Tide seasons comes to end in the NIT

Hats off to Wichita State...

The man couldn't muster enough offense tonight...

      Wichita State is a fine basketball team, and Alabama fans can take nothing away from these Shockers. The inability to score finally caught up to Alabama. A late 13-1 run when the game was anyone's to win killed the Tide. Regardless of how great your basketball team plays defense you still have to make some baskets from the outside. So poor outside shooting, that little devil, who followed us  everywhere our team played finally won out in one.  Bama missed 12 of their last 13 three point attempts. The inability to score from the outside and State's ability to hem up Green was the difference.

       This was going to happen sooner or later. I wish it had been later, but I guess since this is the last game of the season it was later. Final score was State 66 - Bama 57.  Bama's streak of losing NIT championship games remains intact. The Tide lost to a superior team. You have to feel sorry for the guys. But this team finished 21-7 after the chaos of the early season subsided. The ground work is set for of greatness in the future. We have the best coach we could ever have. We have the hardest working team in show business. 


     If you read my recent post on Green and Grant it gives you some insight into the character of our coach and our players. I'm not going to sulk about the loss. I'm going to dream about the future. No more nightmares. No more 30 point blowouts on the road. No more inability to get the ball in-bounds. No more lackadaisical efforts. No more excuses from a coach or a player. Releford, Mitchell, and Green are the pyramid of a great upcoming future. Throw in Cooper, Randolph, Jacobs, and Gueye and we have more than enough to win an SEC West race, and to compete with Kentucky for the top spot in the SEC next year.  Next season we will be a national player. Please write that down.

      I have some recruiting news that I said would not break. That is for the family to do.  It is big news and will make a bunch of Tide fans happy. But more than more one player this season, it is the impressive list of top 50 prospects who have Alabama on their short list that makes me happy. We have four great recruits for the upcoming recruiting fall season that will blow your mind. We already have a comittment from the best point guard in the Northeast and more will follow. Just a few tidbits to make Tide fans happy:

1. The drought in Huntsville is over. Levi Randolph was the top player in the 6A classification.
2. Rodney Cooper is by far our recruit with the best upside. He is a five star player who is ranked a three star. I'm not puffing or inflating his ability. He was just named 1st Team Parade All-American. 
3. Nick Jacobs will be a first team Atlanta Constitution Player. A late season injury hurt his chances to be Mr. Basketball. 
4. Mousaa Gueye - Our 7 foot something Juco player was hurt this season.  He was a pre-season Juco All-American first team. This kid is a force. Here's what he will do other than block everything around the basketball, get tons of rebounds, and do a little scoring, he will also allow on JaMichael Green to become a power forward again. Think about that all summer long. All the other SEC coaches will be doing the same thing.
5. Mr. X - a deadly outside shooter who can play two guard positions. Now I'll admit this might change but I don't think so.  
6. Andrew Steele - will be back with his solid all around play.  
7.  Kendall Durant and Jason Carter are both freshman medical redshirts. Don't forget about either. 
8. Ben Eblen proved he is a valuable assist despite a lot of negative posting by Tide fans.  
9. Charles Hankerson, Jr. is about to prove just how good he is. Very impressive late in the year when Steele went down. He is a deadly outside shooter.  
10.Carl Engstrom - Abe Lemons was said he could teach kids to shoot and play defense. He could teach someone to be 7 feet. You will not believe how much Engstrom will improve in he summer fighting against Green and Gueye.  
11. The coaching staff appears ready to remain intact. That is big. I think they sense good things in the near future. We don't write much about them. I'll change that next season though. They are great coaches. 

     I want us to remember that this the NIT run was without Steele, the first man off the bench and probably the Tides most steady player. Earlier I tried to tell us all how good Releford was going to be. Do you believe it now?  Now imagine TR with an outside shot. He will shoot a couple a hundred a day this summer. No sophomore slump for the little man with a big attitude and heart to match.  

     I hope we can understand just what a great season this has been. And I hope at the Awards banquet everyone will come out and show some real love for the most fun team I've ever watched grow up.  Grant can coach. I mean he can really, really coach, and he can recruit. And he can win us a national championship. Roll Tide Roll 

 

Bama takes on Wichita State in NIT Finals tonight....

Win or lose a great season for the Tide...

     Tonight is the last game of the season for the Crimson Tide. What a joyful season this has been for Tide fans. From the rocky start of the season, through the suspension of Green, to the NIT it has been one heck of a ride. If everything falls in the Tides favor they will be only one of three teams to end their season with a win. Winning the NIT is no small accomplishment. Granted, it isn't winning the NCAA or perhaps even getting invited to the NCAA but the ESPN games have showcased the Tide to the nation. 

     The broadcast crew, when they quit talking among themselves, have said a ton of great things about Alabama. Because of the NIT JaMichael Green, Tony Mitchell, and Trevor Releford are names imprinted in the minds of the basketball nation. Mal Moore has now made two great hires, and what a way to wind down a storied career. Although the hiring of Grant didn't attract the national attention that Saban's hire brought I suspect that next season it will. Next season, the Tide is going to get some attention along the lines of a top ten preseason pick. If you are a basketball fan like me that is a little like find a silver dollar at the end of a corn row. 

      Tonight, the Tide takes on Wichita State. The Shockers and Alabama have clearly been the best teams in the NIT as far as I am concerned. I really wanted Washington State to beat them. I know that Bama could have defensed State out of the Garden. I'm not so sure about Wichita State. These midwestern kids seem to be playing a level just as elevated as 'Bama.  Unlike the slice and dice Buffaloes Colorado this State team is a lot like Alabama. Expect the paint to look like a war zone by games end. Of all the teams Alabama could have faced in the finals the Shockers will probably match up better than anyone. Here's why:

1. For starters the Shockers like to claim the insider just as much as the Tide.

2. The Shockers also have two great ball handlers who might test the Tide's    full court defense like no team has been able to do in the NIT. 

3. They are also a team that got the shaft from the NCAA. They are 27-8. I don't care what conference you are from. Winning 27 games is a big deal. I think the Big East and Big Ten pretty much killed the idea of superior leagues. 

4. If State played in the SEC West they would have either won or finished second behind Bama.

5. They are loosest team I've seen in a long time. These kids look like someone called and said meet me at the playground for some hoops.

