Can Miller play through his injury?   

Miller is looking a fewer minutes

    I don't know how long it will take for a groin injury to heal. Per Marcus Sasser, we all know it doesn't take long to worsen a groin injury; you can ask Kelvin Sampson about that. Has Sampson ruined the Houston Cougar's chances to win the national championship? Perhaps, because Sasser is the straw that stirs the Houston team. Houston also reports that guard Jamal Shead has an injured knee. Both Houston stars say, "100 % we will play against Auburn." All players would choose to play. That includes Brandon Miller. What will happen with Miller's playing time? 

     Nate Oats says he wants Miller on the floor for at most 20 minutes per game. That seems the wisest course. After reading medical material about groin injuries, it appears that, at times, a player thinks he can up the tempo. A player can then reaggravate the damage trying to play at full speed. All athletes want to go full speed. It's the nature of the beast. The Tide will likely risk playing Miller against Maryland in a limited capacity. The question in my mind is can Alabama beat Maryland with Miller having limited minutes or not playing at all. How do you factor in additional games in the tournament? 

     Alabama beat TAMU - CC without Miller scoring. He played for 19 minutes. Will that be the game plan for Saturday night? A better question to ask is, can Bama beat Maryland without Miller? Alabama put up over 90-points without Miller's scoring.  We will have to wait and see. Maryland is not a 16-seed team. 

     Yesterday, Purdue was beaten by Fairleigh-Dickenson. Purdue has been overrated all season.  In watching Purdue earlier this season, I never believed the Boilermakers were a great team. The kids from Teaneck, New Jersey, came home with the win. The final score was 63-58. One television announcer called FD, the 17th seed. Gonzaga squeaked by Grand Canyon University 72-70 to move into the round of 32.

Picknroll's Pics for day one...

   

      The first day of the field of 64 is on Thursday.  Right after the hotel buffet, the Terps of Maryland play the West Virginia Mountaineers. That's the 8 and 9-seed teams in Bama's bracket.  I'm going with WVU in a close one. Both of these teams need to be in the ACC or the Big East, but, money talks.  After the morning game is the premiere game of the day. Number 1 seed Alabama plays Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The Christi bunch beat Southeast Missouri State to get into the field. Alabama is a 25-point favorite and might not be enough. TAMUCC didn't have a player of 6-3 on the floor most of the night. This is a perfect game for the Tide to overcome the nerves of being the top seed.  Before the Tide takes the floor, you can catch parts of the Furman vs. Virgina game. I like the 4 seed Virginia by double digits.  Warning - this is likely to be the slowest game you'll see since the four corners' offense was yawned to death. 

     Utah State takes on SEC - gonna' be real good real soon - Missouri, close to lunchtime. I'm picking the Tigers because of a strong finish in the SEC race. Utah State was last four in, then four out, and then back in. The speed of the Tigers will be too much for the Utahans to beat.  I bet Kobe Brown has a big game in his home state.  Around the same time, Howard plays Kansas. If you were going to pick an underdog to win, this ain't the game. Kansas by a biblical flood amount.  

    And its Stars fell on Alabama time, you know, Brandon Miller, Mark Sears, Jahvon Quinerly, Noah Clowney, and the rest of the team. I expect everyone in a Bama uniform will play. But expect the first 7 players to be rotated and prepare for the Saturday game.

    Birmingham will do the State of Alabama in a fine Southern hospitality manner. We'll need a few guys to do live posting during the game. We need to make two things clear. 1. The Legacy area is safe, parking is decent, and you see many fine officers on duty. Thank them for their service. 2. Go to any of the nation's best restaurants, not just the south.  You can go health hazard hot dogs, Thai Pad in Five Points nice. If you want to impress your date, take them to Highlands Bar and Grill. It's one of the top five restaurants in America. There is a bank nearby for the loan to eat there. Several of you say, "this guy isn't a food critic." I admit I'm not, but I don't mean to brag - but I can afford Five-Guys. Roll Tide. 

There is a morning article below if you want to scroll down. 

Bama wins the SEC Tournament in style...

