Crimson Hoops

THE TIDE STUMBLES AND BUMBLES BUT WIN

2018-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Nice win over a likely NCAA Tournament Team, but...

Dick Enberg might say ¨Oh, My¨. Alabama had a lot of oh my moments and still won. Murray State is a really good basketball team. They will be dancing winning OVC Tournament. The might be dancing if they win the regular championship. The Racers have their own version of Collin Sexton. Ja Morant shredded the Bama defense with 28 points. He had 10 turnovers due to some hard-nosed defense by several Tide defenders. He was a pleasure to watch and an even better pleasure to beat. Bottom line is that Bama won 78-72. Kira Lewis, Jr. and John Petty, Jr. led the Tide´s offensive effort with 20 and 16 points respectively.

the good -

Bama made a stellar 23 of 30 freebies which will help hold a lead.
The Tide pulled down 40 rebounds with 15 being offensive.
Ten blocked shots is a high number, and the Tide disrupted at least that many more shots.
Jones pulled down 10 and Petty got 8. Good play by both

the bad-

21 turnovers will usually get you beat. The Racers offset that number by committing 18 of their own.
Ingram had 6 turnovers and Jones had 5 which continues a trend of sloppy ball handling by the pair.
Every player for ´Bama had a turnover except for Junior.

the ugly-

Alabama still looks confused on offense in my opinion. There seems to be little flow to their offense. 21 turnovers are not helping develop consistency
Coach Johnson put a couple of groups on the floor that baffled me.
Mack needs to step it up to be the much-needed man off the bench on the edge. I hope Riley can help do that when he returns. I´m not giving up on Mack. He had a recent big game.
Is it just my imagination or does the Tide miss more layups than humanly possible.
The announced attendance was 9.004. I will be crowned as the King of England this weekend. You are invited. This team needs sell-outs.

bottom-line

Johnson is still experimenting with the rotation. He is a good coach, and I am sure he knows what he is doing. We have a lineup where balanced scoring is happening and that is a good thing. Kira Lewis is going to be an All-SEC Player if ´Bama wins enough game to showcase him. Petty is much improved. His outside shooting is hot and cold. Shooters gotta shoot. Lewis, Petty, Reese, and Mack all have some firepower. Hall patrols the lane like a worried mother. There are a lot of good things happening. Did I mention the 21 turnovers?

Alabama now hits the road to play UCF. This will be a tough game. The Knights are pre-season picks to win the American Athlete Conference. That league includes Houston, UCONN, Cincinnati, Temple, Memphis, Wichita State, and SMU. Those are premier basketball programs. Throw in Tulane, Tulsa, and East Carolina and you have one dynamic league. I doubt Bama will be favored. The Knights beat Alabama last season. Have you ever seen a 7-6 basketball player? They have one.

CANDID THOUGHTS ON 'BAMA HOOPS PROGRAM

2018-11-23T11:30:00.003-08:00

'Bama Fans Need a Big Time Program

A rendition of new arena interior

I see that Tennessee has the #5 ranked team in America. Think about for a moment before you read any further. Why can Tennessee do that and Alabama hasn't done that? The last time an SEC Conference Championship was hung in Coleman Coliseum was 2002. That was 16 seasons ago. The MVP in the Conference that years was Erwin Dudley*. He was first-team All-SEC pick. Alabama is 4th in SEC Conference Championships behind Kentucky, LSU, and Tennessee. The Tide was ranked #1 in hoops for a short time in 2003. Mark Gottfried was the coach. Gottfried continued to coach until 2009. Since 2002 Alabama has not won a regular-season championship or a Tournament Championship. That is simply unacceptable to basketball fans, or at least the ones I know. Whether Avery Johnson can return to the years of Wimp Sanderson, CM Newton, and Johnny Dee remains to be seen. Check with me at the end of next season.

Why doesn't the University of Alabama do anything it takes to make the program big time? It is a question that I have been thinking since Gottfried left. David Hobbs is my friend. So was Anthony Grant. Both were men of high character and could coach the dickens out of the talent they had. David gets a lot of unfair criticism in my opinion. The day before the NBA draft he was assured that Antonio McDyess was returning. He didn't. Who could blame him, and certainly David Hobbs didn't. Hobbs career was turned upside down. Those who criticized Grant needed to understand the culture which infected the program when he took the 'Bama job. To be kind, let's just say it wasn't good. What Grant did was return character back into the program and it took a lot of discipline to do so. That was done at the cost of wins. The question in my mind is why hasn't the University built an arena to better attracts big-time prospects? I know some will say that doing a remodel was good enough. Not in my mind. The seating was not a configuration that puts fans up close and personal when it was built. It still isn't and the students deserve better. I personally think we need to give students better seating. That will cause an uproar with long-term fans. I'm in that group. It serves a better purpose for our students to have the seats. We need a better homecourt advantage. This is a relatively easy fix for your program.

e We have been told of long-term plans to build a new arena. I've seen some nice renditions to give some idea of its appearance. For basketball fans, it might be better to set a date for the groundbreaking, and perhaps find a major corporate sponsor to help defray building costs. Had we done this two decades ago we might have a top ten program? I understand the costs. I understand that football drives the influx of money. I know I get sick to my stomach walking into the Auburn arena and knowing how much better they are now. There are other are other reasons make the Tigers a good team.
If Alabama wants to risk playing second fiddle to AU in hoops in the future can stay in Coleman and keep going to the paint store. Or we can take a chance that it launches Alabama into the next level of college Hoops. The decision is above my pay grade. Alabama has everything it needs to make top ten hoops a reality. In the end, it is about getting good players. We need to give our basketball coaches everything they need to do that.

*Erwin Dudley is still playing in Turkey.

TIDE WINS 2 of 3 IN CHARLESTON CLASSIC

2018-11-19T10:38:00.001-08:00

TIDE TURNS RED-HOT FROM THE FREE-THROW LINE...

Bama didn't win the Charleston Classic. They did, however, win a lot of Tide fans with two great performances against Ball State and Wichita State. After a zombie-like performance against Northeastern, Avery Johnson got the attention of his team. Believe it or not, the Tide iced the game against Wichita State with clutch free throw shooting. When you make 31 of 34 freebies you are going to win a lot of games. That performance raised the team season's free throw percentage to a nice 73%. Kira Lewis was 11-11 and Alex Reese was 9-10. It is almost like 'Bama had a consultant to talk with about shooting free-throws. Making some freebies builds confidence. A chink in Alabama's game seems to be on the road to recovery.

In the past two games, the Crimson Tide has been shown some real chemistry on the offensive end of the floor. John Petty has had two nice shooting nights from downtown Freddie Brown* territory. He wants to ball. That is a good sign. Petty is long and once he goes up no one can block his shot. These games were not true road games, but they weren't at home either. Kira Lewis drilled a three-point shot when Wichita State was making a run.

The Reece Piece...