6. The Shockers will have a minimum of 5-7 thousand fans in NYC and we'll have 1500 maybe.

To steal a line from TV this is not your father's Oldsmobile. The Shockers aren't anyone's lap dog. They are hard nosed, tough, like the rough and tumble of the insider game, yet have a deft outside game as well. They have better depth of players than Bama and they have a couple of great athletes to boot.

I think Bama will win but I'm not sure. I remember watching the Shockers first game in the NIT and thingking, "they missed the NCAA?" No way that should have happened.

If Shocker post player Garrett Shultz has another 10-13 shooting night like the big man had against Washington State the Tide is in for a long night. He's not a starter. Here's what is tough about State. They have no one great player. They also don't have a weak player 1 through 9 in their rotation. The 75-44 smackdown the Shockers put on Washington State was, what else? Shocking to say the least. Honestly, the game was not that close either. Washington State did not have a melt down. They were melted down by the Shockers. It is rare to watch any team dominate every aspect of a game. 


Bama gutted out a one point win over Colorado.  Everyone basketball talking head said Bama and the Buffs were far and away the best two teams in the NIT. I don't think they are right. I think Wichita State is dead even with them. I will not be surprised if Bama wins tonight, but I want be shocked (sorry) if we lose.The Shockers give up only 62 points a game. Those are Crimson Tide type numbers.


Bama was a point and a half dog yesterday. Today the Tide is favored by a point and a half. I can't find out why. I'll take Alabama by 2 and say the game will be somewhere in the low 70's.




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Alabama is 21-6 since Green's turnaround...

JaMicheal Green has proven he belongs...

Green has an edge...

     It was a long time ago when Anthony Green benched the best player on the Crimson Tide team. That tells you a lot about Anthony Grant. It has a been a long time since Green came back and that says a lot about JaMichael Green. The two came to a fork in the road. Only one got to choose the direction he would allow. The other wasn't sure that was the correct direction for him. After a few days of thinking things over JaMicheal Green decided to return to the team, and Anthony Grant was glad to have him back.

     This was never one of those situations where Green was openly defiant to Grant. Grant was never hounding or harassing Green for no reasons. Two very proud men simply had a difference of opinion. One had to consider what was in the best interest of the program. The other didn't disregard the best interest of his teammates but had strong ideas of what was best for him. The return of Green marked the return of Alabama basketball to the national scene. The hiring of Grant marked the road to greatness for JaMichael Green. Both men are lucky to have each other. Green did not cave in to Coach Grants demands. He simply began to understand how Grant's rules and philosophy would make him a great player. Grant, a young man himself, began to better understand the needs of a budding star like Green.

     It would be easy to say that Green had an epiphany.  JaMichael did not a  have moment like Saul on the road to Damascus. Instead, he went through a well defined decision making process by using his family, his friends, and God to determine what was best for him. What happened to Green was that he had a realization of what was best for him, and whose ideas were correct. The only difference was that it was something he "felt" was the right thing for him to do for his future. He was not put under any pressure or time line to make a decision of whether he would be allowed to return to Alabama's team. Grant told him that he was welcome to come back, but he wanted him to reflect on what was actually best for him. Grant would not have stood in JM's way to transfer. He was not suspended in the traditional sense. Sure, there had been a flare up at a practice. It was not one done by disrespect from a player to his coach. It was an accumulation of small things which began to take on a life of their own, and as all men are inclined to do the situation reached critical mass.

Big Teddy Bear?

    Such as situation is not solved by one man inflicting his will in an overbearing manner. Grant was once a budding star himself. He, better than anyone, including Green understood what JaMichael was going through. The only way to resolve the situation was put decision of whether he was going to play Grant Ball or not in the hands of the player. Not to use a pun but it was if the two had been going back and forth and finally said to Green that the ball is in your court now. Don't throw it back over here again. Walk over here and hand me the ball or I'll help you find a new home.

    I'm not sure if most Alabama fans will understand the tremendous maturity it took for Grant to handle his star in a difficult personal time. What I do understand is that Anthony Grant put the future of JaMichael Green on the same level of what was best for his team. Grant knew the true nature of Green who is one of the kindest people you might ever meet. To his teammates, Green was a big old teddy bear. He was was a teddy bear with an edge. It was a sharp edge at that. The point was that Grant was an absolute perfect fit for Green. He was a man, and not just a coach, who could guide his player through a hard time, and at the same time make him a great player. In order for that to happen Green had to have that epiphany and you can't  explain to anyone how to have an epiphany. You have to come to an understanding based upon what your heart might tell you as well as your head It is indeed an almost spiritual thing. Green did that. He understood. He also understood that Anthony Grant for all his scowling and Wimp - like behavior loved him as a person and not just a player.

    The best coaching job that Grant did this season was allowing Green to make a decision to become a great player. The best play that Green made all season was making that decision. To the public it seemed like a hot headed young man was pouting and the coach had to discipline him. That was not the case. It was far more complicated than what it appeared. It took two mature men to find common ground. We could say luckily they did. But luck had nothing to do with it. Respect for each other and their respective positions did. As a result Grant has elevated the his personal stature and status of the team  to a higher level. As a further result JaMichael Green will become a rich man, and didn't just elevate his game, he played his way into the heart of the Bama nation. The photo above is one of my personal favorites. It shows JM in the face of an opponent. You can tell there was no love lost between the two at the moment the camera snapped. That picture is the edge of Green. When Green returned to the team progress was made. The team played better and better. They had found an edge. Wonder where that came from?


Bama is 1.5 point dog to W. State. Hard to disagree the way they have been playing...




Bill responds to chronic negative posters on previous blog below




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Thanks for the help...

Tide's home away from home
this week....

Hey guys, I've been preaching the gospel of Alabama basketball for decades. I really appreciate all the great support I receive from basketball fans when some people blast me. I do this blog because I love Alabama basketball and that is the only reason. There are some people like Grant's Tomb and Ultimate Curtis are just unhappy  and the rest of us know that. As for being a Blount County lawyer that is correct. I do know our Judge. He is a fine man, and is a man beyond reproach. So if you guys think you are knocking me with such silly comments about knowing the Judge you are slandering him and not me. Of course, cowards like Tomb and Curtis don't have the courage to tell anyone who they are.  I can imagine them sitting in a darkened apartment throwing off on anyone they can before they go to the porn channel for a date.