Tide gets ready for Birmingham      

    If there were questions about the Crimson Tide, they have been answered. They did it with Bama's unique style of play. First, the Crimson Tide wore down Texas A&M with a smothering defense. Then, the Tide shot lights out and put Buzz Williams out of his misery. Just joking about Williams; he's a great coach. Nate Oats has put together a team that can win the National Championship. I've been watching Alabama basketball since George Linn threw in the longest basketball in NCAA history. The Tide can win the Championship. I believe 'Bama will do that. Why? They have an unstoppable offense when shooting well and a destructive defense. It's fun to watch all the three-point shots from downtown. It's the Alabama defense that will win it all, however. If you don't believe that, ask Nate Oats. The reason gave the offense chances to turn a 7-point lead into a 20-point lead in the blink of an eye. 

     For our younger fans, this season has been sensational. For us older fans, it has been magical. I've seen more "new" names on the basketball forum page than ever before. Winning is contagious. Alabama was ranked #1 in the 2002-03 season for a week. Mark Gottfried was the coach. That was over 20 years ago. Gottfried had some excellent players. He needed Brandon Miller. The 2002 team won the SEC Championship. Things went downhill after that. Alabama had high expectations under C.M. Newton and Wimp Sanderson. In 1976, two questionable calls allowed Indiana to beat Alabama for a national championship. Leon Douglas was hammered to the ground and was called for charging. Horrible call. Even Bobby Knight later admitted that. Indiana beat Alabama 74-69. In 1987, Wimp Sanderson had a team that could have a national championship. That dream died in Louisville when Billy Donovan and Delray Brooks combined for 49 points to beat Bama 103-82. Tide fans were stunned. The Tide had been 7-point favorites. 

     The Tide's win over A&M has set the Tide faithful on fire. Will Alabama win the National Championship? I don't know, but I do know they have a good chance. The faithful watched a playoff game between Southeast Missouri State (19-16) and Texas A&M CC (23-10). The Islanders won the game. They fought off a comeback from SEMO to have an opportunity to play Bama. 

      Alabama will play the winner of the Maryland-West-Virginia game. I am assuming we will win game one on Thursday. It's a special time for Tide fans. Roll Tide.

And I need two for Saturday. 

     

Bama hammers Mississippi State 72-49

   

      You can't blame Tide fans for being worried about the four games prior to the SEC Tournament.  The Bama fans should wipe the sweat off their brow and get ready for Missouri. The Tide is back it seems. 

      Rocky Top got knocked off by a relentless Missouri offense. The Tide's offense looked focused today.  The Tide shot lights out from the three-point arc. Turnovers were down, and the energy level was up

       It was gratifying to see the better shooting, but it was the Alabama defense that beat the Dogs.  Tolu Smith, the big center, scored 17 but most were made after the game was well in hand.  Mississippi shot only 31% for the game. Bama's defense shut down the Bulldog's interior game in the first half. They made only 21 pts in the first half. The Tide led by 20 and the game was over. Quinerly's push with the ball up court was more that the Bulldogs could contain. The Tide nation was on hand and certainly helped the Tide feel at home. Four teams will lose today, and tickets will be available for the next two days. Expect more Bama fans to come to Nashville and make their presence felt.

      The only thing regarding the offense was Mark Sears going to make a three. He missed 7 in a row and nailed his 8th attempt. Oats was yelling at the guard to let it rip when he was in front of the Crimson Tide bench. He'll be ready for the next game, and he'll get a lot of attempts against the Tigers.  Nat's decision to start Jahvon Quinerly helped get the Tide off to a quick start.  Alabama's inside game hurt the Dogs. Charles Bediako had a stellar game.  He had 11 points and 6 rebounds. He also had 5 blocks and caused several other mis-shots inside. Noah Clowney helped inside. 

      Brandon Miller knocked down 19 points and 9 rebounds. Both led the Tide. State appeared to be tired in the second half. 

      11 Tide players were used in the first half. Dom Welch knocked down a three-point to start a Tide run. Welch was injured later, and we'll learn more about his availability later today.  It was a breath of fresh air for Tide fans.  Alabama takes on Missouri tomorrow. 

 HIGH NOON SHOWDOWN IN NASHVILLE...

Tide needs to win the 50-50 balls.