Alex Reese played only three minutes against Ball State. If 'Bama was going to use an eight-person rotation, Reese looked like he was the odd man out. He played just 9 minutes against Northeastern. Perhaps the additional pine time caused Reese to think about his career at Alabama. Whatever happened, Reese turned into a huge asset against the 'Shockers. Reese wasn't the only breakout player in the Charleston Classic

Big Mack Attack...

Tevin Mack nailed 5 fo 9 three-pointers against Ball State. Mack proved he could indeed go home again. The South Carolina native got back some of his Texas Mojo to lead the Tide to their win over Ball State. Mack averaged over 15 points a game with the Longhorns. Alabama would love to have similar numbers from the forward. Sure, he has some rust on his game. He hasn't really played in 18 months but you can see the talent with his outside shooting and his slashing drives to the basketball. A defense has to cover the outside threat only to see Mack drive inside the paint. He should be back to his old self by the start of the SEC.

And a Child shall lead them...

When I was 17 going on 18 about the only things that concerned me was would my Pop let me use the car on Friday nights. Kira Lewis, Jr. should be a senior in his school. Instead, he "reclassified" and became the starting point guard for the Crimson Tide. That took a lot of courage. Lewis has shown the same courage on the floor leading the Tide to 4 wins in 5 games. He's done this with no offseason weight training or big-time competition. He is perfect from the free throw line, rebounds, and is a deadly shooter. He can shoot from beyond the arc and drive the basket. He handles a fast break with skill. Can he end up better than Sexton? He will be a different kind of great. Kira is Kira and any team in the nation would have been happy to have him. It is unlikely he will go to the NBA. One more season might make him a first-round draft choice. If 'Bama could convince him it is in the best interest to play for three seasons it would be great. Of course, I doubt it would be in best season. Kira the quick is quite a player. When he gets some experience other SEC teams will understand why every team in the SEC, ACC, Big Twelve, and Pac 12 wanted him

Not so Petty anymore...
John Petty was highly recruited. Some recruiting gurus had him a five-star prospect. It really doesn't matter. Last season he was as hot as a pepper patch. Other times he was the next ice age. Johnson wanted some consistency and other roles to play. This season he runs the break with the ball, rebounds like a post player, and is a dynamic shooter. When Petty is set to shoot he is deadly. He is going to get better. Sophomore seasons are the time when most players have their biggest jump in performance. I see no reason to believe he is different. The main thing I see is a player who wants the ball and wants to make a big difference. He reminds me of an old friend name Latrell Sprewell.

Upcoming...

Alabama takes on Murray State next Monday. The Racers are the defending champions of the Ohio Valley Conference last year. They were the regular season champions and winner of the OVC post-season Championship. The Racers were 26-6 and earned a berth into the NCAA National Championship Tournament. The lost in the First Round to West Virginia.

Murray State was picked to finish second in the OVC behind Belmont. The media experts gave Belmont six votes to 5 votes for Murray State. The Racers are not some cupcake team the Tide can take lightly. I expect a close game.

* Freddie Brown play 13 seasons with Seattle. He was a red-hot outside shooter. He got his nickname in high school from an opposing coach who bragged about his outside shooting.

Bama looked pretty inept against Northeastern...

2018-11-16T06:38:00.004-08:00

What did we learn in Bama's first three games?

Johnson needs some shooters

Okay, I buckled up for season one. Alabama got an NIT bid. It was a one and done deal. I buckled up for season two. The NIT asked Bama back, and it was one game and gone. Then fans buckled up for season three. Honestly, a lot of fans buckled up for Collin Sexton. Alabama finished strong and made it to the NCAA. It was another one and done deal, when 'Bama got bumped after one win. It was progress for the Tide. With Sexton gone followers wondered how good the would be. I laughed out loud when some fans said the Tide would be better without Sexton. How could any team be better without Sexton?

Season four was upon the Tide hoops nation. I can't remember exactly what number of wins I picked prior to the season's first game. I think it was around 18 or so. I have to wonder if that was optimistic. The Tide got thumped by Northeastern 68-52. It was a complete beat down. Alabama was not competitive in any phase of the game. The inside game was non-existent. The outside shooting was laughable, except no one was laughing. Is this a trend or, was this all just a bad shooting night? Every team has bad shooting nights.

After watching the Tide's first three games it is becoming clear that this Alabama may have some long-term shooting problems. John Petty is a good shooter but the word "road" means he can't drop a ball off the end of a pier and hit the water. Herb Jones is still playing hard-nosed defense, but his offense leaves a lot to be desired. Dazon Ingram seems lost at times. Alabama couldn't get the ball inside to Don'ta Hall. Tevin Mack needs to step it up and score like he did at Texas. It might be "rust" from not playing for a season.

Here is the sad truth about Alabama at this stage in the season - their best player is a 17-year-old kid who should still be in high school. My own belief is that Avery Johnson plays too many players in whatever his rotation might be. It reminds me more of hockey lines changing on the fly. The more you have in a rotation the harder it is to find chemistry. Jack Nicklaus said that good putting covers up a multitude of sins. The same is true for good shooting. If Alabama shoots better fans believe they are playing better. That isn't always true. Right now, the Crimson Tide isn't shooting well and frankly, they aren't playing well. For the first time since Avery Johnson arrived at Alabama, I wondered about his coaching. I am getting emails asking me about whether he is a good coach. He is a good coach. I'll get some criticism by saying the problem is recruiting. The Tide gets some good players. They got a great player. Some of their current players will get better. Alabama doesn't have a player who can strike fear into opposing teams. In today's game, you have to have some outside shooters. Johnson is caught in the modern dilemma that all coaches face. Do I try to recruit players who can leave after a year or two, or do I use the Gonzaga model? The Zags get players who hang around for four or five years. This means player development is important and they build consistent cohesion.

I think the question of whether Alabama is better without Sexton has been answered. Fans will now move on to the next question. Would Alabama be better off without Johnson? It is a fair question. I think he may coach himself out of this slow start, but this isn't going to be a banner year. If you want to know what is wrong with this team you need only look at the Tide's three new players. All hang their hats on great shooting. What Bama needs right now are a couple of players who can light it up from the outside. This is year four of the Johnson era. Fans will not be happy if the Tide doesn't make the NCAA, and they should be. Alabama has more money than any college team. The Tide still plays in a second-rate arena. I question Alabama's desire to have a great hoops program. If Alabama can hire a Nick Saban it means they can hire a Coach K type if the need arises. Don't get me wrong. I love Avery Johnson. His charisma is infectious. He makes me want to play again. I need to find a reason to buckle up.