Besides being a lawyer I also have a Master's degree in Individual Counseling. That is where dysfunctional misfits like Grant and Curtis are sent by judges or their mothers to seek some guidance about why they are losers. Sometimes it is a divorce and the wife who says counseling for you little man,  or you are out of house. Ladies, let me save you the time and trouble. If you are married to a Tombman or Curtisboy just divorce them and move on. If you have children as result of a marriage, you also have one other child. That would be the big one to whom you are married. And don't worry, his sexual dysfunctional problems are not your fault. Deep inside you hate the child you call husband but want the marriage to survive for the sake of the kids. Let me give you some free advice as both a lawyer and a counselor. Dump him before the children start to act like him. Or worst become him.

The  profile of a negative poster is actually fascinating. Here are a few terms that are used to describe such people: embittered, of low intelligence, lack of self esteem, and immature. But the one that is the most important, at least in my mind, is fearful. I don't mean they are scared of the boogie man but they find life fearful and too stressful to successfully live. The are followers, and passive aggressive, and are frequently spousal abusers. They fall short of killing animals in microwave but secretly think that would be a pretty cool thing to do. So these type people lead their fearful, angry, and underachieving lives in solitude without many friends. Now I might be wrong about such people. Maybe they are happy and outgoing. Maybe a half full glass means they are optimistic because they see it as not empty. Maybe these are church and community leaders. Maybe they were chosen as most likely to succeed by their fellow high school seniors. Maybe they have all the answers about me. I hope they do. I can't formulate the questions I have about myself yet.

Typical Negative Poster
LOL - just joking

Thanks for all those people who are nice enough to defend me. I do the best I can. I know a lot about basketball, and like many of you have suffered for years at the lack of real basketball coverage. At the age of 64 I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge have been a Tide basketball fan for since the age of 6. When you get to be my age you have learned a lot of things. Let me share three things if I may. Give thanks for your friends, don't worry about dysfunctional people, and  that real men confront you face to face. Cowards don't. So guys, when people like Tomb and Curtis knock me that's okay. They are merely playing out their true role in life. It is a role they have practiced for years. They can't help it though. It is all they know, and all they learned about relationships with other people. So Grant and Curtis I appreciate the time to you take to have someone read my posts for you. At least I know it is making you think about basketball. Who knows? Perhaps one day your small cranial cavities will fire off two stray neurons which will randomly collide,  and you will have something to add to the conversation. Why don't you send me your names and addresses and we can discuss all these things in great detail.  Wait, you can't do that can you? That would be an actual confrontation as compared to sticking a knife in someones back.  Right now I don't have the time. I've got to go over talk with the judge, write some letters, and then get ready to got back to NYC to watch us win the NIT.  You knows what goes with NIT?  The answer is WIT.

Tide refuses to fold and beat the Buffs 62-61

New  York,  New York –

Releford hits the winner with .13 left

                There may not be crying in baseball, but there were a lot of tears shed after Alabama beat Colorado  62-61. At the end there wears tears of joy, tears of sorrow, and most of all there was JaMichael Green’s tears of relief. Green had picked up his 5^th foul with 2:27 left in the hotly contested contest, and when he went to the bench it seemed to all the world that ‘Bama’s chances to win were right there with him.  Colorado wasted no time in regaining the lead with Green on the bench.  30 seconds later Colorado’s Andre Robinson hit a layup to give the Buffs 61-60 lead. That shot came with a buck 15 seconds left in the game.  Only two more points would scored, and Alabama’s little man, Trevor Releford took the ball down the left baseline and hit a lay-up to put the Tide on top 62-61 with unlucky 13 seconds left.

Chris Hines was as tough as a junkyard dog...

                The Tide withstood one last shot by Colorado by superstar Alec Burks with two seconds left to gut out their 25^th win of the season.  The game was as close as the experts had predicted between the two number  one seeds.  Hard to imagine that these two teams didn’t play in the NCAA.  None of that mattered to the gallant but tattered Crimson Tide who circled JaMicheal Green after the game showing some love and respect to the big man. I’ve seen a lot of emotional things in my life in Alabama basketball.  The last 2:27 of the game and the post game celebration brought a smile to face and a tear to my eye.  The small but loyal road fans for the Tide were treated to an all timer.

 Bottom line of this game should read.  The Tide staggered but got off the canvas to post a win.  Anthony saw his team overcome a near meltdown but somehow the coach kept the team focused. I have no idea what Green said to his team in that last 2:27 but I’m sure the words defense and rebounding were prominently mentioned.  Alabama held Colorado to 19 points below their season’s average. The Buffalos started to run but they could never stampede their way over the Tide.

Consider this – with 6 minutes left in the game the Big Twelve representative had scored 57 points and appeared ready to rip and roar for a lot more.  Alabama cinched up their belts a notch tighter and allowed only 4 points in that 6 minutes.  While the Tide wasn’t setting the hardwood on fire with their offense they didn’t quit playing defense.  When it appeared that maybe the Tide was going to fall apart they continued to contest shots, deflect passes, and get key rebounds. In the middle of all the chaos the junkyard dog, Chris Hines, was everywhere.  He was fighting for boards, getting knocked to the floor, and pumping up the troops.  I doubt his name will appear anywhere in the New York Times but in my eyes it was Hines who kept the team together long enough to make a comeback.  

When Chris Hines batted away the last rebound to seal the win I saw Anthony Grant raise both arms and smile. Yep, saw it myself.  Three years ago Alabama fans started the movement for a new coach.  You all know who this writer wanted.  So what do you Tide fans think? Did we get a coach? I think we did. How good a coach is Grant? He put Engstrom in the game to beef up the board game. Engstrom?  Are you kidding me?  He did just fine.  Grant is going to win us a national championship before he leaves. Write that down.  Alabama’s seniors have one more game to play. They will never play for a national championship basketball team at Alabama.  But each of the kids can hold up their head and tell the world they lit the fuse…Roll Tide.

Wrap up:

Anthony Grant is having the unique experience of seeing his present players attempting to win the NIT. At the same time many of his VCU players are trying to win the NCAA…


Green had 22 points and dominated the game when he was allowed to play…

Releford’s lay-up to give Bama the lead caused every basketball coach in America to say  “They gave Releford the baseline. I can’t believe it”

Colorado missed a lot of three pointers. They also made a lot. You can easily see why they average 80 ppg.  When uncontested they knocked them down.

