and Cooper were as good as Lacey direct your acknowledgement in the comment section. 


     And then there was Lacy. He is not the most athletic player on the team. But I'd match his basketball IQ right up there with Releford.  Lacy has extraordinary court sense. Of course, he must be related to ex-NBA great "downtown" Freddie Brown. I'm not sure you can actually define his shooting range. Coach Grant can do that. All I'm saying is to see a freshman guard stop and pop off a break from 25 feet is pretty darn special. 


    Levi Randolph shoots a knuckle ball. Odd shot. Great results. Can he finish a play inside. Ask Corey Petros the 6-10 Oakland center who was a spectator when Levi slammed home a drive to the basket. Randolph has obviously been hanging around with Mitchell all summer. Cooper has improved so much from his junior year in high school it is amazing. His all around offensive ability from the outside and the inside is nice.  How about the little ten-foot fall away basket in the second half.  


    I'm not forgetting the play of Green, Mitchell, Releford, and Hankerson. All played well. I'm sure that Grant is going to point out to Releford and Mitchell that their 7 turnovers wasn't acceptable. And I'm sure the players are thinking to themselves, "yeah, but they were full speed mistakes and look at everything else we did." And that is true. Green sat out a large portion of the second half with a wrist injury. He's fine, but it did keep him from scoring 30 points and getting 10 or more rebounds in all likelihood. 


     This team is a gang of pickpockets on defense and a Crimson blur coming down the floor. Bama is like a new Maserati right now. They have all the pieces to go 200 mph but they are still tuning up the engine. Coach Grant will now embark on the theme of "we are small, and not very talented." He's got that half right. He merely will want to lower expectations. He's probably right in doing so, but what you see is what you get. Bet your last dollar the Tide won't go zero for the Caribbean this season. 

 I'd like to see the Maryland scouting report. LOL  


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Bama Fizzles and then Sizzles...

Mitchell and Green lead the way...

    A funny thing happened in Coleman Coliseum last night. For the first 12 minutes of the first half I thought the Tide was playing LSU in football. Alabama's defense was stifeling North Florida but their offense was horrible. Brick City. The Tide started two freshman and Trevor Lacey wasn't one of them. The home town crowd got to see the potential of Levi Randolph and Rodney Cooper. Each is a superstar waiting to happen.

    What did happen was Tony Mitchell. Mitchell led the Tide on a 13-2 run to open up a margin that the Floridians could never cut. Mitchell had a double - double with 17 points and 10 boards. All-American JaMychal Green led all Tide scorers with 18. A versatile and very athletic Levi Randolph pulled down 8 rebounds and scored 5 points. Randolph showed the ability to play both inside and out. His versatilty is going to be big with a much smaller Tide team this season. The Huntsville native played a good all around game, and didn't look like a freshman. Rodney Cooper, the 6-6 wing freshman is not afraid to shoot. Grant gave him the green light. Cooper had 7 points and 5 rebounds. Still recovering from summer knee surgery,  Trevor Lacey, whom most thought to be the Tide's best recruit came off the bench with 6 points and surprising 5 rebounds. All in all a good start for the Tide three freshman guards. Throw in Nick Jacobs fierce battles under the boards, which included two blocked shots.

     The development of Jacobs is key to Alabama's success. When Mousse Gueye tore his ACL it put an already short bench for big men even shorter. I spoke briefly with the big 7-2 center after the game. He says he will be able to return sometime in the SEC season. Mousee has three years to play with no redshirt. Carl Engstrom has improved but needs more time to bring his talent up to SEC speed. Look for limited minutes. Bama's Belgium recruit, Retin Obasohan did not play. He may red-shirt. Charles Hankerson has improved greatly but had a poor game. He will have some big minutes down the line. Ben Eblen actually took a shot. He was solid as always. 


     Bama held  the Osprey's to an unbelievable 23% shooting from the floor. Alabama's four guard offense is even more swarming than last season. Cooper and Randolph look good on the double teams and anticipating passes. Bama shot a lukewarm 40% from the floor but was over 55% in the second half. The Tide also hit 15-17 free throws. Bama's small line-up controlled the boards 40-35 (75 rebounds is a lot of missed shots). The Crimson and White had a respectable 13 assists but committed 14 turnovers. Three of those were unforced. 


     Bama takes on Oakland Monday at 7:00PM. Oakland was an NCAA participant last seaso


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Who will win the SEC?