Here's what I have learned so far this season

Kira Lewis, Jr. is the real deal. He will get better, and when has some NCAA experience he will be a load for other teams
Petty is playing hard. He is rebounding and can run the floor. He needs to keep shooting. They will fall.
Alabama's offense is standing around and not moving.
Teams will zone the Tide until shots start to fall.
Hall can help inside if he can get the ball.
Johnson is playing far too many players to find chemistry. I am not sure what he is looking for.
Bama is playing decent defense and it will become more important for this season.
Alabama enters season four with no real proven outside shooter except Petty. How did that happen?
Alabama's players are competive and are givng great effort. Don't knock the effort.

And from Alcrtide:

Good write-up Bill. Agree with most of what you say, but they didn't play hard alcrtide 2018-11-16 09:45:23

yesterday. And the part where you talk about too much standing around on offense - movement is effort, and they aren't moving so they aren't giving enough effort.

I think after CAJ lost to Nova in the NCAA tourney he saw he needed shooters and went out and signed three good ones. I am afraid the sad reality is this program is not going to greatly improve until the players that aren't good shooters graduate and the good shooters arrive.

You are dead-on that our best player is Kira Lewis. Last year it was Sexton. CAJ can evaluate talent and recruit, and there is no reason we can't be successful going forward if CAJ can develop them and get good rotations and team chemistry on the floor.

The fact we have a player or two that think they are ready for the NBA after this season says a lot. I noticed Petty is #23 and we signed Jalen Forbes, who is shown in a Bama uniform wearing #23. Petty is not ready - the NBA plays 41 road games - and if he can't hit his shots on the road in college I don't know why he thinks he can score on the road in the NBA. The fact we are still trying to sign one more tells us someone is leaving. Maybe Petty, maybe Giddens who is a 4th year junior.

We agree on the problem of rotation and floor chemistry. I would get this down to 8 players and build the team around them:

Lewis, Petty, Jones, Hall, Smith, Mack, Reese and Ingram.

I don't know how you can put Hall, Jones, Ingram and Smith on the floor at the same time - who is going to make outside shots except Lewis or Petty? You need at least 2 good shooters on the floor at the same time. Unless we go big to match the size of opposing teams, or for brief spurts - I would not play Hall and Smith at the same time. You also can't play Ingram and Jones at the same time unless you have a lead and are trying to lock down a team defensively. They are both good defensively and very good rebounders, but neither is a good scorer. I would play a lot more of Mack and Reese with Lewis, Petty, Jones and Hall. I would substitute so that we don't put too many players who have trouble shooting and scoring on the floor at the same time.

I think we will still have a good season, we'll see. I hope so, but everyone else in the SEC is improving too.

The One and Done Rule needs to say goodnight...

2018-10-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

Want to end corruption in college basketball?

It is time to end the charade of insisting that a young man play one year of college basketball before playing professionally. The rule prohibiting a player from going straight to the NBA from high school is not only unconstitutional but is tearing the heart and soul out of college basketball. Why do I say that? Let´s discuss the constitutional aspects first. Why should anyone have the right to demand an American citizen to suffer the loss of millions of dollars of income to satisfy the demands of the NCAA and NBA Players Association. The student-athletes are not part of a collective bargaining. The NCAA wants to maintain their plantation mentality. Both parties are intent on keeping the status quo despite some lip service to the contrary. The Player´s association wants to control the influx of players into the league. The NCAA wants to keep a de facto professional league on the floor. The player provides the talent. Without the talent, the NCAA can´t provide the product to make an insane amount of money for the member institutions.

I know that some argument might be offered to convince us that 18-year-olds do not have the emotional and physical demands to enter the adult world of the NBA. The young men in today´s world more mature today than they were in the previous generation. Exhibit A to prove that belief is Lebron James. If young men can fight and die in wars for America, surely our nation owes them unfettered access to a livelihood. I listened to a radio broadcast regarding the shame that coaches and players have brought amateur sports. The hypocrisy of that belief is apparent. The fans and the NCAA want a good product. They want it for free. College sports are the epitome of capitalism - increase demand, protect the brand, and keep labor to the lowest possible price.

If the NCAA wants to reduce the amount of ¨cheating¨ then the one and done rule needs to be abolished. Eliminating the one and done will help control an out of control AAU. How ironic that AAU purports to be about amateur sports. I believe the AAU is breeding grounds of corruption on so many levels it is impossible to name all of them.

The agent situation skyrocketed after the Cam Newton ruling by the NCAA. Newton said he knew nothing of his father´s dealing with various NCAA member institutions. Most people felt that Newton got away with what would have been others led to major sanctions. Who knows? Perhaps Newton did not know. It has opened the door to an affirmative defense of ¨Uh, I didn´t know.¨ Auburn´s case regarding an assistant coach is clear - an assistant coach knew what was going on. That should mean if Alabama didn´t know about Collin´s taking money they should be clear. Cheating will never end. We can lessen the severity of the cheating by ridding ourselves of the one and done.

One other suggestion that might help - if a school signs a one and done player they lose that scholarship for the next season. If a school signs three one and done athletes they lose three Scholarships the following years. Harsh? I don´t think so if we want amateurs back in the game. The hypocrisy of member institutions make millions of dollars and pretending to be upset when a kid gets some cash or an automobile doesn´t pass the sniff test. I rest my case.

'bama stomps the gators

2018-02-04T17:21:00.002-08:00

the ups and downs of tide hoops...

Ingram scores
compliments USA Today

A week in college basketball is an eternity. In one week a team can go from the top of the world to the bottom of the heap. It works the other way as well. Exhibit # 1 - The Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tide was on the top of the world after beating Oklahoma. The Tide returned to Tuscaloosa to be thoroughly embarrassed by Missouri. It was as if the quest for an NCAA berth was lost. The Tide then flew for a game with Florida. No way the Crimson should beat the Gators. Low and behold, Alabama annihilated Florida by almost 20. The roller-coaster goes up and then it goes down. Up and down seems to the only consistency the Tide can muster. Today, the Tide is once again on the top in a maddening pursuit to make it to the NCAA Field of 64, If you like yo-yos, you will love being a 'Bama fans this season. Is Alabama ready to make a late-season move? Stay tuned.

Tide starts slow and finishes in a sprint...

Tide needs Key down the stretch

Common basketball logic dictates the first five minutes of a game is uber important to a road team. Against the Gators, the first five and then the second five minutes were not kind to Alabama. The Tide had far too many turnovers. 14 in a game is too many. 14 in the first half alone is atrocious. Somehow Alabama was down only 6 points. Six points were no guarantee of a win, but at least the Tide had not let the horse out of the barn. The second ten minutes of half one was an improvement. Florida was in the lead, but not in control. Alabama was shooting a light's out percentage but they were turning the ball over so much, they couldn't make enough baskets to take the lead. That was about to change.

Alabama captured the lead early in the second half by scoring the first eight points in the second half. The Tide played a tremendous second half. Sexton, Ingram, and Hall, in particular, turned mean. Hall dominated the inside, Ingram played the role of the steady hand, and Sexton was, well... he was Sexton. Key helped inside. Jones played some hard-nosed defense. All in all, the Tide, looked like a very good team, perhaps an NCAA head team, in whipping the hide off the Gators on their own home floor. The final score was 68-50. That is an outstanding effort. To beat the 23rd ranked team on their home floor got Bama back in the NCAA Tournament picture. Now what?

