'BAMA - BAYLOR TIP IT OFF AT 3:OO PM

Tide nation holds its breath...

   

     Alabama welcomes the 4th ranked Baylor Beart to Coleman Coliseum today. There is a self-proclaimed white-out where fans are asked to wear white attire. I have no idea why that's needed, but maybe it will help a slumping Tide. Baylor is a great basketball team coached by Scott Drew, and they bring an 18-2 record to town Bama is a disappointing 13-7. All of the Tide losses have been close affairs, and all but one has been a won basket travesty. Luck hasn't been on the floor for the Tide this year. So, today is a massive day for the Crimson Tide. A win boosts their NCAA ranks, improves their net score, and gives some confidence for the remainder of the season. Bama is a three-point underdog, as this post was written. Baylor may be the best team Alabama has played to date. The Bears pride themselves on defense. 

     After the Georgia loss, Tide Oats left his team in the dressing room and said, "you, figure it out." Word is the team did discuss some things. Players voiced their opinions. Let's hope that locker room soul searching will pay some positive results. So here we are. Feast or famine day has arrived for the Tide. The season won't be over with a loss, but it's not going to be a happy time for Alabama with Auburn and Kentucky coming up. Logically, there is no reason to think Alabama should win this game. Games are always dictated by odds or logic. Alabama has shown the ability to play up the competition or down. Today the Tide needs to bring its A+ game to have a chance.

     Alabama is undoubtedly at a crossroads now. The Tide wins, and things look brighter for the remainder of the season. Another loss sets the Tide up for a scary road to the NCAA. I hope Bama wins today. I think they can. Regardless, Alabama fans are holding their breath. Quinerly, Ellis, and Shackelford need to score. Bama's inside game needs to break even on the boards. Turnovers must be reduced. Roll Tide and see you at three.

'Bama is falling apart...but

    You don't have to be a basketball guru to see what's wrong with Alabama. Whether Nat Oats can find a solution to what's going on with his team is the question

. The answer to that is both yes and no. Oats can't do anything about his current roster. This season, the lack of power, poor perimeter defense, and lack of quality depth can't be fixed. The Tide isn't a physically strong team. That's the no part. The yes part is up to the players. Can Jahvon Quinerly regain his shooting touch? Of course, he can. The old saying that 'shooters gotta' shoot' is actual. My personal belief is that Quinerly is suffering from a lack of confidence. That's different from just going through a cold shooting spell. JQ is also passing up open three-point opportunities, and it's not a good sign.

 

    Alabama might be able to be more competitive when the shots start falling from downtown. Shackleford made five in the first half against Georgia. He made zero in the second half. In fairness to Shack, the Dawgs made even finding shots difficult in the second half. The defense can improve if better effort, but Alabama has only one stopper. Keon Ellis is the only tough defender the Tide has. I'll give a Kudo to Juwan Gary when he plays. Gary is a banger. 

     The Tide needs to quit turning the ball over. Most Tide turnovers are just careless mistakes, and most are unforced. You'll lose games when you are soaring around 15-20 mistakes a game. If Alabama quits gift wrapping additional shot opportunities, they can win close games. Here's the problem with the offense the Tide uses - to run and gun, you will make some turnovers. That can't be helped, but I think the team can cut down on unforced errors. Those errors are killing the Tide.

     If Alabama wants to understand the problem, they need to look in a mirror. Team chemistry is missing. If the players decide to give 100% every time they are on the floor, things will improve. It isn't going to be like last season. I'd advise the players to dedicate themselves to being a leader. Instead of who is the team leader, each could say, "I'll be the team leader." There is only so much a coach can do. The remainder falls on the players. 

     This is not last season's team. The Tide lost five key players last season. I've written about that before, and I won't rehash the details. What Alabama can do is be the best team they can be. They were good enough to beat Gonzaga and Houston. That means there is an untapped potential waiting to be found again. Is it good enough to be a four seed or better? I don't think so, but this team can beat anyone when they shoot well and reduce the turnovers on any given night. Rebounding will always be a problem with this team, but they have improved in that area. C.M. Newton once told me that it isn't about just getting the most boards. It's about getting the ones that count. 

    One thing for sure - keep shooting. Keep throwing them up from downtown, and they'll start finding the nylon. Things will look a lot better then. And for Heaven's Sake, please build this program a new arena.

     

  

 I'm betting 'Bama is ready for the Bruins...

         At one point, UCLA won seven consecutive national championships and ten out of 12 NCAA Tournaments. The last time Alabama went to the Sweet Sixteen was 2004. How much will that matter in tonight's game? The answer to that question is not one bit.  Let me elaborate on that. It won't matter in the least.  Alabama is full of players who might not know about UCLA's tradition or even care if they did.  The game will be played in the famous Hinkle Fieldhouse.  The ghosts of Milan High Schools of their improbable run to an Indiana State Championship will not be in attendance. Instead, the Alabama players will be focused on building their own legacy. For Alabama fans, this season has been one of excitement.  It has not been easy to be an Alabama fan since Wimp stopped coaching.  Sure, there have a few shining moments.  Hope caving into disappointment has been the general rule. Things seem to be changing. 