     Mississippi State is probably not the team Bama wanted today. Kudos to Mississippi State for outlasting Florida in an overtime game.  State played hard in their two games with Bama in the regular season and could have won.  The first was in Starkville, and the Tide won 78-67. The second game was much closer. State played the Tide to end in a 66-63 win. If someone picks the Bulldogs today, I can understand why. The Bulldogs are led by Tolu Smith, a fourth-year senior, who can control the inside. He'll give Charles Bediako all he wants and then some.

     If you watched last night's game between State and Florida, you had to notice the Bulldogs' ease in the paint. Alabama can't let that happen. Look for the Tide to double-team Smith inside. That means State might get some uncontested outside looks.  Mississippi  State made 2-14, which isn't a winning percentage.  When you shoot 28 free throws, it means you are committing yourself to win the boards.  The Bulldogs out boarded the Gators by 12. That was the difference in the game.  That's what Bama will do today. They will commit themselves to winning the boards. If Bama can keep Tolu Smith from a big day, the Tide can win.

     Alabama is going to want to run.  Run early, run a lot, and run late. If the Tide can increase the game to an 80-point score, they should move on to the next round.  Give Mississippi State some room to start quickly because they played on the same floor last night.  If Alabama can make this a running game, they will win.

KEYS TO ALABAMA WIN:

Fewer turnovers

Make 35% of three-points

Make 75% of free throws

Deny State easy passes in the paint

Win the 50-50 balls

Control the boards

 Will Bama win the SEC Tournament Championship?                                                                                              

    Alabama must play better than its last four games to win the SEC Tournament. Here's a quick reminder to understand what's been happening with Tide. The offense needs help behind the three-point arc. After a nice road win over Auburn, the Tide lost two of their next six games. Alabama struggled to score in the Tennessee game. After pounding Georgia 108-59, the Tide struggled against South Carolina, Arkansas, and the second Auburn game. Those close wins were enough to win the SEC regular season championship. Something was wrong, and it showed up in the first half of each of those late-season wins. Bama was allowing teams to secure double-digit leads. Bama beat South Carolina, Arkansas, and Auburn with second-half comebacks. Texas A&M built a 17-point lead, and the Tide managed to erase that lead late in the second half but lost 67-61. Alabama ended the regular season with a 26-5 record and the number-one seed in the SEC Tournament. 

     Despite that phenomenal record, the team will need help on the offensive end. The Tide needed to make more three-pointers, turnovers were piling up again, and the Darius Miles situation was hurting the Tide. Some time away from practice may help Alabama. The bright side of the last two weeks is that Bama found a way to win despite the poor shooting and mounting turnovers. 

      Bama will play the winner of the Mississippi State and Florida game. Most people believe State will beat the Gators. State can land a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a win over Bama. Alabama is playing to win the Tournament and keep a one-seed in the Big Dance. That is a different kind of pressure than State might have.   Alabama will have to play better than it did in College Station. Tolu Smith lives in the lane. Charles Bediako will have his hands full if State wins the play-in game. It always helps a team with playing their second game in a tournament. 

Tonight's games:  

12-seed South Carolina vs. 13-seed Ole Miss - Ole Miss is favored in this game, and it won't surprise me if the Rebels knock off USC. The battle of the bottom feeders is always fun to watch. Each team can use this game to propel them to better results next year. Stay tuned - Chris Beard will be the next Rebel head coach.

11-seed Georgia vs. 14-seed LSU - The birth child of Will Wade will take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the second game tonight. LSU allowed the Wade saga to go on far too long, and look what happened. Georgia will improve with Mike White at the helm. He will cut into AU's pipeline in the Atlanta Metro area. Georgia should win tonight.

My take: If Alabama wins the SEC, they can win the NCAA.

More Bama good news: 

Quick hitters - 

     Jim Boeheim is out at Syracuse University. He's been at SU for 47 seasons. The Orange lost to Wake Forest 77-74 in the ACC Tournament today. 

     Brandon Miller spoke to the press today for the first time. He was eloquent and went straight to points he wanted to make about the Miles situation. When asked another question about the same subject he declined to comment.  

     Reports from the Capstone say that Bama spent a lot of time behind the arc. Alabama needs to make more threes in the postseason. I also learned that Bama worked on ball security to cut down turnovers.

     Will Bama cut down on the player rotation? I've heard some "experts" saying they will. Not in my opinion. 