One tough closing schedule...

Sexton scores against Gators

The coming games for 'Bama are a double-edged sword. Tough teams with good records are coming up. I think that Alabama needs to win their last four home games. That would include Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, and LSU. Those games are important and on the surface, you would think that the Tide can hold serve. They failed to do so with Missouri and the up and down nature of the team makes everyone nervous. For argument's sake, let's assume the Crimson and White wins those four home games. Now let's throw in a road win. I'd suggest that the State game is a possibility. Nothing is set in stone on the road. I'm not sure that anything is set in stone in the SEC anymore. The Texas A&M is possibly a win because the Tide matches up well with the Aggies. Kentucky? They've lost a lot of games, but Lexington is tough. Auburn? It has been a magical year for the Tigers. A 20 win season prior to the SEC Tournament is possible. Throw in a couple of SEC Tournament wins and the Tide is looking a good seed.

Some bad losses:

Alabama has four very bad losses. Minnesota, Vandy, Ole Miss, and UCF are on the books. All the Tide can is that these teams win some games down the line. Georgia is a marginal loss, and some critical thinking might lead you to believe the NCAA Selection Committee will look at Minnesota as an outlier. Finish strong is a big deal to the Selection Committee. Whether a team that has not shown a lot of consistency, it remains unknown exactly what will happen.

Thirty-second timeout:

Opponent: MState University

Where - Starkville,
When - Tuesday - 2/7/18

Time - 6:00 PM (cst)

Network: SECN

The starting lineups -

C. Sexton	18.7	3.4	3.7
J. Petty	11.0	2.0	2.3
D. Hall	10.9	0.6	7.0
D. Ingram	10.8	3.0	6.3
B. Key	6.1	2.4	5.2

	Pts	Ast	Reb
Q. Weatherspoon	15.0	4.0	6.0
A. Holman	11.4	0.6	7.0
N. Weatherspoon	10.8	2.2	3.0
T. Carter	9.0	1.6	2.1
L. Peters	8.2	3.6	2.0

2018-01-24T15:37:00.002-08:00

not ready for prime time...

John Wooden, the Hall of Fame Coach (as well HOF Purdue player) once laid out the steps to know when you have become a successful program. They were as follows:

1. Win as many home games as possible. Any games won on the road are a bonus.
2. Win as many home games as possible and try to steal a game or two on the road
3. Win all your home games and win half of your road games.
4. Win all your home games and win all your road games.

That was the game plan for the Wizard of Westwood and he pulled it off. To hit the lofty level four is a tremendous accomplishment. Bama is still stuck in level two. We are certainly winning a lot of home games, not all, and the road is killing the Tide. 'Bama has won one SEC Game this season and that is not acceptable for the progress of your program. The Tide has some nice wins. Wins over Rhode Island and Auburn were nice wins. When your league road record starts with the number one you are not yet a bonafide NCAA Tournament team. Losing to the two worst teams in the SEC is not very spiffy on a resume.

Bama has road games at Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Auburn remaining. That sounds pretty much like 0-4 to this writer. If Alabama won all their remaining home games including Oklahoma the Tide might get a bid. It would help to get a couple of SEC Tournament wins as well. After last night, I am not holding my breath for that two happen. Why? I honestly don't know. Youth hurts. But there seems to be a lot of inconsistency on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

Let's go back in time to January 4, 1955. George Linn, a wonderful forward, who starred for Bama, unleashed an 84 foot, 1l-inch shot that found the nylon in Foster Auditorium. I was seven years old, and though it was not my first Alabama game. It was the first game I actually remember. That shot was the longest in NCAA history for quite a while. If you attended the Capstone you know where x marks the spot. I still don't understand how he made that shot. Foster was not high-shot friendly. The reason I bring this up is that up is to give you the idea this isn't my first rodeo regarding Tide hoops.

   I've seen the Rocket Eight and the players who made Alabama an SEC Power. Johnny Dee must have been a hell of coach, not that my conscious stream would have understood that at the time. It is a shame those teams were denied the opportunity to play in the NCAA or NIT. Racial hatred was alive and well in those days, and I'm being to believe it still is. We went through tough times with Coach Riley. Basketball coaching his time was a secondary job. Finally, Paul Bryant decided to make hoops important. I am not going to go into long detail about what happened after that. I will say that Alabama was the best team in the nation in 1976. The 1987 team could have won the national championship as well. This all ended the day that Hootie Ingram fired Wimp Sanderson. Alabama basketball has never been the same. It was in place to win big with Sanderson. Alabama's AD made a statement that the University would support football only. There has been some moderate success after that. One Elite appearance was the highlight of Gottfried. Grant inherited a mess. He cleaned up the program but could not win big.

Next comes Johnson. It seems like things are better. Hope abounds. Does his record sustain that hope? You be the judge. I have seen a lot of games between 1955 and today. I really can't tell you what is wrong with this team. 13-7 is average at best. We have played a lot of good teams. Arizona, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Auburn come to mind. Next is Oklahoma. Losses to teams of that caliber are understandable. When you lose to a dog Ole Miss team, and a horrible Vandy team something is amiss. There are enough games left to turn the ship around. I hope we don't look back and see our lackluster play against a team like UCF killed us. Something is missing. The frequent lineup changes tells me that Johnson is puzzled as well. A win this weekend could springboard us. A loss might kill us.

   I am not trying to wax poetic with this trip down memory lane. I am trying to be realistic. Will Alabama ever be a major force in SEC basketball. I don't know. I think the remainder of this season will have huge impact on the future of our program.

2018-01-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

TIDE HOLDS ON TO BEAT MSU 68-62
Key leading scorer for 'Bama

Key grabs key rebound late

Alabama played the best half I have seen from a Tide basketball team in a long time. Roaring out of the gate, the Tie looked like a fine-tuned Maserati. The ball movement impressive. The rebounding was dominant, and the defense was overwhelming. All that added up to a dominant 19 point lead over the Bulldogs. It seemed as though Avery Johnson had finally put on the floor what he was teaching in practice. The cherries on the top? How about Brandon Key being the leading scorer and pulling down big time rebounds? How about Collin Sexton sitting on the bench and the Tide playing it's best half? How about John throwing MeadowLark Lemons passes? Finally, how about the Tide never giving up its lead even when it appeared they might lose?

There was a ton of good things about what the Tide did on Saturday night. They won when they might have lost. Johnson told his team to relax and have confidence when the wheels were coming off the wagon. When it mattered most, the Crimson Tide show the courage of a champion. The team is now 13-6. that could easily be a lot better, but perhaps Alabama is about to make a move to greatness. The remaining schedule will give them a chance to show the basketball world they are back.