Colorado proved the old adage that pressing teams don’t like to be pressed themselves. The Buffalo upped the pressure and the Tide almost panicked. 

Bama missed so many free throws it got sickening.  I don’t know about you but I kept thinking , ‘if we had only made those free throws’

What do they put in the water at VCU for coaches to drink?

For the first time in a long time I thought the refs were consistent. A lot of fouls went uncalled inside but at least they were consistent in not blowing the whistle.

I’d put the Tide fans at about 1200 or so.  I don’t know how loud Times Square is when the drop that ball on New Year’s Eve, but I know how loud 1200 hundred Alabama fans can be. Call it a draw.

Have you ever tried to explain to anyone what Roll Tide Roll  actually means?

Have you ever paid 16.00 dollars for a hamburger and only 10.00 for a Rolex?

Regardless of what you’ve heard New Yorkers are very friendly.

There isn’t  single cab driver in New York City that speaks English.

There isn’t a single person who opens a door in NYC who does have his hand stuck out for a tip.

I’ve never gotten a last minute call from a friend who said, “hey, meet me at the airport we’re taking my jet to NYC after all”.  Small miracles do happen.

And we’re doing it again on Thursday. Rich friends are nice to have.  The guy owns a private jet and kept saying “I  can’t believe how expensive gas is in NYC.”

I’ve been all over the world and NYC is still the greatest city on the face of the earth despite the price of gas and hamburgers.  Oh yeah,  have you ever bought canned Coke for 4 dollars?  I refuse to pay 4 bucks for a coke, yet threw down 8.75 for a beer. Go figure.  Six beers are going to cost me over 50 bucks. That’s a lot, but less than the 12 I'd bought had we lost. Only kidding, sort of...

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Keep it under 70 and the Tide wins...

Tide run to end tonight?

I hope not but it could happen. Colorado is a great basketball team. They have superstar guard in 6-6 Alec Burks who is averaging 20 ppg. The other guard, Cory Higgins, who averages 16 ppg. Higgins needs 14 points tonight to become the Buffalo’s all time leading scorer.

Tonight might end being like the Flash and Hulk getting it on. Colorado averages 80 ppg which is 1th in the nation. Alabama gives up only 58.9 ppg, which is 7th nationally. Colorado is the 1lth best shooting team in the NCAA at 48%. The is giving up only 38% to opponents from the field.

Talk about a contrast in styles and here it it comes. The unstoppable object vs. the immovable object.

 

Tide must shoot well from outside...

For Bama it will be run when you can off the defensive glass but slow it down and pound it inside if you can’t get a cheap one. The Tide has a considerable advantage inside. The Buffs have a considerable advantage at guard. The Tide has Tony Mitchell and the Buffs don’t really have a good match up for the high flyer. Look for Burks to get the defensive nod if Colorado goes man. The Big Twelve team will want to play man to win the defensive glass to run their high powered offense. The zone might help them keep Bama from making some key outside baskets but they’ll have to give up their running game to do so.

Bama is a 2 point favorite going to tipoff tonight. At home, I’d take the Tide in heartbeat. But Bama hasn’t shown they can win on the neutral floor. Throw out the Bahamas and that makes the away from home court stats look a little better. The Tide is not the team they were in the dark days of November and December.

Both teams feel like they got snubbed by the NCAA. They did. Bama beat Georgia twice. Colorado lost to the Dawgs. Alabama has won some big games this season. They beat a bi-polar Texas team. They beat Mike Anderson at Missouri,and Kansas State lost the hat trick to the Buffs.

The Garden, the Empire State Building, the Holland Tunnel, and the naked cowboy plus basketball. Does it get any better.

My pick: Whoever controls the pace.

back to Rodney and that bunch

The SEC makes strong statement to the NCAA Selection Committee

Weak SEC makes statement in NCAA and NIT...

     Excuse me while I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. The supposedly weak Southeastern Conference has one team in the Final Four of both the NCAA and NIT. Only a miracle comeback kept the Florida Gators from being in the Final Four. So the SEC who found no respect from the National media or the NCAA Selection Committee got the last laugh on this one.
     Coupled with all that is the fact that the Alabama Crimson Tide landed on their feet in the Final Four of the NIT. I wonder if the Selection Committee members ever have remorse or admit they blew a few - again. They don’t seem to in any manner. Look for a the next episode of a continuing series next March. Tentative title? How about “Return of the Idiots”. Seems as good as any.

You have to admire Kentucky... 

     Hats of to Kentucky. John Calipari may leave not be the most above board coach in America. He may break a few rules to get good players.  Okay, he breaks lots of rules to get good players and eventually KU will find that out. But for the Wildcat fans today is a good day. The man can coach. He’s had too many good teams for any of what he does to be a fluke. He may get great coaches but it still takes great coaching to reach the Final Four as often as he has.  I sometimes think it takes greater coaching to lead great players than average ones. You can coach up the average players. How do you coach up those already in the stratosphere?

     Calipari pushed all the right buttons at the right time. SEC Coach of the Year Billy Donovan seemed to let his team get out of control when it mattered most. Outside shooting is one thing, but out of the building is the another. Still, who among us thought that the Gators would make the Elite Eight. Not me.

Bama can make another statement for the SEC...

     Suddenly the question of whether Bama belonged is moot. Not only did the Tide belong but they beat the Kentucky Wildcats on the road to an amazing season. Perhaps the amazement is not quiet over. The Tide has a tough one against the Colorado Buffs who also have a beef with the NCAA. ‘Bama is a 1.5 point favorite in Tuesday nights game.  Expect that number to tip off even. The loss of Andrew Steele is tough, but Hankerson has done a good job in his absence.  I’ve been impressed with Hankerson’s ability to play under control. He’s a shooter and the fact he has played within Grant’s system is to be commended. Next year it’s bombs away for the freshman who has three seasons left to prove he can be great. I have no doubt he can.

    One is now certain. Either VCU or Butler continue to play the role of Cinderella. No, let me retract that. They have proven they belong already. Too many teams in too many Tournaments are called Cinda-rellas.  Perhaps with so many of these continuing to prove NCAA wrong it is time to call them Cinda-reallys.


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Alabama needs outside shooting...

Good Tournament teams have something in common...