      Alabama is favored by around six points tonight.  The Tide is coming off a great offensive performance against Maryland. Jordan Bruner has given way to Juwan Gary which will help Alabama inside. Alex Reese has found his game once again.  John Petty made a bunch of three.  Joshua Primo is back in the lineup and appears to have found his stroke. Keon Ellis is becoming a defensive force and he can score inside and out. Last but not least, Jahvon Quinerly as exploded as one of the NCAA's best point guards.  Does this mean Alabama will beat UCLA.  Hopefully, but don't count UCLA out. They have three deadly outside shooters, and are stronger in the paint that 'Bama. UCLA hasn't played a team which as both an outstanding offense and a downright stingy defense. 

      Alabama has greater depth than UCLA. I recorded five UCLA games and watched them all again. The Bruins don't turn it over much as Alabama. 'Bama's has reduced it's turnovers to a manageable number. Can they do that continually? I don't know. UCLA will try to run with the Tide. Is that a good idea? It is for 'Bama. Statistically, the team's are similar, and has the Tournament has proven the PAC 12 is not a weak sister. Alabama needs a good start to this game. I think the Tide can wear the Bruins down in the last quarter of the game. Bama made 10-10 free throws in their last game and the Tide needs to make most of their chances.  Hall, Reese, and Rojas need to rebound and keep UCLA from getting second chances. Getting a few extra opportunities themselves. They'll get some.

      Tonight the Tide has a chance to win game number twenty-seven. Will they do that? I'm betting they will. I like the Tide by eight. 

Bama and UCLA could be an All-Time Classic 

      I graduated from high school in 1965. My senior class had 31 people walk the stage. It was all football in Blount County, Alabama. For me, it was all about basketball. I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and my first love was playing basketball on an asphalt court.  We had chain-link backboards, chains for nets.  My family wasn't rich by any standards. We lived close to the black neighborhood. Every afternoon, I'd walk to the court and meet my black friends to play. It was tough, but I learned a lot about life in the Deep South and how to play basketball.  

     Basketball was, is now, and will always be about one thing.  You have to put the ball in the goal. Everything you do on the court is just window-dressing to finding out how many points you could score. Suffice it to say that when my family moved to Alabama, my basketball background was different from my classmates.  For my buddies, it was about controlling the ball and taking good shots. I'd never seen a bad shot in my life. Controlling the ball for me meant behind my back, between my legs, and having court sense.  Today, they call that spatial interpretation. I remember throwing a pass to a teammate who wasn't looking. It hit him in the face. The coach screamed at me. My only thought was he should have been looking. To be a good basketball player, you have to have a court sense.  Your world isn't looking for a place to lower your shoulder to run.  It means you understand where nine other players are on the Court and how to maximize your advantage. Some players understand, but many don't  

      Alabama has players who certainly have high basketball IQs.  Jahvon Quinerly is always two moves ahead of the defender. His teammates know where they need to be and understand they better get there ASAP because Jahvon will deliver the mail right away. If you ask Quinerly how he knows to do the things he does, he'd likely say, "I don't know, but it seems like the right thing to do."  Basketball isn't about the best five players. It is about having five players on the court who play the best together. 

     This weekend, Alabama plays UCLA. The Bruins are an example of a team that is coming together at the right time. So is Alabama. This should be a classic game.  The Bruins of UCLA are the heralded basketball program in NCAA history.  For UCLA fans, this weekend is a chance to bring back some of the magic of John Wooden. Under this leadership, the Bruins won seven National Championships in a row. They also won 10 of 12 Championships under Wooden.  Just think about a minute.  Imagine any team ever doing that again. It won't happen. 

      Alabama hasn't won a national championship in basketball or even an Elite Eight. They can take a monumental step toward doing that this Sunday.    

My top four to win the NCAA Tournament...

     Given the collapse of the Big 10 in the post-season, it makes it more difficult to take Michigan seriously.  I've still got them in my top four to win the whole thing, but I'm not holding my breath on the Wolverines. For the record, here are my picks.

1. Gonzaga

2. Baylor

3. Michigan

4. Alabama.

        It's been a Gonzaga kind of year. The Zags are still undefeated and have had not close games.  They have three NBA future players in their starting line-up. Not many teams can say that. I'm picking Gonzaga to win the whole shooting match. They are balanced, all five starters can score, they are disciplined.  Often overlooked, they play together as a team. A great team is often greater than the sum of its parts, and when you have as many outstanding players as the Zags have, that puts them in the all-time best territory. All that being said, there is one team that might beat them. 

       That team is the Baylor Bears. The Big 12 team is a cohesive team whose ability to score can't be stopped. I'm not joking. They lost a game after a COVID pause, and it took some time to get going again.  When they did, they simply had no real competition. I think a Gonzaga-Baylor final might be the best final the NCAA Tournament has ever seen. 