TIDE FACES A BRUTAL SCHEDULE

Alabama hits Oxford for a road game with Ole Miss on the 23rd. A road win is big time stuff in the SEC. Huge game for 'Bama no doubt. Then it's Trae Young and the Oklahoma Sooners in T-Town. No need for me to explain the importance of the Big 12 Bully Boy. Alabama returns to Coleman for a matchup with Missouri. I think I'd take the two season wins over a win against Oklahoma. I think the Tide wins 2 of the last 3 games. If 'Bama wins at Ole Miss, I'm picking the Tide to win all 3 of the remaining January games.That would move 'Bama to 16-6. The RPI is likely to be in the top 20. Happy days are here again, at least for a while. Then it's February, the time of finality for a lot of hopeful NCAA teams and the Big Dance. Alabama has games with Florida (2), Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, State, and Mississippi State. Bama isn't likely to win all of those games. How about winning half those games? Tide fans will likely see an NCAA that way. Bama finishes the season with a road game in College Station. That is a total of 12 games. Seven wins should get us in the Big Dance. A couple of wins in the SEC Tournament would give us a better seed in the field of 64.

PROJECTED FINISH TO REGULAR SEASON: 20-12

NCAA PROJECTED SEED: 7

PROJECTED FINISH PRIOR TO NCAA BIDS: 22-13

TIDE ROLLS OVER AUBURN 76-71

2018-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Petty and Jones lead the Tide...
Ingram holds the point after Sexton injury...

Bill Ellis

Auburn roared into Coleman Coliseum like a Tiger. They left like a lamb. The Crimson Tide beat the Aubies 76-71. John Petty, behind 8-13 three-point shooting, and Herbert Jones who took a magical mystery tour with an all-around splendid performance killed the 14 game winning streak held by Bruce Pearl's team. And, Collin Sexton didn't play due to an abdominal injury. Don'ta Hall played and threw his weight around. When you play without your leading scorer and floor general bad things can happen. Auburn may have decided that the Tide could not have beaten them without Sexton and Hall. That seems logical. Basketball is not always a logical game, is it? Games are not played on paper. They have to take to the hardwood. This was going to be a game all of us long remember.

A lot has been written about John Petty and his eight three-point explosions (five in the second half). Jones started and Johnson moved Dazon Ingram back to the point with Sexton's absence. The Tide surprised the SEC basketball world by beating the high scoring Tigers. What hasn't been written is the lock-down defense, particularly on the perimeter, that killed Auburn's offense. The Tide also won the battle of boards. The first half may have a little shaky on offense, but the defense held Auburn to 33 points. The Tide trailed by only three and you could feel a Tide victory.

Key pulled down nine boards.

In the second half, the Tide found an offensive groove and jumped out to a double-digit lead. The Tigers cut it to four but free-throw shooting sealed the victory for 'Bama. The Tide's free-throw percentage was low, but made the ones that counted most. Ingram steadied his nerves and made some big ones. Auburn had a chance to knot the score at 74, but pressing 'Bama defense caused a Tiger miscue. The Tide then hit two more free throws and it was over. 'Bama had clinched a RPI building win over the Tigers.

A word about Dazon Ingram. He had a rough night scoring but he ran the point to perfection in the second half. I also thought a couple of his missed shots he was fouled. He got a couple of charges that were bad calls. So, what else is new? Official miss calls and the charge/block call is perhaps the toughest call for a ref to make. Still, in watching the game it was clear that both Herbert Jones and Dazon Ingram caught some bad calls.

Player of the Game: John Petty
Defensive player of the game: Herbert Jones
MVP of the game: Tide Defense

RPI: 24-26

'BAMA NEEDS A WIN OVER AUBIE...

2018-01-17T07:07:00.001-08:00

You have to give Bruce Pearl credit

Alabama stole all the Preseason press. Auburn is stealing the season. Like it or not, we have to acknowledge Auburn's play. Yes, Bruce Pearl can coach. He can also recruit. Unless you keep up with basketball recruiting Auburn's success might seem like a surprise. No surprise to me. The Tigers have won 14 consecutive games. Tonight, Alabama is a 2.5 dog on their own home floor. Granted, Don'ta Hall will not play if what newspapers around the State have reported is correct. Guess which team has the four-game winning streak? 'Bama has had their share of injuries. The Tigers are currently 16-1. Alabama isn't. And the Tigers have done this without the two best players.

By any stretch of the imagination, the Tide has disappointed their fans so far. It seems downright bizarre that Auburn University seems to be a basketball "power". I think the AD needs to pay close attention to how that happened. There are two reasons. First, Auburn took a chance on a disgraced head coach. Before that, they built a great basketball facility. You can add the shady recruiting, FBI investigations, and whatever you believe is true. Throw in the sweat hog frivolity. Pearl thrives on such descriptions. The truth is that Alabama hasn't made the same commitment as Auburn. The Tide hired the coach but hasn't built a proper modern day facility. The worst school in SEC hoops made a decision to become a better program. Alabama, which had a great program, accepted the status quo. In a sense, the powers in the boardroom said: "Alabama is a football power and we collectively think that will propel the basketball program." It just doesn't work that way in my opinion. A program like Duke made its playing floor a cherished part of their tradition. Auburn had little history of success but built a showcase facility. Alabama built the worlds biggest Quonset hut and proclaimed that the hoops program would play where Elton John once performed. Kudos the Johnson for being able to put the five-star players on the floor along with three four-star players.

I don't think Pearl is a better coach than Johnson. He has more collegiate experience and that gives him an edge right now. Johnson is struggling with finding a steady number two scorer. Auburn has players in double figures. The Tigers have found the ability to share the wealth. Alabama is still looking. I think the Tide will get there. Getting there is different from being there. Can 'Bama win tonight? You betcha. A full house in the hut will help. 'Bama seems to have solved their free throw shooting problem. The Tide is rebounding better. The Crimson and White have even shown hints of shooting better. I'd even dare to pick Bama without Hall. Buckle up. Tonight could be a doozy. But don't bet the ranch.

'Bama nears a Crucible in the NCAA

2018-01-15T12:30:00.002-08:00

Five games may define the Tide this season...

Sexton needs to increase his assists...

Let's recap some games after the road win against LSU. 'Bama had a big road win over Memphis. Road wins are special. Even against 12-6 teams. Will the win over Memphis help Alabama? Yes, it was a road win. The Tigers are not a great team but they are a good team. I looked at there schedule. Memphis looks good for 17 or 18 wins. If the Tigers can increase that number to 20 it will be a great win. Chance of 20n wins? I rate as 40-60%. Any wins over 18 are good for the Tide.

'Bama over Texas A&M? Big win, and as the Aggies get some players back in their lineup it means more wins, with some against heavy hitters. That helps the Tide in many ways. A&M was # 5 in the country when the Crimson decapitated them. Will the Committee remember that? Yes, they will. How much? It depends on how A&M finishes..