     If you have watching both the NIT and NCAA Tournaments the separation between good and very good is outside shooting. It is the one thing that is a glaring weakness for Alabama. I'm not knocking Charvez Davis. When he's hot no one is better. Tony Mitchell has come on. Releford makes a few. But what I am talking about is a couple of ice in their veins downtown bombers. I'm talking shooters with no conscious. Remember Astronaut  Jones, in the Dan Jenkins' books?  AJ was open at half court. AJ came out of the locker room shooting. And that, is what Bama is missing. When the Tide is on from the outside we beat everyone. And we beat them badly.

     Bama is undefeated at home. 19-0 is quite a feat. Davis his hitting around 42% at home. He is shooting 17% on the road. How many road games did 'Bama win this season? After the SEC the Tide was competitive in every game they played and in case we forget were tied with Elite Eight Florida at the half. With better outside shooting they would have been truly great. Give Grant a lot of credit for winning on one leg.

An old Jack Nicklaus saying is appropriate here...

     It goes without saying that Jack Nicklaus is still the greatest golfer who ever lived. One favorite saying that I heard Nicklaus say was "A good putter covers up a multitude of sins."  Outside shooting is what allowed VCU to go the Final Four from the 11 hole. Remember all the talk about VCU even getting an invitation in the first place. It's hard not to notice they play defense like the devil is about foot behind them. Good shooting covers up multitude of sins as well.

     Except for questionable in outside shooting the Alabama Crimson Tide has no real weakness. I guess if you are being really picky you can say a lack of depth.  For just a moment imagine Grant's charges with Releford, Davis, and Mitchell all being 40% outside shooters.  I think a couple of provisos are in order here. One, I doubt that any team which extends so much energy on the defensive end will ever have great outside shooting. Shooting threes is about technique and legs. When the legs go the technique goes as well. I can't tell you how many times I've had high school coaches as me to look at video and tell me what is wrong with there outside shooting. I always tell the coach to do me a favor before I look. Can you break down your shooting percentages by quarters. You invariably see a couple of things. First quarter shooting after the first minute is always higher than the second quarter. The second is almost always better than the third. The first half of the fourth quarter is generally pretty bad. Only in the last half of the fourth quarter when the adrenalin  is really pumping does shooting pick up again.

Future Bama Star Rodney Cooper

What's a coach to do? 

    The answer to the coach is almost always the same. You've got to get another player or two in rotation. Your players need to be in better shooting shape. By that I mean they need to work to make their legs stronger. Check their technique. Ironically, you see a lot better technique in high school than you do in college where athletic ability outweighs everything else.  That's not so important in high school. Same reason why outside shooting is generally better with teams like VCU and Butler. They don't always get the superstar. So they groom good players who are great shooters to muscle up and work hard. There is no way that VCU can beat Kansas. Absolutely no way the Jayhawks could be beaten by an 11 seed. What's a coach to do? Recruit pure shooters. Work on them like they are a Maserati, and let them start gunning and you'll have great outside shooters. Remember this - outside shooters can do their damage in short periods off the bench.

How VCU beat Kansas... 

Huntsville Star Trevor Lacey

12-25 from the three point line killed the Jayhawks. Imagine what Alabama could have been with 12-25 shooting from the outside this season. Tony Mitchell, Chris Hines, and JaMichael would have run wild inside. Those guys would be shooting lay ups all season. But the key is getting three or four of those shooters.I think Releford will get much better with some  work on his technique. Same for Mitchell. So what happens when you throw in Cooper, Randolph, and perhaps Lacey. Cooper is going to be the best player the Tide has recruited this season.

Randolph can fill it up

Lacey is coming to Alabama if the recruiting fields are level. Lacey is convinced that Lamb and Knight are coming back. He knows he can be more than a role player at Alabama. He is also considering AU.  If those are his final two choices I like our chances. Provided that all other things are equal Lacey is Alabama if he has eliminated Kentucky. I know after the Miami game he sure acted like he loved Bama. He acted like it while the game was going on as well.

 Hope to see many of you in NYC. I'll probably opt for a sports coat this year. Underneath that facade is the young man with hair down to his shoulders, red and white striped bell bottoms, and red patent leather boots. Oh yeah, I found those boots. Hmm....

1973 was a turning point in Alabama hoop history...

It is hard to understand how much being invited to the NIT meant to Alabama...

Check out those hightops

     For younger fans it seems as if the NIT is some kind of sad afterthought inflicted on teams not deemed worthy to play in the NCAA. That's may seem to be the case now, but in 1973 when Alabama got an NIT bid it was of  significant and historic importance.  Alabama had been one heck of a program prior to going the NIT but because of racial prejudice southern basketball was  never on the map. Johnny Dee's Rocket Eight could have won an NCAA Tournament. Paul Bryant gets a lot of credit for knocking down some barriers. C.M. Newton implemented the changes. There could not have been a better human being than C.M. Newton chose to recruit a black player named Wendall Hudson.  Sweet Chocolate. He was Tony Mitchell before there was a Tony Mitchell. He was Tony Mitchell in a time when the Tony Mitchell's of the world didn't exist. At least in white America.

     In 1973 when the University of Alabama headed north to play in the NIT the Tide had several Black Americans on their team. As hard as it is to believe but such a journey wasn't just to a basketball tournament, but it was a trip that took the Crimson Tide into modern America. At lot of us were going to make that trip one way or another. I was lucky. My parents gave me a head start.

      I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. My family was poor. We lived on the last "white" street  before the black neighborhood was started. I was already a white kid who shot basketball for hours at a time. The problem was that there were no other white kids around who played the best game in the world. My Mississippi brothers a block away adopted me. The first summer that the black kids let me play in their games was an evolution to me. It wasn't just about basketball. My parents, liberal whites, in a land of hatred had taught me that everyone wasn't just created equal but everyone is equal in the eyes of God. As my mother used to tell me that God saw right through the color of our skin and into our souls.  Ready or not I was going to see what my parents taught me was true or not.

     If you grew up in the era I am writing about you can relate. If you are younger I am sure a lot of  this is going to seem almost impossible to assimilate. I'm talking about young blacks as well as whites. My world   changed that one eventful summer in hot and sticky Mississippi. That summer would open my open my eyes and effect my life forever. Not many people are presented with the opportunity I was given.  It made me a better person.  Even to this day I feel that God put me in a place he wanted me to be, to learn firsthand the lessons of racial hatred, and to allow  me to become someone I would not have become otherwise. My basketball world went from two hand set shots to jump shots, behind the back passes, between the leg dribbles, and no look passes. My real world went from being one of the white kids to being a "nigger lover".  I disdain that word, but it accurately conveys the feelings of the time. All of sudden, in less time than it takes to in bound a pass, I had no white friends. In less time you have to cross have court with the ball my life had changed forever.

