Tide lays an egg against the Aggies 

Alabama turnovers hurt

      Last night's loss to Texas A&M was disappointing. When you get beat 87-71 on your home court, it hurts. I think there are two things Tide fans need to consider. First, the talent this season is just above average. The Tide will always have trouble matching up with a team that has a guard who can penetrate, and a frontcourt that rebounds. The Aggies have both. Second, last season's team was unique. Senior leadership carried the Tide to the SEC Championship, SEC Tournament Championship, and two wins in the NCAA Tournament. This is not Tide 2.0. It is just a team that is playing close to their potential.  The Tide lost a prized freshman to the NBA draft as well.    

     The Tide has enough offensive potential to upset some good teams. It might be time to acknowledge that a lot of fans and the media over-estimated the future of this team. I always try to avoid talking about individual players. Here are a few observations, however. Jaden Shackleford is a great offensive two-guard who lacks defensive quickness. No suggestion from this writer he is not trying. I do not know what is wrong with Quinerly. I would suggest a loss of confidence but could be wrong about that. 

     Juwan Gary is playing hard, but he is not an All-SEC player. Bediako is young and needs both weight and muscle. Noah Gurley is either disappointing or perhaps Oats misjudged his potential. A year of eating next to an offensive lineman will help his game, and he needs to hit the weight room for some muscle. He will be much better next season if he does both. James Rojas is a warrior but can ́t match up with bigger players. JD Davison is improving, but isn ́t a good ball handler. His shooting has improved. I can't imagine him in the NBA next season. Quinerly, as the sixth man is not helping the Tide. Keon Ellis needs to be more involved in the offense. He wears himself out on defense, though. 

     The problem is that Nat Oats has a team with some real limitations and opposing coaches have exploited them. I thought TAMU had a great shooting night, but the Tide allowing the Aggie guards to whip us all night around the elbow made that possible. Bad second-half shooting by the Tide merely made the margin greater. Can the Tide beat LSU? They can, but it is not likely, is it? Alabama isn ́t a great team and that will not change this season. Whether the Tide plays good or bad is up in the air. Last night did not end the Tide season. Had the Tide won last night, it would not have made this a great season. It is what it is, and hope is a killer.