WILL TIDE MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT?

2018-01-07T16:20:00.002-08:00

A RUDE AWAKENING ...

A lot of writers writers warned Alabama basketball fans about unrealistic expectations with the year's team. Hope springs eternal until it doesn't. A lot or Alabama basketball followers have lost hope. Is that as unreasonable as expecting a 25 win season? I believe it is. So what should we expect? I think a 20 win season would be a good year. It might get Alabama into the NCAA field. No doubt the Tide will have to up their game to win twenty now. Take a look at remaining schedule. I think it is possible the Tide might win 11 more games, and have nice run in the SEC. That might be enough or at least home games in the NIT. Don't blame the team or the coach for not living up to our hopes. Reality doesn't work that way. We start two freshman. Sexton is different but Petty is up an down.

In the last three games the Tide has lost to Vandy and Georgia. I thought Georgia was better than Alabama in my re-season picks. They sure looked it when they eviscerated 'Bama on Saturday morning. No doubt about, that game will be the worse game I have ever witnessed. It was a dead dog whipping. The team better get focused or we all know where the Tide will end up. Can 'Bama turn it around? The team has some problems. You don't shoot 29% and lose the boards by almost 20 and expect you could win. Dazon Ingram didn't play in the Georgia game. That hurt, but he wasn't the difference.

Here are some issues 'Bama has now:

1. Alabama is not a bad shooting team. The team works hard to get good looks. The just aren't making anything from the field. Not a single player is shooting 40% from the arc. That won't cut it in the SEC. We win when we shoot and make a few from downtown. So that leads us into another.

2. Johnson has proved he can recruit. What he has failed to do is find a pure shooter. How good would this team be with one Mathew Fisher-Davis type shooter. I'd go one step further and say we need two. Kudos to John Petty for some great games. We know that Ar'mond Davis hasn't played and showed sign of living up to a great JUCO career. Petty is up and down. Most outside shooters are always that way. You can recruit two-five star players and some work out and some will not.

3. We don't control the boards. Let's face it - we need to rebound better. Hall is only hauling down 7.2 boards a game. Our second leading rebounder is Ingram he is basically a two guard. He is a hard nosed player. How worried was Avery about the rebounding. He started both Hall and Giddens. What did that bring the Tide? Not much. It did kill the run and gun offense.

4. Johnson is still growing as a collegiate head coach. He didn't have the players to compete last season and the Tide was able to make the NIT. The loss of Riley Norris, Ar'mond Davis, and Brandon Key hurt. Norris was a great player to be a sixth man. He understood basketball. Davis brought good outside shooting and show he could play in the paint the second half last season. Key was the go-to man last year. The loss of Key was important. Then after sitting the early part of the season and being played into game shape hurt the Tide. Johnson had to do that. He had no choice in my opinion. The Tide will be much better as Key gets the rust off his game.

5. Here is an issue that effects the team. When fans start talking badly about the team and his coaching, it brings a certain attitude. Players press. Coaching worry about the future. I think Johnson is probably experienced enough not to listen to whiners. I believe that most casual fans do not understand how fan attitude effects the players. It also can hurt recruiting.

6. Collin Sexton has been as billed. He is the leading scorer in the SEC, and will be a lock for lst-Team All-SEC. He will get some votes for All-American as well. If 'Bama starts winning games it will Sexton a lot more attention. That seems unfair that he could be lost in the shuffle, but that is what happens in basketball. I never have believed that a one and done player is good for the program. It may be feast or starvation in the future. We are not Kentucky.

7. One and done is a risky business. Sexton is gone. Petty should stay to get a higher draft status next season. I hope he listens the draft reports he will get from the NBA. One thing that will hurt Petty is a lack of physical strength. He also looks lost on defense at times. Freshman do that. Alabama

8. Herb Jones more PT in opinion. He is a good rebounder. More than solid on defense and he knows how to draw charges. Give him about six thousand calories a day and a tough weight program will make him an ALL-SEC type player.

9. Could Lawson Schaffer help the offense. He sure could. Whether his defense stands up is the only question. Galin Smith needs some playing time. He is going to be a good player. Alex Reese is big, strong, and a deadly shooter. Give him a few minutes.

10. The main thing this team lacks is chemistry. You can't buy it, and you can't coach it. That is the real reason the Tide has not won more games. If you watched the Georgia game you understand. If 'Bama starts to run they improve. You should shut the game on a thoroughbred.

2017-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Tide faces a must-win game tonight
A&M is a slight favorite...

I've always hated the term must-win. It seems so dramatic and overstated. Tonight the unranked Crimson Tide hosts the Aggies of Texas A&M that might actually fall into that category. As much as I hate to say must-win Tide has lost two home games. A third home loss wouldn't be the end of the world or would it? We can look at today's game in two ways. We are not playing well and the best team we play will hit the hardwood tonight. That is a recipe for disaster. That is one way to view the game tonight Johnson is not worried about A&M. He is concerned about his own team. So what can you say that favors the Tide in tonight's tip-off? How about we have a great opportunity to beat the 5th rated team in the nation which will be without their top scorer. We catch them in Tuscaloosa. And a win would be a great catalyst to get the SEC season off to a tsunami-start. Take your pick. There isn't much else to consider today.

It can't be that time of the year, can it? It is still December and monumental games can't be this early can they? The can if you have taken a couple of home court losses. Both A&M and 'Bama have excellent RPI's at this time. Bama is 33rd and A&M checks in at #8. A&M has a strength of schedule of 48. The Tide is much better at 11th. Each of those numbers tells me that both teams are in the NCAA field right now. 'Bama is on the edge looking in or hanging on not to fall out of the field. The Aggies will still be a top 10 team win or lose today. Bama should regain a spot in the AP top 25. The poll means nothing. It is all about the Selection Committee looking at numbers. Teams have to pass the eye test but it is namely about stats in today's world. That is why a third home floor loss could be detrimental.

D.J. Hogg, the Aggie's leading scorer is suspended for tonight's game. He was the leading scorer for Texas A&M. Savion Flagg, who has been Freshman of the Week for his last two games will likely take his place.Flagg has averaged over 17 points in the last two games. TAM is number 5 in one and number 6 in another. The Aggies are big and very physical. I'm sure that Johnson is going to start Key and his biggest role tonight is to rebound the ball.

Alabama has enough talent plus a home court advantage to win this game. Will they? It is really hard to say. The Tide has lost 4 games. One was a bizarre game with Minnesota. If you want to know how good Mo Bambo really is, go to Youtube and watch him dismantle the inside Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas made 17 three-points to win that game. The Tide lost a stinker Central Florida on their home floor. That loss hurt. The Tide has lost three of their last five games. No shame in losing to Arizona. A lot of teams will. Then Texas dropped a bomb on the Tide which showed some interior weakness and a lack of ball movement. It also might serve as a blueprint on how to beat the Tide. The Longhorns double teamed Collin Sexton. John Petty answered the bell, but other Tide players didn't show up that night.