     I cried about all this. I prayed to God to help me understand what it was that I had done wrong. My parents, country people who grew up in rural Alabama tried to put things into a perspective that I could understand. No amount of explanation could ever put the mental illness that gripped our society at that time into terms that made sense. My mother just kept telling me that I should do what is right and things would be okay. Looking back I am sure she meant the long term outlook. The short term result was painful. And it was terrifying, but most of all it was necessary...

     My black friends understood all too well what was happening in my world.  They rallied round me and protected me and showed me genuine concern. At that  time I couldn't understand or even appreciate the life lessons which were being taught to me when most people in the South couldn't or wouldn't address. Many didn't acknowledge a problem existed.  I even talked with my pastor. In his office I learned that even the godly could be ungodly. "You are getting what you deserve," was what the pastor said. I realize now that the continued questions about "why" in my life was making him uncomfortable because of a demon he was unable to let go of himself.

     Look, I'm not sharing this with you because I am a better person than anyone else. Heck, I may not even be a good person. All I know is that tumultuous summer changed my life. It caused me to evaluate my life. It caused me to question my life and my world. It caused me to try to figure out where I fit in all this. More than a half a decade later I'm still trying to figure out all that stuff. I'm still trying to become a better person. I'm certainly not trying to preach or teach anyone anything. I am just remembering what that trip to NYC in 1973 meant.

    A lot of  people ask me why I love basketball so much. Well, first I love the fundamentals of the game. The teamwork. I love the wonderful beauty of watching player dribble down the floor and see him figuring out exactly where he fits in the microcosm of life that occurs on the basketball court. But more than any of those things basketball is place where we are truly equal. It is a place where the rancor of life can be set aside for just an hour or so, and I can sit back and feel that things can truly be okay in our world. Basketball has also become a tribute to my parents who raised me 'up right' as we say in Blount County. It is also about one particular black man who taught me the game of basketball and a lot of other fundamentals of life in a turbulent period.  Basketball is a game that teaches us about life its ownself on a manageble scale. In basketball the weather is always perfect. The rest rooms are nearby and hot dogs are cookin' on the grill. And if you are lucky enough you can close your eyes and imagine yourself as a young kid growing up in Mississippi with a life so hard that all the ingredients for a better life were in place because up was the only option left. It also reaffirms that God created something special for me, a not so very special person. To me basketball is a reaffirmation of life and second chances. It is about missing a free throw to lose a game, but knowing you might knock down a three to win the next one. Like life, basketball is about all the endless possibilities that await us. In 1973 Alabama brought some black players. In 2011 Alabama brings a black head coach. Change is possible.

    And so in the early spring of 1973 a lot of us took that trip to the NIT. None of us had to sit on the back of the bus either.

Fond Memories from the another NIT...

In 1973 the NIT was still big stuff...

1973 NIT Program    Cost $1.00

     I'm not sure that any single season of basketball was ever better for me than 1973. Those were salad days for me. I was 26 years old and immortal. '73 meant grad school at the Capstone. It also meant playing a lot of pick up games with some buddies. Georgia Tech had offered me a chance to become a Yellow Jacket in 1965. A knee injury and an inability to do math doomed that chance. But I had some game left. It was a lot of fun playing pick up with some guys named Leon Douglas, Johnny Dill, and Charles Cleveland. For a kid from Cleveland, Alabama this was a close to paradise as you could come. Like I said salad days.

     I believe the '73 team was 22-8. When the Tide got the call from NYC I got my map out. Found a list of Alabama grads living in the NYC and bummed a free room for a few nights. I had this 1970 Subaru that got about a million miles a gallon. The drive took 20 hours. That included a breakdown on the New Jersey Turnpike. The mechanic who worked on my car was not into basketball but he was into gambling. I suggested that Alabama would beat Manhatten. He snorted and made a wager. He'd go ahead and repair my ride for free if Bama won. If Bama lost I'd have to pay him double. Considering I didn't have the money to pay him anything it seemed like good bet. Glenn Garrett, the most unlikely person to even try to make a game winning shot, much less make one, drilled one from the corner. The Jaspers, the hometown team from Manhattan, was out of the NIT. And Alabama was on their way to being to bigger and better things.

       New York in the spring of '73 was equal parts Afro hair cuts and bell bottoms. I wore these crimson and white striped bell bottoms to the game. My attire was resplendent with Crimson colored patent leather boots. My buddies and I had the worst (not to mention cheap) in the Garden. We were so up high up they needed Sherpa guides to show us our seats. By tip-off we were court side. The usher asked  us if we had tickets to the seats. Nope. Just a little moxie. He laughed and walked off.  Last thing he said was to try not to offend the mayor.
    
     When I close my eyes there goes Ron Brewer flying into the Minnesota band. Brewer a hall of famer in baseball was also an All-American basketball post player. As Brewer picked himself out of the trombone section there was Leon Douglas standing on the baseline announcing to the world there was a new sheriff in town. All in all the NIT was a memorable trip. I'd never been to NYC before, and have been there a hundred times since. None of the subesequent trips compared to the first one. Rather than fly to NYC for this NIT I'm going to retrace the trip made in 1973.  Now, if I could just find those boots...

Start spreading the News...

'Bama earns trip to NYC and NIT Final Four...
      

     It's nights like tonight that I wish my buddy J.Bob Bentley of Oneonta, Alabama was handy. He can wax poetic about the Crimson Tide. You ever known anyone who always seems to have just the right words? Bob is that guy. About now, Bob is somewhere in 'Bama Heaven on his way back to Blount County. Bob and I were sitting in an empty courtroom today going over our closing arguments about just what has made this team so special. How 19-0 at home? If you want to build a strong home base never lose at home?  I've only heard two men say that. J. Bob was one. John Wooden was the other. John Wooden did not love basketball anymore that Bob loves Alabama basketball. 