Vandy's terrific trio can win the SEC

     Something is new in the SEC this season. The division approach is dead. Thank heavens. Teams such as Alabama who was snubbed by the NCAA's final field might not be overlooked or ignored. Kentucky has once again found a way to sign three of the top five players in the country. These are one and done type kids. I'm sure that the quality of education offered such players is first and foremost in the minds of John Calipari. What a joke on the NCAA. You may not like the fact that Kentucky is an immediate stepping stone to the NBA, but you cannot overlook the talent. Kentucky's education goal for the their players is embarrassing but the basketball skill of their recruits is top shelf. Vandy returns their best three players who all bypassed a chance to play in the NBA. Florida has enough talent to win the SEC if things fall in place. Alabama will need to win all their home games and a few more on the road to repeat the NCAA ignored 12-4 SEC record of last season. The Tide signed four great freshman. Mississippi State has once again had a great recruiting class and return a great point guard. Out of those five teams we will likely find the SEC champions. Here's how we see them:

              The Blog's top five teams.


1.    Vanderbilt - I'm betting that experience will trump raw talent
2.    Kentucky - Get to know these kids quickly, they'll be gone      
       just as quickly. 
3.    Alabama  Anthony Grant rang the bell with  great freshman.             He  signed three shooters.
4.   Florida - This team has as much talent as anyone and a    great class
5.   Misissippi State - If the Starkville Bullies can avoid a soap opera they will be very good


Starting tomorrow we'll break down the top five and make some predictions. 


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New Look Tide?

Fast and quick...

Hankerson needs big year for
Alabama to excel...

    The Crimson Tide is going to play a different type of game this season if I had to guess. This team may very well play small with four guards and JayMichael Green inside. This team will score a lot of points. When I say four guards I'm counting Tony Mitchell as a guard. He'll go inside and outside as needed. 


     Charles Hankerson looks like some kind of Grecian statue. No body fat on this kid at all. Hankerson has some real shooting and defending skills but last season that layer of baby fat held him back. He looks much stronger as well. Hankerson is also big enough to cause some match up problems if a man defense tries to defend him with a guard. 


   Releford is simply amazing. After being the best freshman in the SEC last season he may end up being the best point guard regardless of class.  He has a chance to be a truly great player. A lot of attention is given to his average shooting. He is shooting better, but what he really needs to improve is his assist total. With all the great shooters around him he might lead the league is assists. The kid can penetrate. Now he has someone to dish it back outside who can fill it up. 


     Bama's freshmen look pretty good. You can quickly notice they are having a little trouble with the speed and quickness of the SEC. But they all possess both of those qualities when they get a few games under their belt. I think that Levi Randolph has been the most effective to date. Lacey is a player but is still hindered a little by having his knee scoped earlier in the summer. He'll be full speed by SEC play. Cooper can flat out nail the three ball. Randolph can chest up on defense and is very effective around the basket. He can also shoot it outside. 


     I'd expect the Tide to run the floor and press almost as much as last season although the improved shooting may not make that "defend 'til they drop" won't be a necessary. I didn't say they wouldn't play hard defense, but the half court defense looks better. When you start with Releford, Mitchell, and Green you have a basketball trinity to build on. I'd bet Hankerson will start as well. Hankerson may well be this season's Chris Hines.  Losing Steele hurts. Between our freshman guards the Tide can make up for his loss in time. 


   The big Swede is still big. He isn't much quicker or faster. The key question in my mind is how long will it take Nick Jacobs to get some quality minutes. The problem for Bama is going to be quality insider players. Bama will be better than last season, but 25 wins may be hard to match. 

'Bama # 17 in USA Poll

Tide getting some respect...

     The Crimson Tide of Alabama picked up enough votes in the initial USA Today Poll to be ranked #17. I have no idea if that is high, low, or just right. No one else does either. What I do know is that Alabama won 25 games last season and returns almost everyone. Throw in a top five national recruiting class and that spells    h i g h  e x p e c t i o n s around this State. Only Kentucky and Florida won more at 29 each. 

    Coach Grant's extraordinary success in recruiting began with convincing Green to return his senior season. It was a move that will benefit everyone. The late Al McGuire who coached at Marquette was fond of saying " you give a good point guard and a great inside player and I've got a team."  When you look at the Tide the first thing you see is great guard play at the point. Great inside play, and one player who plays in the ozone. Releford, Green, and Mitchell are an impressive trio to build a team around. There is a fourth player that deserves recognition on this team. He doesn't have a number, but he does have everyones number, Defense. 