I hope the Tide wins. Logic says it is A&M. I think the home court advantage and the lose of Hogg gives Crimson and White a chance. The Tide by 2.

2017-12-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

'BAMA NEEDS GOOD START TO SEC ...

Tide needs Key to settle down and just play

Johnson needs to win this one.

I think it is a fair statement to say there has been a lot of disappointment registered by Tide fans over Bama's pre-season SEC finish. Whether or not that disappointment is warranted remains to be seen. Expectations were too high, to begin with. I'd like to suggest that all of our fans might be better served with supporting the program and giving it additional time to succeed. Johnson has some tough decisions to make in the next two weeks. The main decision is how long do you stick with Braxton Key to come around after his knee surgery? I'm not knocking Key. For those of us who have suffered knee surgery, it is quite clear that not everyone gets back to 100%. With Key, it appears that he is physically well, but seems to be trying too hard. I am sure the coaches are telling him that you have to let the game come to you. You can't press it to happen. Basketball is the ultimate sport of action and reaction. There is a fine balance between forcing the issue and controlling the issue of better play. One thing that makes me believe that Key will come around is that his fundamentals are solid. Solid fundamentals always help in your game.

Are the returning players having a hard time with the new game?

One additional thing we should keep in mind regarding all the returning players from last season. They all played in an offense last year that was about as fast as molasses on a cold day. Now, they are being asked to run a fast-paced run and gun game. I think that all of our players from last year are having some trouble in finding exactly how they fit in. Our freshman learned the new offense from the start. All of our returning players are going to get better once they adapt to the speed of what Johnson wants them to do.

Time for Key to break out

We have some tremendous upsides. We also have some weaknesses that are easily recognized. One, we are still not solid in defending the interior. The effort is there as soon as Sexton and Petty understand that their perimeter defense sets that stage for what happens in the paint is dependant on what they do outside the quicker we improve. We are not shooting well despite getting good looks. We will have good nights and bad nights. That is the nature of the beast. A solid defense can help those poor shooting nights.

Only one loss that should have been a W?

If you look at the wins and losses it seems to me that the UCF game was only game we "should" have won. I would have picked Arizona and Texas to beat us anyway. I throw out Minnesota as an outlier due to the 5 on 3. That was a game we might have lost anyway. From a ranking viewpoint, the UCF game loss at home was pretty bad. Anytime you lose a home game it hurts. Texas was listed as a home game but in reality, it was a neutral site game in a lot of ways. That loss hurt us but will not keep us out of the NCAA if we finish well.

I picked us to be 9-3 at the break. 8-4 is not bad, and the strength of schedule will back that up. What is troubling to me is the close wins against some teams. The Tide has as the 3rd toughest SOS in the NCAA. We all need to remember that. I was disappointed with how we won some games, but we still get to ink a W by those games. In the end, the Selection Committee is not going to remember how much a team wins games by. How much you lost by is what kills you. We finished very close to where we should be in terms of wins and losses.

A key game with Texas A&M...

Hogg may not play against the Tide

Alabama now opens SEC play with a game against Texas A&M. They are ranked as the #6 team in the latest poll. This is one of those games that might propel the Tide into a nice winning streak. Another home court loss might sting the Tide so much that they hit the skids. This might well be the biggest Avery Johnson game since he signed on with 'Bama. The Tide catches a break. D.J. Hogg, the Aggies leading scorer, will still be on a three-game suspension. A&M struggled with Buffalo in College Station for 3/4 of the game. The Aggies then put the New York team away. 86-73. It was one of those games where last minute fouls put A&M on the line to inflate the numbers.

Who gave the only loss in the twelve games they have played? Arizona, and by a similar score that the Wildcats beat the Tide. Will Alabama beat A&M? I don't know. They can beat the Aggies. To win the Tide must do three things.

1. break even or better on the boards.

2. keep turnovers down to a minimum

3. Shoot the three much better.

If the Tide can shoot the three around 45% they should win. If not, 8-4 becomes 9-5 and that will cause a lot of questions. It may or not be put up or shut up. A loss will not be NCAA fatal. But it makes you wonder just how good this team can be. I still think we will be fine, but I'd love to see the Tide pull off an upset here.

UPDATE: just got off the phone with a long time friend who is scouting for an NBA team. He told me that Sexton will be the first guard taken in the NBA draft. I asked him about Trae Young. Sexton and Young are the top two guards in college. Young is also a freshman and is a better shooter than Sexton. That is where the comparison stops. After that, Sexton is better in all regards.

Sexton gets the edge because he "may be the fastest guard I've ever seen." Speed is what separates Sexton from all other guards.

TIP OFF - SATURDAY THE 30TH AT 5 PM

2017-12-26T14:39:00.002-08:00

Alabama will be as good as Sexton and Key...

Some thoughts on 'Bama's offense...

Sexton needs some shooting help from team

The Alabama Crimson Tide is coming off a pre-SEC on a down. They are not, however, down and out. I wonder where the team might have been had Key not been hurt. The reason I say that is because Key will get well, put some WD-40 on his rusty game, and become the player he was last season. That is when Tide fans will know just how good they can be. Basketball is a sport where finishing on a high note will frequently get you into the NCAA Tournament. A fast start and a poor finish can keep you out of the field however.

Clearly, the team is at a fork in the road right now. Do they continue to play average ball, or do they seek redemption and become what they would like to be. So where does the team go from here?

1. First, keep in mind that even though the Tide lost to Texas good defense held the Longhorns to only 66 points. That will win most games for Alabama.

2. Johnson now has to make a definite decision about how he wants his offense to play. Does he still try for a modified run and shoot offense, or does he slow down pace. Seriously, this team was made to run, and even though they have sputtered in a few games it seems to me this is the way to go.

3. I would turn Collin Sexton loose to score each trip down the floor. He is so gifted (ask Minnesota) he will score a lot of points. He will draw so much attention he will be able to dish the ball off and the Tide is going to get a lot of wide open looks.

4. A lot of teams are going to double team Sexton. Texas did that, but keep in mind they had Mo Bomba to pick up the mistakes the perimeter defenders make. Bomba drew a lot of praise from the media (well deserved) but it was their two guards who shut down Sexton that won the game. Of course, Collin was injured and wasn't playing at full speed.

5. The defense must become more aggressive and cause some turnovers. Fouling has been a problem in the pre-season, but this team has 10 solid players. If Johnson chooses to keep 10 players off the pine he needs to turn his defense to press.

There isn't anything to keep the Tide from improving. Now they need to have a system, identify the players, and hope the team chemistry improves. In my last post I elaborated on this. This team has at least three players who will play in the league at some point. They might have four. They have at least three other players who will play professional ball somewhere.