     We are so very proud of what has happened to Anthony Grant and the Men's Basketball Program. I have appeared on hundreds of radio shows to talk about SEC basketball in general and Alabama in particular. I shared my "expertise" on recruiting when no one even knew who Alabama was even trying to recruit. I started all that 30 years ago, give or take. If I wanted to know the truth about what was going on in Alabama basketball recruiting I'd just get in my car and drive to where ever the recruit was located, find him, or mama, and ask how was Alabama doing? Lately, that answer has been we're doing darn good, and if my hunch is correct we're about to do even better. 

     I'm winding down my own basketball "career" now. All Alabama teams are special to me. Two are the most special. Our '76 team which was in my mind the best team in America, and this year's edition. The two teams have so much in common. J. Bob and I would probably say they each had that "something" you can't explain but can see.  C.M. Newton is a great coach. He is a greater person. He is overlooked by many today for his contribution to Alabama basketball. I've always maintained that the three greatest sport legends in our state are Paul Bryant, C.M. Newton, and Gene Bartow. Not of Alabama fans may not like my inclusion of Bartow. What he did at UAB was remarkable. What C.M. Newton did at Alabama was both remarkable and historic in terms of winning and race relations. What Paul Bryant did was the stuff of myths except that his myths are truths. Only one of those men won a national championship. I'm starting to consider whether a fourth might join those ranks. Anthony Grant hasn't made the list, but he's made the list to make the list. And yes, I do believe Grant will win a national championship before he leaves Alabama. Right now I know two truths about Grant - he can coach and he's about to be the richest basketball coach in Alabama history. The three men on my list all had a singularity of purpose to succeed. All three of those men were Southern gentlemen, and Anthony Grant is as well. The man from Miami has reached new levels of faith among fans. He has given basketball fans such as myself hope that before I get that 5th and final foul in life I may see our Tide win something huge. There have been times when I hoped we could win a national championship. Now I believe we will win a national championship. 

     Here's how good Grant has made this Crimson Tide team - when Grant has gone to the sidelines we typically expand a lead. The last month of this season when Grant and Mitchell were both on the sidelines we expanded leads. There have been times this season when our team on the floor seemed more like the usual suspects in a than a lineup. Regardless of who plays the team plays well. Here's how silly letting the sports media vote on anything - Alabama didn't have one single player make the top five in defense All-Conference teams. It's not that the SEC sports media (excluding Kentucky and New Orleans) don't know anything  about college basketball. They don't, but they don't even know they don't know about college basketball. 

    This season's basketball team has been one of the most amazing stories in college basketball. If you saw this team play early and then watched them late in season you'd swear they couldn't get to where they are from where they started. It was almost like the team had to go to some unknown place to get to tonight. Look, I don't know if we will win the NIT or not.  We've already won so much more this season. I think maybe tonight we watched the end of a new beginning. We aren't there yet, but at least we know where there is and that we are capable of getting there. Hey, J.Bob wasn't it nice to see Scenario finish up like the class act he's always been? Here's how I see this season. First it started with Grant. Then Hillman got it, then Green  got it, then Releford got it, then Davis and Mitchell got it, and then all of us got it . Man, its the first thing I've gotten in a long time that was worth getting. If you get what I mean say Roll Tide. 


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Hillman, Hines, and Davis play last game in Coleman tonight...

Bama's three seniors have been instrumental in Tide rise...

     Right off the bat let me say I have a warm spot in my heart for our three senior players. Hillman, Hines, and Davis sound like some fancy Wall Street wall firm. If they were a law firm they'd specialize in mayhem and intimidation. They would be a defense firm with a little plaintiff work from the arc thrown in to boot.

Hillman...


Scenario came out of high schools as top 20 high school prospect. A lot of people who don't really understand basketball have thrown a lot of grief his way out of ignorance.  Here's how I see Hillman - it took a four year senior to buy into the team play demanded by Grant. The S man gave up his offense to become a great defender.  When the younger players see the sacrifice and commitment it became easier for them to become team players. In short, without Hillman Grant's road to success would have been much harder. Anyone can shoot. Not everyone can defend. Few can defend greatly. TR Dunn, Amp  Murry, and Keith Askins come to mind. That's pretty good company.


Hines...


Hines was an enigma in Juco. He was  a  great player who really wasn't great at anything. He is a Bob Cousey type player. To me that is the greatest comparison a player might receive. I'll always remember Chris lying on the hardwood in his last regular season game. It was Georgia and it was big. Davis picked up his 5th and final foul diving for a loose ball. The game was over. The Tide had it won. But there was a loose ball and by god, all loose balls belong to Bama. The ovation he received was a real tear bringer. He's a junk yard dog who seemed to always be at the right place at the right time. 
 
And then there is Davis...

 Mr. Overlooked by many in high school. There were more questions about CD than you could answer on Jeopardy. He went the Juco route and ended up at Alabama. It wasn't a big deal. Over the course of the last two seasons Davis has become a complete player.  He plays inside and outside. At home he has made 42% of three point shots.  On the road he stands at less than 20%.  Look  it up - he had more rebounds and steals on the road than he had at home, and he made about 65% of two point shots. Best of all he became a more than solid defender.


     A lot has been said about Bama's incoming freshman class. Not much has been said about the three key players who are leaving. I love all three. They will be missed. They are part of a foundation for younger men yet to come.




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 Who are the best teams left in the NIT?

     My heart always says Alabama. But what does the head say?  So how do you look at the remaining teams. Do you look at them by conference or just the team? The three teams that catch my attention are Alabama,, Colorado and Wichita State. I have to admit that I've missed a couple of games on the tube, but it has been those three    teams which seem a cut above the others.

The brackets are divided into left and right. If I had to guess right now I'd guess that Alabama and Washington State look pretty good to make it to NYC.  I also think that Colorado and Wichita State will make the trip back east. Must admit that Wichita State was one team I knew very little about. From a historic perspective everyone knows just how good they have been. They are 26-8 and have the best overall record of anyone left in the brackets. In  round one the Shockers beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers like dust storm rug. Then the Shockers upset (hmm...) Virginia Tech. Tech was another one of those teams that mighta shoulda gotten into the NCAA. The Hokies come from the vaunted ACC.  And according to some that means Virginia Tech should have beaten State. The same logic holds that Miami should beat the Crimson Tide. That might not happen either. The court advantage might prove enough to send the Tide to Times Square.

Conferences proves of little value as to "hows best"...