    First and foremost, an Anthony Grant team is built on the end floor you find out who wants to really play basketball. All summer people asked me about Lacey. "Will he help us immediately?" was the most asked question. My answer was always the same, "he will if he can play defense". And you will play defense at Alabama or you won't play at all. 

    The Tide is a NCAA team and I believe not a one and done deal type squad. This team can be very good. If everyone plays defense as well as last season and some consistent outside shooting is found the Tide will be scary. Playing basketball in Coleman Coliseum will be known as "Fright Night" for opposing teams. The Tide was undefeated last season at home. The very well might be again.

Some observations

•      Releford is going to hurt some teams with his improved outside shooting
•      Green is going to hurt everyone inside. He is fired up for his senior season.
•      Jacobs will surprise people with his solid inside play
•      All three of Bama's need guards, Lacey, Randolph, and Cooper can shoot

     And everyone is killing themselves on the defensive end. First hand knowledge. Got to the public scrimmage and see for yourself. One thing you might want to consider before you go - get that neck good and warmed up because it will need to be.

How close is 'Bama basketball to becoming 'Bama football?

An interesting question...
     

     Conventional wisdom would tell us that Alabama is a football school and will never become a great basketball power.  The problem with that answer is that there nothing conventional about wisdom. Wisdom is rare and hard earned. On the other hand, it would be easy to make a statement that the Tide can do so, and national prominence is just around the corner. Neither is true...


     Here's what I believe. Given enough time, money, and support Tide basketball can become a national power. By that I don't mean we go to the Final Four every year. I would define basketball success as reaching the Sweet Sixteen almost every season. Alabama has an athletic director who hopes to be remembered as the man who returned the basketball program to prominence.That is important to Mal Moore. He's told me that. He has taken the steps to make that happen.  Alabama has the money. They have loads of money, and because basketball only deals with 13 or so players it is less expensive to run a great basketball program. More importantly, Alabama has a coach in place that is as good as any coach in the nation.


    Let me put it this way - If Florida and LSU can be national powers in hoops there is no reason why Alabama cannot do the same thing. Will Alabama ever be a UCLA? A better question would be can anyone ever be another UCLA? If Boise State can make if from being a junior college to being a prominent national football contender Alabama can do the same in hoops. I think the greatest impediment to Bama's  basketball success is assuring football fans such a rise in prominence will not be at the expense of the football program. 


     There is no logical reason why a highly successful basketball program would do anything but enhance the football program. Success breeds success in my opinion. Great players like to associate themselves with other great athletes. If you have ever seen Green, Mitchell, and company they are elite athletes who are just as good as our football players. Bama just needs more of them. Grant and Saban are a lot alike. They are are detail oriented, highly motivated, and understand the key to having a great program is to find great players. No coach, regardless of how well he can coach, will consistently win with inferior players. 


     I always get amused when Butler is called a Cinderalla story. They have great coaching, great players, and find exactly the type of great player to fit there system. Going to the Final Four last season didn't occur by having a magic wand waved by some mystical power. I don't know whether Coach Saban is a great x's and o's coach. I do know that he has great players and a great system which allows Alabama to succeed. How much coaching goes into handing the ball to Trent? The same is true in hoops. How great does a coach have to be when he has a penetrating point guard and someone like Green inside? I don't care how good a coach is they become better with great players. I have to admit that understanding what a basketball coach does while a game is being played is much easier for me to understand than football. In basketball the action rarely slows down and you don't have a huddle before every play. Your players have to play offense and defense. That means you have to find great players to do that.  Bama is carefully finding those type players who are also good citizens. Anyone can recruit a thug. At 'Bama we don't recruit thugs and we still manage to find good players. Sometimes we find great players as this past season's recruiting class will show the SEC. 


   So can the Tide be as good in basketball as they are in football?  I equate Alabama football and UCLA basketball programs as excellent models. I think we can come close, and being close in that regard is better than anyone else in the SEC at present. Kentucky is in a land where only round things make sense. I think we can compete with anyone in the future if we continue to follow the three needed to get there. And that means you, Big Blue.

Imbalance in the SEC?

     Alabama and LSU have separated their programs from any other team in the SEC. The SEC Eastern division is playing some mighty poor football right now. South Carolina is done. They can't  win without Lattimore in the backfield. Florida can't win period. It's more than just not having solid quarterbacking. It was less than two seasons ago that Florida and Bama were mentioned in the same breath. The last dramatic thing that has happened in the Gator nation in the last two seasons was Tim Tebow's cry baby act in Atlanta. Is it just me or shouldn't there be some rule that says that your offensive coordinator has to at stand up if he is on the sidelines?

