WHERE ARE THE NAYSAYERS TODAY?

      

      Where have you gone? You know, the ones who said Oats couldn't coach and Alabama's basketball program was a joke? One game later, the shots start to fall, the Tide almost scores a hundred, and everyone's happy. Shooters gotta shoot, and sometimes they miss. Sometimes they all miss. Despite the poor shooting, Kentucky beat the Tide by only 11, which meant the team did many things well. 

     Last night the Ole Miss Rebels had a stellar game and got their doors blown off. Sure, the Rebels are a great basketball team, but they showed they can shoot lights out from time to time. Had Ole Miss played a lot of other SEC teams last night, they would have won. Shackleford led the Tide with 30 points. He had 19 in the first half. Check these numbers out. Quinerly and Davison had 8 assists each. Holt played great defense and had 6 rebounds and one monster dunk sending the Tide bench into hysteria. Even Coach Oats broke into a smile. 

     Alabama has some challenges remaining this season. Kentucky and LSU on the road are back-breaking games. Those games will test the mettle of any team. The suddenly red-hot Razorbacks come to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Alabama might be underdogs in all three of these games. If the Tide shoots well, I'm betting they win two of the threes. The Tide doesn't have to shoot as well as they did against the Rebels. Just shoot well enough to run their offense. Could Bama lose all three? Perhaps. If Alabama plays as well as they did against Ole Miss they won't. 

    Bama will be favorites to win the remainder of there games. None will be easy, but the Tide is playing better defense. If Alabama's downtown game comes back they will be a force in the SEC Tournament and beyond.