 

       Michigan is a more traditional team. They have a tremendous post player.  They can out-rebound anyone they play, and they can shoot. Their weakness is they depend on their inside game to win.  Shut down the inside game, and you shut down Michigan.  LSU ran out of energy, or they would have beaten the Wolverines. M go Blue is the last chance to win a national championship for the Big 10.  No team from that league has won a national championship in over two decades.

      Alabama is on my list, and that is not being a homer.  For Alabama, the recipe for winning a national championship is simple.  Shoot the rock from downtown at 40% or above. The Tide's defense is solid and is rated d 3rd in the nation right now.  John Petty, Alex Reese, and Josh Primos showed some signs of being over their shooting slump. Another plus is the emergence of Juwan Gary inside.  

     This has been a special season to be a Tide fan.  Alabama has now won 26 games.  That is in one season and not two. Nate Oats has brought a new attitude and mindset to the Capstone.  

Bombs away against Maryland...

   

Quinerly sliced the 'terps with 11 assists

       I've said several times that Alabama can beat anyone when they shoot the ball well.  Last night, they shot the ball well and beat Big 10 Maryland 96-77. It could have been worse.  The Tide rained three-point shots and gave notice that perhaps the Tide's downtown shooting has returned. For the night, Alabama was 16-33 from behind the arc.  Think about that for a moment. The 16 made baskets were worth 48 points. The Tide was 10-10 from the free-throw line.  The Tide shot 53% from the floor overall and was 48% from behind the arc. The rebound margin was Perhaps the most impressive part of all that was most was done with SEC Player of the Year, Herb Jones, sitting on the bench in foul trouble. 

     Jaden Shackleford led Bama with 21 points.  John Petty, Jr. had 20 and appears to be coming out of his shooting slump. Josh Primo surprised 'Bam fans by coming on the floor and knocking down 2-4 from three-point land and 2-2 from inside. One was a nifty reverse dribble Canadian special. He played for 23 minutes. He also pulled down 4 boards. Juwan Gary started over Bruner and had 6 points, 7 rebounds, an assist, and one blocked shot. Bama is a better team with Bruner on the floor. How about Reese? Alex made 3 bombs from downtown, 5 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Jahvon Quinerly had a double-double. He scored 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 11 assists. Keon Ellis, who injured an ankle, and did not appear at full speed, made 4 points and pulled down 3 boards in limited playing time. The Tide only made 9 turnovers. 

    It was a well-played game by both teams. Kudos to Aaron Wiggins, the Terp, who scored a game-high 27 points on silky-smooth outside shooting. He was the one player who Alabama couldn't stop. But they stopped everyone else. 

     Alabama now plays UCLA. The Historic Bruins are the surprise team in the Tournament, in my opinion.  They lost their best player earlier in the season and turned into a great team as the year progressed. The Bruins whipped MSU in a stunning comeback in the play-in game and then reeled off two wins over BYU and Abeline Christian.  This will be a great game between high-flying teams. 

 Alabama hopes to move on tonight by sending another Big 10 team home...

     The Crimson Tide takes on the 10th seeded Maryland Terps tonight.  For Alabama, a win puts the Tide into a position not enjoyed in decades. For Maryland, a loss is just another embarrassment for the overrated Big Ten. There are two Big 10 teams left in the tournament. After tonight there could be zero teams.  LSU takes on Michigan tonight, and talk on the street is the Bayou Bengals might win. Alabama is now a six-point favorite over Maryland. 

        This is the biggest game the Tide has played on a national level in recent memory. Nate Oats is in his second year and finds himself a 2-seed in the NCAA field. Being a two-seed doesn't guarantee victory. Ohio State and Iowa were 2-seeds, and look where they are today.  Only Alabama and Houston remain in the land of two seeds.  So what does Alabama need to do to beat Maryland? First, Alabama must make Maryland up its tempo. The Terps like it so.  They won by keeping the score low. Alabama wants 80 plus points. 

1. Run the floor.  Push the ball every time they have possession. Speed the game up. 

2. Cause 15+ turnovers. Keep Bama's to 10 or less

3.  Establish lane penetration and shoot lay-ups. This causes the defense to collapse from the perimeter.

4.  Take good outside shots. Don't create threes on your own. Make the extra pass to have better shots.

5.  Make 75% of the free throws. 

6.  Stick to the gameplan. Always stick to the gameplan

7.  Bruner, Gary, Reese, and Rojas need to control the glass. It is imperative to outboard the Terps.

8.  Hard in your face defense. Good switches where needed. Plug the gaps.

9 Get off to a better start than with Iona. 

10. Win the fifty-fifty balls. 

     Alabama needs to be smart. Don't look ahead.  Make this the most important game they have played this season.  Don't look at the results of other games. 

      If Bama scores 80 they win.  

       I'm picking Alabama by 10.