Les Miles and LSU prove exactly what is wrong with College Football...

Miles and LSU brass shows exactly what is wrong with college football...

     Okay, this is a football article in a basketball blog. Well, sort of a football article, but it is applicable to any sport. Today it applies to LSU, Les Miles, and perfected act of hypocrisy. In case you were in Mongolia for last few months you know that Jordan Jefferson, part time quarterback and full time thug was suspended by Miles for a savage assault on a United States Marine outside a bar in New Orleans. Imagine a Marine being in a bar. Boggles the imagination doesn't it. I fully believe that Jefferson and his fellow gang members almost beat this soldier to death. I also have no doubt the Marine had no back down in him at all. Most Marines don't. He probably thought that seven against on Marine was pretty even when the assault started. What started as an assault has shown the true character of both Miles, Jefferson, and the academic leadership of LSU.


    Jefferson repeatedly kicked the Marine who was almost unconscious and lying on the ground. He could offer no defense at this point. So what does Jefferson do. He starts to kick our serviceman in head. Big man Jefferson. You repeatedly kicked a semi-conscious man half to death. I'd call that leadership. You probably major in management at LSU. You are a spineless little bastard and you'll get yours. What goes around comes around. I personally wouldn't have picked on United States Marine. They have lots of buddies, and this Simper Fi stuff is taken very seriously. One night when you least expect it you are going to be dragged into some backwater Louisiana swamp ala True Blood. 

Nothing serious, Les? 

    What Miles and Louisiana State University has done pales in comparison to Jefferson. After Jefferson's felony charges were reduced to misdemeanors he was reinstated to the team. He then played the following day. I watched that moment with great anticipation. How would the fans react. They booed Jefferson. I suspect that they were actually booing Miles. It gave me new respect to fans I already respected. Of course, the coach is a man who told a group of boosters to f---k Alabama. There is only two letters differences in class and ass. Guess which group I think Jefferson and Miles are in? 


     I guess the injured Marine felt like he wasn't kicked as hard as he thought after some homer DA lowered the charges. He probably had some type of epithany. "Hey, I just thought I got the 
s--t beat out of me, and after all I was barely conscious when the quarterback chipped in kicks to my head. I completely understand." The truth is that Marine might have died had he been kicked in the temple. Maybe Jefferson didn't have the intent to kill the soldier, but  he could have done that. For Miles and the University to let this criminal play is beyond my comprehension. I'm not saying the criminals don't deserve second chances. By allowing Jefferson to play against Kentucky the entire coaching staff and University condoned his actions. They also said that it is more important to teach that winning in football is more important that winning in life by being a decent person.


    I can't imagine Coach Saban doing that. I bet our Coach would have kicked his ass all the way down to the bus station on his way home. This isn't drinking. It isn't stealing. It was the intentional act of trying to harm another human being. That is entire different level of malfeasance. He should have been kicked off the team forever. So let's see what LSU players have learned. I might miss a few games if I almost kill someone. Hmmm... I bet some of the Cajuns might just think that would be worth the risk. I bet some Alabama players might do so as well. 


   You might believe that Jefferson and his gang of seven acted in the heat of the moment. They may have been drinking and things got out of hand. Those things may be true, and you can choose to believe those are mitigating factors. What Les Miles and Chancellor of LSU did was make a decision that means that games are more important than human life. I don't know how they can justify that under these circumstances. I do know two things; however, the decision to let Jefferson play was far worse than the fight. The other thing I believe is that I'd bet on the Marine in round two. And Jordan, there will be a round two.


    And for you Coach Miles ... you have gone from mildly amusing to openly dangerous. No, coach most of us haven't had this type of brush with the law as you defended Jefferson in your press conference. Most of don't gang up on someone and try to kill him. That's what happened, or could have happened, and you make it sound like some teenager's lack of judgement. Jordan Jefferson and Les Miles are the leaders of LSU football. Even your fans are ashamed of you both. LSU fans don't boo criminals or the man who was supposed to crack the whip. 


Latest Update on the Crime (1-6-2012)  As many of you know I am a lawyer by trade not by choice. I have reviewed the public records in Louisiana and this case reduced to a misdemeanor at the request of the District Attorney. The victim's family continues to fight for justice including a potential civil lawsuit)




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