Jadon Bradley will be more effective against MSU than other teams. He has the physicality to help the Tide against MSU. The freshman will try to get a couple of quick fouls on Tolu Smith fouls. Expect Quinerly to get minutes to speed up the game.

     Will Wade is now the frontrunner for the McNeese State job.

 BAMA WELCOMES SOME REST ...   

Miller fouls out with 2.30 left.

      Texas A&M beat Alabama 67-61. Alabama shot 11 free throws and made 10 in the first half. They were not allowed to shoot any free throws in the second stanza. No doubt, the Aggies got a generous serving of home cooking. The Crimson and White staged a comeback, down by 17 by one point in the second half. Bama took a one-point lead with time running out.   Mark Sears threw a pass to Jahvon Quinerly that an Aggie stole. Charles Bediako was standing between Sears and Quinerly. Mark didn't see the A&M player. That one play killed the Tide. Strange things happen in basketball games. Once again, the Tide needed help to make shots from behind the arc. Tip of the hat to Alabama for staging a comeback. Alabama reverted to early season turnovers. 

     If Bama plays TAMU again, Take the Tide in a double-figure game. Alabama pulled three previous games out of the fire. They couldn't do it the fourth time. If you want to know why Bama has been shooting so poorly from the outside, I look at the grinding schedule that gave no rest to the weary. Tired legs lead to poor shooting. 6 days' rest will fix the shooting. Oats will have his outside shooters practice ready to roll in the SEC Tournament postseason. He'll prepare for Miss. State. He doesn't have to do much pre-game preparation for Florida. The state is a good team. Their current record is 21-10. The Bulldogs have size on the interior and decent guard play. The Tide must shoot better from downtown to beat Miss. State. In the postseason, teams try to peak when it matters most. Given the subpar performances in the last four games, the table is set for a comeback.

   

Oats welcomes the rest for his team.

 Despite the loss, Alabama is still a #1 seed in the NCAA bracketology reports. Joe Lunardi has Bama as the top seed in the South. Look for the Tide to fall a couple of spots in the AP top twenty-five poll, which will be released Monday. 16-2 is a remarkable finish in the SEC regular season. Two years ago, the Tide accumulated the same record and won the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship. The road to the tournament championship begins with Alabama taking on the winner of the MSU-Florida game. Barring any upsets, Bama will play the winner of the Missouri-Tennessee game. Bama should win their first two games. In the bottom bracket, I like Auburn to beat A&M in round two and play Kentucky in the next game. And no, it wouldn't surprise me for the Aggies to beat Auburn.

The top four teams in the Vegas prediction are:

1. Alabama

2. Tennessee

3. Kentucky

4. Texas A&M 

    I don't understand the love affair that Vegas has with Tennessee. The Vols have lost their point guard and 6 of 10 games. Bama will get no respect from the national media as the punishment for the Bama movement continues. Bama can win the SEC Tournament, but Kentucky and TAMU keep an eye on A&M and Kentucky. Tennessee or Arkansas could be spoilers. If Missouri has a red-hot shooting, they can surprise some people this week.

     For true hoops fans, you can see teams fight for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament all week. If Bama drops a few spots in the Polls, it is no cause for concern. The real season starts after the SEC Tournament. Can Bama win 30 games this season? I think they will.  

     Bama received a much-anticipated commitment from Kris Parker, 6-6 forward from Quincey, Florida. Parker's final two choices were Villanova and Alabama. Parker is a top 100 prospect. Some recruiting sites list Kris as being 6-8. A strong connection with Nate Oats sealed the deal for Parker. 

     I'd like to see Quinerly start with Mark Sears at the guard position. We had terrible starts with Bradley at this point. We cannot continue to dig a hole from the beginning of most games. I'm not the coach. He burned so much energy in Aggieville in catching up we couldn't finish.  

Miller was named Freshman and SEC PLAYER of the YEAR 

Bediako was named on the All-Defense 1st team

Miller, Bradley, Clowney All-FRESHMAN Team

Jahvon Quinerly CO-SIXTHMAN

Mark Sears -ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM

BUZZ WILLIAMS AND JERRY STACKHOUSE - COACH OF THE YEAR  (tie)