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'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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