You look all around the NIT and NCAA and pretty quickly come to the understanding that league doesn't mean much except in the foolish manner that the NCAA choses invitees. The Big East started with 11 teams. Boston College was also selected to the NIT.  BC is a goner. In the NCAA there are only 2 teams out of the original 12 invitees left.  And really it is hard to even count Uconn because they beat another Big East team to advance. How can can I delicately put this in order not offend my eastern brothers. The Big East is once again an overblown media driven league. In other words - you are overrated.  For the math inclined reader that means that 81% of the Big Least teams are gone. I've been outspoken about the bias shown to the Big East and Big Ten. 6 of the Big Ten teams are gone. Maybe we should be happy about all those early easy games. Charles Barkley said it best, "the Big East has great coaches but very average players." I thought Rick Pitino was going to have an old fashioned come apart as my mom used to say. "No, we deserve 11", Pitino maintained. The truth is that the Big East and Big Ten have become cannon fodder for the rest of the NCAA and NIT. All of a sudden Florida and Kentucky, along with Alabama don't look very weak do they?

     Perhaps Miami will become more cannon fodder for another team.


Bill's limited report of last night's game is the post prior to this one...


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Alabama presses the issue in second half to 74-67 win over New Mexico

Bama proves they can win without Green...

Hines battles for rebound in Tide win.

     Bama beat the Lobos going away although some lapses at freethrow line made the game seem much closer than played. The Tide proved two things to themselves on Monday night. First, they proved they can win without their star player, JaMichael Green. Green sat half the a lot of the  game in foul trouble. The Crimson also showed their outside game is better than advertised when they hit 6-14 from downtown and that will win you a lot of games.

     Davis sparked the Tide big run in the second half behind two big threes. But it was Trevor Releford and Tony Mitchell that picked up the slack when the big dog was on the bench. Releford worked his magic around the lane and hit a bank in three right before the half that lifted the Tide to a four point half time lead.

Grant showed Bama can win with
Green in foul trouble

     Alabama fans won't have to worry about Mitchell going to the NBA next season but if NASA comes calling it could be different. The astronaut man soared above the rim time and time again to throw down missed shots and lobs. All this occurred while Green sat. Green picked up third foul on a charge early in the second half. A few minutes later we was back in the lineup when Hines picked up his third foul. Two key players in foul trouble could have been serious. Grant, engineered an offense that opened the floor and took advantage of Releford's craftiness and Mitchells's acrobatics instead.

     The New Mexico zone stymied the Tide in the first half. Once Grant was able to keep Green in the game the Tide took control. With Green flashing on the post he was able to find a cutting Mitchell to the basket. When Davis and Mitchell started making the threes it was over. We had speculated yesterday that a tight zone and foul trouble might beat the Tide. Congrats to the coaches and players for finding a way. Bama moves to 19-0 at home with red hot Miami up on Wednesday night.  The Hurricane's beat Missouri State in a mismatch on Monday.

Tennessee fires Bruce Pearl...

     Tennessee pulled the plug on Bruce Pearl. It was overdue. And regardless what others may say the Vols will be better without their renegade coach. Being better means something more than just wins and losses, especially for a program that has run afoul with the NCAA in two major sports. Let's hope the NCAA will suspend Lane "the Mouth" Kiffin his in your face behavior. I doubt if any sports program has had to endure more than the Vols. The school might deserve what the have coming but not all the fans agreed with either head man. The inequity of banning players for misdeeds but not coaches is unfair and needs revision. It is generally the coaches that entice players to cheat. I suggest a lifetime ban for a second major violation. Unless, of course, the coaches didn't know. LOL

Los Lobos to make appearance in Tuscaloosa

Rare chance to see a great college basketball program...

     It isn't often when a truly great program outside the SEC comes to Tuscaloosa. New Mexico is that great program. If Alabama gets beat tonight don't go home and sulk. The Lobos will come in and go about their business which is playing great basketball. They finished the season at 22-11 and beat Sweet Sixteen BYU twice. That's all you need to know about New Mexico. It has been my privilege to go to "the pit" and watch the team from the Land of Enchantment play. This was back in the day when I took three months to go to as many of the great college venues as possible. The Pit ranks near the top. Hold on to your hats Bama fans because this team is coming in angry for not getting to play in the NCAA. Alabama is upset because of Georgia? How about beat a Sweet Sixteen twice and getting the thumb nose?  New Mexico is a truly gifted basketball team with quality players at every position and they have a great head coach in Steve Alford. 


Bama catches break with Lobo All-Conference PG out tonight....   


     Sadly, the Lobos will be without senior All-Conference point guard Daries Gary had a season ending knee injury a short while ago. Head Coach Steve Alford, of Indiana basketball fame, has found an able replacement in Jamal Fenton, a 5-9 sophomore who is as quick as Releford. He has averaged 12 ppg, and along with 4 assists. He has been a more than adequate replacement for Gary. Fenton is built like a fireplug and is strong as a bull. He'll give Releford all he wants.

     Imagine Alabama without Trevor Releford except Gary was a senior. Alabama is going to put the pressure on the Lobos back court. Earlier when I spoke to Coach Alford he had this to say, "without a doubt this will be the best defensive team we've faced. Turnovers will be the key to the game."  How's that for going out on a limb?

The Lobos go 6-9,6-8, and 6-5 in the forecourt. But they are quick and smart. I'd give Bama an edge with Green, Hines, and Mitchell. Mitchell may be the one player that New Mexico will have a hard time matching. If they put 6-5 Phillip McDonald on Mitchell he can post him down low. Mitchell is quicker than either Hardeman or Gordon. Look for some zone. The problem the zone cause New Mexico is they like to run. Going zone will hurt them in the full court game. I don't think that either NM inside player can play with JaMichael Green, All-SEC. Look for the Lobos to take it to Green and Hines and try to get them into foul trouble.

New Mexico beat Texas El-Paso without their point...


     That alone should tell Tide fans that Alford can coach and Fenton can play. I think the home court advantage is probably enough to give the Tide the edge. Bama must make a few three pointers to keep the Lobos honest should they go to their zone defense. For Bama it is a matter of forcing turnovers and keeping up the defensive pressure. The Tide a solid win over Coastal Carolina. New Mexico beat Texas El-Paso in round one in what turned out to be a really good game. El-Paso cut an 11 point lead to 4 only to see solid play from the Lobos in the final 9 minutes to salt away the win. 


Bama 63 - New Mexico 60 in a barn burner. 




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