BAMA RIPS STATE 90-69...
    Alabama isn't going to win the SEC basketball championship this year. What the Tide will do is keep a couple of teams from winning the hardware, however. There isn't a single team that Alabama can't beat in either the East or West Divisions. That includes Auburn and Kentucky. Alabama showed what a Nat Oats team might do on any given night. The Tide cut the turnovers down to 10 and outrebounded MSU by 4. Last week when the Tide lost a big lead they gave one away. Last night when the Bulldogs cut a huge Tide lead to 6 Alabama settled down and won by 21. Keep in mind that Alabama is playing without a JUCO ALL-AMERICAN, their highest-rated recruit, and endured a hose job from the NCAA regarding a third player. Despite the loss of those players and a  rash of early-season injuries, the Tide has continued to improve. Give Oats a couple of great recruiting seasons the sky will be the limit for the program. No disrespect for the last couple of Crimson coaches but something is different under Coach Oats. Something is clearly different. 

     Nat Oats acts like a kid with a $100.00 bill in a candy shop.  And so does his players. The guys are having fun and running wild. They take shots that conventional wisdom says you should never take that shot. And when those shots find the bottom of the net jubilation explodes on the faces of every player. Hey, this is how we all used to play in neighborhood games. My friend Wimp  Sanderson was widely known for his scowl. Nat Oats is gaining fame for his wow. The Tide seems to always make that extra pass. They are mighty midgets who win the glass. The fast pace of Alabama caused State some real problems with their two inside bigs. 

       This team has brought back basketball to the Coliseum. Will Bama fun off ten straight wins? Probably not, but I will guarantee you that every coach in the SEC is thinking that Alabama isn't a pit stop any longer. To beat Alabama you have to endure the fast-paced Tide and that isn't easy. To quote Nolan Richardson, "fatigue makes cowards of us all." You can dish out pain running an offense as well as playing in your face defense. Alabama's pace wears down opposing players.

    Alabama runs like rabbits on offense and then beats you down the floor on defense. Remember buckle-up? This team doesn't have a buckle. This team is pedal to the metal, rock 'n roll, and turbo assisted speed. The team takes and makes shots that cannot be described on the radio.  They can hardly be believed seeing them in person. The Tide might lose a game we think they should win, but they'll win a few they shouldn't win. And we all get to watch them get even better. I know a lot of teams aren't going to like playing the Tide later in the season. Oh yeah, we get to smile a lot as well.

    Oats got his first SEC win against Mississippi State. Kentucky and Auburn are on deck. We'll learn a lot from those two games. Kentucky is the leagues' true blue blood, and Auburn is undefeated. Alabama will be the underdog in both games. 

tide seeks win number seven

RICHMOND IS VERY GOOD...

     The Spiders are always competitive and they have been for a long time. I think Alabama should beat Richmond, but it probably will not be easy. Richmond is an excellent basketball program, but Alabama is getting better.  How good the Tide becomes remains to be seen, but the Nat Oats brand of basketball is pretty impressive. Add Q, Rojas, and Gary to this team and the Tide would be a top-four SEC team in my opinion. The Oats five-out offense is innovated and a lot of fun to watch. If the Tide can cut down on the turnovers and rebound better the wins will add up. 

         Bama is coming off an impressive win over Belmont. Don't confuse Belmont with Kentucky though. In March, Belmont will probably be invited to the Big Dance. Richmond might make it as well. AOL.COM recently suggested that the win over Belmont was a signature win. That was pretty funny in my opinion. Nat Oats knows that a signature win will be over a highly ranked team. Such win will announce a step up for the Tide. John Wooden once said that a team reaches the top in different steps. First, you win your home games, and perhaps whip a bid dog in the process. Next, you win some road games. Next, you win all your home games and most of your road games. Then you win championships. I think he was correct. This was before the NCAA allowed a one-year professional amateur (so to speak).

        Bama is still in step-one but a win over Richmond would be Wimp-like sweet. I think the Tide will be 4 point favorite. It could be as much as six. I like Tide by 8.

tide must do all the little things...

 

  Beating the team that beat Duke would be a pretty good win for the Tide. I'm surprised that Alabama is a 12 point favorite. At this point I'm surprised that Alabama would be a 12 point favorite over anyone. That's no insult to Coach Oats or his players. The Crimson Tide has had more bad luck than any team might overcome. Pat on the back for the effort that Alabama has shown so far. Alabama just doesn't have enough bodies to sustain a fast paced offense for a long season. I don't blame Oats for using his system. He's attempting to change the culture of Alabama basketball. He's trying to install his system. This wide open run and gun offense should attract some big time recruits in the the future. Oats has already convinced one big time player to come to Tuscaloosa.

