Alabama blasts the Bulldogs 67-50

Randolph leads Tide past Miss. State...
Green returns to the floor 

    This was supposed to be the showdown game in what was the old SEC West. The winner of this game would go to the NCAA and loser might not. The Tide was a 6 point favorite,but a lot of people thought the number was too high. The real issue in my mind was how would Mississippi State play after almost beating Kentucky?   Would they come out mad and fired up? Or would there be an emotional letdown?  The only exciting thing about the game when all was said and done was could the Bulldogs score 50 points?  The answer was yes, but just barely. If Mississippi State was a hospital patient in ICU they would have to Code Blue them just to get them on the team bus.


    Perhaps the most important play in the game occurred with .04 seconds left in the first half. Trevor Releford raced down the court, and fired up a 3 point attempt. As he shot the ball he leaned into Dee Bost and drew a shooting foul. TR hit all three free throws, and Alabama knotted the score at 25. It was a good ending for a lackluster final ten minutes of the first half for the Tide. The play was a sign of better things ahead for 'Bama. The Tide didn't win the first half, but then they didn't lose it either. The Tide has almost no preparation and rest for the State game after the big road win in Arkansas. The fatigue was apparent for the Tide. They fought through it behind the sparkling play of Levi Randolph. 

    Randolph led the Tide on both offense and defense. The freshman was all over the floor swatting passes, fighting through and over screens, and running like a sprinter down the court at full speed on every possession. It was a really impressive performance for the player who exactly fits the mold of what Anthony Grants wants in his in your grill defense. More than defense, Randolph was running wide open on offense. Whether it was dropping a 3 bomb or driving down the paint, he finished with a career high 18 points. His defense was even better. His overall play lifted the Tide out of the doldrums of the first half and into an explosive second half. 'Bama scored 42 points in the final two minutes. If you can average one basket every two minutes that is tremendous offensive basketball. Couple that with holding State to 25 in the second half and you have played one great basketball game.

• Alabama shot 54% from the floor and was 6-11 from behind the 3 point arc - 55%.
• The Tide made 11-12 from the free throw line for 92%.
• Alabama won the rebounding war 29-22. This was the second straight game the opponent failed to get 30 boards. That's good shooting and better defense. 
• JayMychal Green didn't start but played 25 minutes and had 2 thunder dunks.
• How good was Randolph? He led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and minutes played. 
• Bama now moves to 19-9 and 8-6 in the Conference. The Tide might finish 10-6 which seems almost magical after the suspensions. What could have been a negative has turned into a positive with the improved play of Engstrom (who had 5 boards) Gueye, and the freshmen.
• Andrew Steele once again played a great game. His overall numbers seldom show his real contribution to the team, and he has one more year if he wants to play. 
• Trevor Lacey made a gallant attempt to return from his ankle injury on Thursday. It was obvious he was not as explosive as usual. His ankle rolled again at round the 5 minute mark left in half. In the long run it might have helped the Tide by forcing Releford to play more minutes. 

   

     Alabama now turns its attention to Auburn. The Tigers blew a huge first half lead against Arkansas turning victory into a 77-71 defeat when they made only 13 -24 from the free throw line. Ole Miss walloped LSU in Oxford by 72-48 in a old fashion beat down. Ole Miss is Alabama's last regular season game a week away in Oxford. 


   Now, we can all relax a little. We need to win games in order to improve our seeding in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. If Bama could reel off three or four more wins and reach the finals in the SEC I believe we can get a six or maybe a 5 seed. A lot would depend on what some other teams do as always. But Alabama's Mens Basketball is asking a question to the rest of the SEC and the NCAA. Do you guys really want to play us right now. It seems to me that the Tide is peaking at just the right time and that Anthony Grant is making a statement for SEC Coach of the Year. I'm sure that Calipari has that in the bag, and maybe deservedly so. Still no one has overcome the obstacles that Alabama has endured this season. Yesterday, was an example of what this team can do if we shoot the ball well. Stay tuned for the rest of the years, the life support machine has been turned off.