Tide needs to fix some problems...

    I wanted to let the football and CFP news die down a bit before discussing Alabama's performance in the Western Kentucky game. Losing is never fun. It's much harder to write about a lost game than a winning one. Waiting a few days and watching the game again gives some clarity to what happened. I hope this post provides some both positive and negative commentary.

   I have to say the game was troublesome in several areas. Alabama has some problems. The staff can address some issues in practice, but others will not be so easy to fix. Shooting is always fluctuating between hot and cold. Currently, the term I'd use for Tide shooting is "have you ever been to the South Pole." Petty, Quinerly, and Shack are struggling. Practice can help with most of these shooting problems. Practice also involves when to shoot and when to keep moving the ball. Alabama is not reversing the court with any regularity. That is going to make you take better shots. The free throw shooting is better, and I've noticed a correlation between the free throws and field goals made. The bottom line is that shooting will get better

     I have been impressed with the defense. Last season the defense was how many points the offense could score. That might be an overstatement. In the Furman and Western Kentucky games, the defense gave Alabama a chance to win in the second half. The tide took a three-lead in the Western Kentucky game but couldn't hold it. My point is the Bama defense played well enough to win. Alabama has no answer to a big inside player, however.

     Two problems concern me. First, the Alabama point-guard play isn't good enough to win. Alabama hasn't replaced Lewis, Jr. Quinerly, a five-star recruit and a Parade All-American in high school hasn't played to his ability. I'm not sure what the problem is. Oats seem more comfortable playing Herb Jones at the point. Jones isn't a deadly outside shooter, and he doesn't dish when he goes inside. He also has a hard time finishing at the basket. Playing Jones at the point is, how do I say it, a unique move. I don't see it being a long term solution to our point-guard situation. Herb gives the Tide leadership and effort,  however. 

   Rebounding isn't up to SEC standards. Part of rebounding is technique. You have to block out. We don't do that well. The second part is an effort. I see effort from Petty, Shackleford, and Rojas. Rojas got limited minutes in the WKU game. Bruner isn't what I'd call a big man. He is a good rebounder, given the fact that he hangs around the three-point line. In theory, if you put your big man on the perimeter, it might cause the opponent's inside man to come outside. What Stansbury did was let his power forward to guard  Bruner and Reese.

    Shackleford and Petty cannot win the battle of the boards. Each gives it their best effort. Petty has to rebound and guard the small forwards and two guards. You can't rebound missed shots when you guard on the perimeter. The final thing regarding our inside game is playing your big men on the arc allows opponents to penetrate. 

    When the shots fall, this team will look better, but Oats needs to address and fix a few problems. He can only do what his roster allows him to do.