    Tonight, two high powered offensive teams will hit the floor. It should be a fun game to watch. I've driven from Tuscaloosa to watch it. That's a long drive to see a team with a losing record. Why? I think the future of Alabama basketball is going to get better. It will be better than Avery Johnson and Anthony Grant's tenures? Will Oats be better than C.M. Newton and Wimp Sanderson ? We'll know in a couple of more seasons. One thing I believe. The league is better overall than when either Wimp  or C.M. was the Tide head coach We won't know this year but this team will make some progress if they can do a couple of things. 

1. Turnovers are killers. Kira Lewis, Jr. is a turnover machine because it seems he feels he has to carry the team. He doesn't. He only has to distribute the ball with some common sense, understand he can't always take the ball to the hoop,  and just take a few mid-range jump-shots.

2. Rebounding is always important. The problem is that Bama just doesn't have any animals inside. That is not going to change this season. John Petty is our best rebounder, and that should tell us all something.

3.  Beetle Bailey needs more big time games. In the last game Bailey showed us some shooting skills, and I thought settled the team down some. Is it possibl that Bailey plays the point and Lewis plays the two more now? That's an idea.  

4. Bama has done a better job from the line. Free throws are important. 

    The little things always win or lose basketball games. Cut down on the turnovers, take better shots, play tougher defense, and hit the glass the best you can. If Bama can settle down and do those things they will win some games. Right now, they seem hell bent on running full speed per the coaches instrutions. That's okay. But some the players need to remember to think as well as run. Roll Tide.

   

ONCE AGAIN THE NCAA MISSES THE MARK...

    I don't have much respect for the NCAA. They are arbitrary, capricious, and basically a waste of time.  LSU head coach admits to offering a bribe to a high school player and he still is the head man the Tiger sideline. Jahvon Quinerly, who transferred to Alabama from Villanova saw his petition to play this season denied by the NCAA. A pox on the entire house of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. North Carolina offered fake classes to players. North Carolina and their players escaped punishment. Are you kidding me? So, the NCAA rules that's okay, but JQ doesn't fit any exceptions which allows a player to transfer and play immediately.  He had no sick family members and he was nor sick himself.  He had been pushed out by a coaching staff by egregious behavior, or threatened with reduced or no playing time. He and his family did nothing wrong. The were defamed by a con man. 

       A federal judge made it clear that JQ and his family did nothing wrong in the scandal. They had been accused of taking money but that did not happen. Instead of attending Arizona where he had hope to play, he switched to Villanova. Villanova fans didn't want him. Arizona fans despised him for not wanting to stay in out West. After a miserable season at Villanova he transferred to 'Bama. I don't think most Alabama fans understand why he picked Alabama. First, it was because he liked the coach and school, but wanted to follow a great tradition of point guards. That's why he picked Arizona. And it is also why he considered the Tide. The combo of coaching and point-guard tradition helped him make the decision to come  to Alabama. 

       JQ got so depressed from what had happened to his life he sought the help of a therapist. The move to Villanova and his very supportive family were not enough to get him back on the right track. His grades dropped which must be  devastating to a National Honor member. None of  that mattered to the NCAA. I was disappointed that Alabama did not seek a legal remedy. That's above my pay grade I suppose, but JQ is the poster child for someone who should be allowed to play immediately.  There was no ambiguity in this young man's case. This was just a decision that should embarrass the NCAA. 

TIDE GETS NICE WIN OVER FURMAN...

 

   Furman is good basketball team. They don't have a big national reputation, but are a mid-major power. At the end of the season it will  recognized a big win. The Tide was led by freshman Jaden Shackleford.  The lefty knocked down 25 points included three 3 points shots. He was also  8/10 from  the free throw line. Kira Lewis and John Petty had 19 and 16 respectively. Javian Davis chipped in 10. The Tide had 21 turnovers, and Coach Oats said that keeps the Tide's offensive flow a problem.  Alabama had 13 in the first have but reduced the number 8 in the half two. Lewis had 7 turnovers which is far too many for the gifted sophomore team leader. 

TIDE HAS TWO BIG GAMES BEFORE NORTH CAROLINA...

   Nate Oats is starting his career at Alabama with a short-handed roster.  This season is going to be tough for any new coach in a league with outstanding talent and coaches. It will be very interesting to see how Alabama finishes the year.  My bet is that Oats and his team will be a pleasant surprise. That doesn't mean the Tide will be one of the top teams in the SEC. I don't think Alabama will be a bottom dweller either. What this season might show us is how Oats will do in a couple of years. 

      The loss to Penn was tough. All one point losses are hard to swallow. Keep this in mind  - Penn may very well win the Ivy League this season. The Tide then ripped through Florida Atlantic. The Owls are were predicted near the cellar in Conference USA. This week the Tide travels to Rhode Island.  They are predicted to finish in the top four. The A-10 is a good basketball league. It isn't a guaranteed win for 'Bama. After Rhode Island the Crimson heads to Nassau to play  North Carolina.  Can Alabama beat North Carolina. After watching Evansville beat Kentucky at Rupp anything is possible. 

     I am putting no expectations on Oats except to see his team play hard and execute the best they can. After watching Javian Davis use 240 lbs to dominate Florida Atlantic in the paint it would go a  long way to some inside presence. Alabama has no senior players on their squad. I'd have to wait until the end of the season to see if either Lewis or Petty turns professional. 

• Jaden Shackelford is going to be really key player for the Tide this season.
• Outside shooting has been spotty at best. It should improve
• Turnovers are too high or is that inherent his  this offense?
• Beetle Bolden settle down and show provide leadership. He is grad transfer
• The Tide will be a better team when Herb is back. 

     

Expectations for ‘Bama Basketball…

     We’ve all been down this road before. New Coach. High Expectations. Every Alabama basketball fan wants Nat Oats to be the man who fulfills our dreams of making the Tide a power in college basketball. It is hard to blame anyone for dreaming big. That’s what I do.  In reading the posting  board it is apparent that ‘Bama fans have high hopes. Is this going to different with this coach or just another verse of ‘been there and got the tee shirt’?

     I think this might be different. Coach Oats is an intriguing hire. He was the most successful mid-major coach in the NCAA. His conference record was 31-5 at Buffalo. Had he stayed up North he would have added to his rocket-like start in college basketball. Yep, I think this might indeed be different, but…  The SEC has the most impressive list of basketball coaches than any league in the NCAA. Kentucky is still the King of the SEC but things are changing. Auburn making its way to the Final Four is the perfect example of that change. Your team might be significantly better but that doesn’t mean your record will be significantly better. Alabama might be a better team this season than last and that may not lead to more wins.

     I know some faulted me for my guarded opinion of Coach Oats when he was hired.  My opinion is my opinion. Think what you like but never doubt my love of Alabama basketball. I hope Oats is all we hope for, but in all honesty we won’t  know for at least a couple of years whether or not the hire was a good one or not.  I believe it was an excellent hire given all the attendant circumstances that finding a coach at a football school entails. So, first I give our new Coach a red badge of courage for taking the job. When you come to Alabama as any coach other that football you are at best the second fiddle. There might be some benefit to a new basketball coach in name recognition. Alabama certainly has that. Secondly, Oats must be a very self-assured person to take the job at Alabama. I’ll give him that as well.

     He also has re-ignited a fire I haven’t sensed since Wimp Sanderson was our coach. So, that would be the third positive I recognize in Oats. His new offense is fun to watch and  some will call it radical. Nonetheless,  it gives the Tide an advantage on teams with more talented players.  I’ve found several Buffalo games on the net and they are fun to watch. The offense was very effective. The approach is unique to say the least. It takes a desperate or self- assured person to run the offense. Coach Oats doesn't seem to have one iota of desperation in his idea. 

    He can recruit. He got Rojas to forgo UCLA, Arkansas, and others to follow Oats to ‘Bama. The young man had announced he wanted to go to Buffalo. He wanted to play for Coach Oats. That says a lot about him. Same for Q. He could have gone anywhere to play ball but he wanted to play for Oats. So did Lewis and Petty. Those guys are a pretty great recruiting class. Add the three who announced for Bama and Johnson, and who stuck with Oats after Johnson left. . That is one heck of a recruiting class. So let’s add good recruiter to his positive list.

      I’ll be honest in saying not having an inside enforcer in the paint worries me. But one thing is clear – backing up the three-point line opens up the floor and creates more space for smaller and quicker players. Bottom line for me is I want to see some wins. I’ll also say I think we will see them. Losing Rojas, and the promising Gary to injuries will hurt.  Jahvon Quinerly, a five-star high school player, is still hoping the NCAA gives him the go ahead to play this season. Shackelford is going to be a key player and is ready for Division-One ball. Forbes can fill it up. I believe that Tide may have found their coach. Let’s see what happens. The new coach talks the talk. He is level headed. My bet is he walks the walk as well. We will see. Penn is picked as the number 2 team in the Ivy League. This will be a stern test for the Tide. I like Bama by 6. 

     Year three will give us an answer. Year one might give our hope so legitimacy.