If Johnson decides to run all the offense through Sexton is doesn't mean that team work is out the window. It just needs to be a different type of team work. This Tide teams needs to understand the most talent won't win all their games. Great team work will win a lot more than just physicality. I have a lot of faith in Avery Johnson. When Bama was searching for a head coach I wrote letters to the AD saying, "let's step up the program" by hiring Johnson. I think we are doing that. I'm giving Alabama an incomplete grade for their season so far. The final grade can't be judged just yet. We have played a very hard schedule thus far. It doesn't get any easier from this point forward. We will see if Johnson's pre-season gamble pays off. It will in my opinion.

Roll Tide and Happy New Year.

2017-12-25T09:16:00.005-08:00

The Tide is struggling, but ...

I'm not trying to be the Grinch who stole Christmas. This year's Alabama basketball team is not ready for prime time, at least not yet. More than anything, basketball is a sport which values team chemistry above everything else. The Tide has some dynamic talent. What they don't have is the ability to play together. I'm not sure a coach can do anything about that.

To date, the Alabama coach has tried to throw together every conceivable line up possible. The Tide has played 9 or 10 players in almost every game. So far none of those lineups have worked. Should we be surprised?

At the start of the season, some Tide fans tried to sound a note of caution about expectations. Lowered expectations is not something Alabama fans can deal with. I suggested on a couple of occasions that it was going to take four recruiting seasons to get things squared away on the floor. That only meant the talent level. You simply cannot predict chemistry.

Now our fans are starting to label this team as underachievers, or that Johnson cannot coach. I doubt either of those beliefs are true. First, Johnson is a good coach. The second thing we must keep in mind is that the Tide starts two pure freshmen, and despite what you might see on occasions, pure freshmen rarely deliver championships. The talent and coaching are present for a good plus season. So far we have proven to be a good minus team, however. The season can still be stellar. The SEC season looms and I am not sure there is one great team in the SEC. There are a lot of good ones.

If you look at teams that beat 'Bama a couple of things is pretty clear. If you cut the head off the snake (Collin Sexton) the rest dies. Sexton is a great player. Petty is a much better than the average player. I had a good conversation with the Dick Vitale on a layover in Atlanta once. That coach/commentator said something that has stuck with me. "You need three good players. You need an aircraft carrier on the inside, you need a great point guard, and you need a pure shooter from the perimeter." Vitale is not very popular in the Southeast. He has become more of a showman than coach these days. The man has a first-rate mind for coaching. If you apply that standard to Alabama what do you have? Don'ta Hall is doing a good job inside. Don't let his performance against Texas minimize his season thus far. A lot of players are going to struggle against Mo Bamba this year. I'd check off that position as more than solid. What about the point guard? Sexton is unbelievable. Not only can he score in a variety of ways, he is also very unselfish with the ball. Let's check that one off as solid. Does the Tide have a pure shooter from the arc? That is the area where the Tide may be missing a player so far. Shooters by their very nature are going to be streaky. Some nights a great shooter may stink the gym up. I think Petty is a good answer to position three, but after him, the outside shooting has been poor. I think 'Bama looked to get a lot more out of Riley Norris, and Dazon Ingram. Neither of those players has lit it up from downtown. I agree with Vital about his basketball trinity, although I'd add that you need two good outside shooters. Alabama needs to find a second great shooter.

You look around the nation and you see a lot of programs that survive and win on outside shooting. They may not have the best athletes, but they have a much need skill the Tide is lacking right now. If 'Bama has two outside shooters that could hit around 45% they might well be undefeated right now. Throw out the Minnesota game which was one of the greatest games I have ever seen. I've thought about that game a lot. Why did we score so well with just three players? That night it was the Collin Sexton show. The depleted Tide didn't need chemistry. They had Sexton. It was essentially a one-man show late in the game. It seems to me the Tide is stuck between letting Sexton run the show or try to get him to distribute the ball. I know what Johnson is thinking - I need to get Key ready for the SEC and take some lumps along the way. Right now the Tide is much better when Sexton penetrates to score. He is so good at driving the lane that he gets a lot of open three point looks himself. That should work for the outside shooters as well. So far there has been no positive consistency from the downtown. I had hoped the Tide would be ready for some fine tuning. It appears we can't get the car started at this point. But... we can.

Texas A&M is next up. The game will be in Tuscaloosa and A&M is a very good team. The Tide then hits the road for Vandy (always tough) and very improved Georgia team. Then its back home for the Gamecocks. I'd like to see the Tide start 3-1. I'm not holding my breath. It is more like keeping your fingers crossed. Merry Christmas

2017-08-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

ON THE ROAD AGAIN…

Today I am over in Mississippi talking with coaches, family members, and attempt to talk with some of Alabama’s recruits. I’ll have something to post very soon.

So far it looks good for Bama. Of the six I hope to connect, I have a pretty good feel for two kids already. More info asap.

2017-08-16T11:38:00.002-07:00

1922 'BAMA WIN OVER PENN SET THE STAGE FOR THE PROMINENCE OF SOUTHERN FOOTBALL

There is something almost spiritual about the University of Alabama sports. It is the one place where the problems of America are left at the door. Once you proclaim yourself as a Tide fan it carries with it certain expectations. Alabama has given a poor state national acclaim. Southern football in the early days was considered to be an after thought. It was with that belief took with them to Philadelphia to play Ivy League power Penn.

When the Alabama Crimson Tide went to Philadelphia to play national power Penn, the hopes of an entire state road the train with the team. Alabama beat the Penn Quakers 9-7. It was a major upset and gave Alabama a taste of national recognition. It was the beginning of a love affair the Tide has never relinquished. The game featured Alabama coach Xen Scott. The Quakers had a coach named John Heisman. That is Heisman as in the Heisman Trophy. Alabama was a huge underdog. Sports writer Grantland Rice thought the final score would be 21-0 in favor of Penn.

When the teams took the field the Tide was 2-2-1. Penn was 5-0. The Quakers were playing their home games at famed Franklin field. The inaugural game was Penn's victory over Navy. Alabama was playing their first intersectional game. Most thought there was no way for the Tide to prevail. With 20,000 fans (sellout) expecting to see Penn thoroughly whip the Tide. It didn't happen. The Tide had watched Penn play Washington on their way to Philadelphia. One thing was clear to the Tide players. Penn might have the national fanfare, but the Quakers were human.

Alabama took an early three-point lead on 27-yard field goal. Penn fought back and took a 7-3 lead after a long run. The crowd assumed the rout would now begin. It didn't, and the Tide scored another touchdown on a fumble recovery after Pooley Hubert was tackled near the goal line. Alabama's Shorty Price recovered the ball in the end-zone. The scoring was over and Alabama has just recorded the most important win the Deep South had recorded. Most Alabama fans remember the first Rose Bowl. The 'Swamp Rats' would win over Washington the South was firmly entrenched as a football power. That Rose Bowl game would never have happened if 'Bama hadn't beaten Penn. The win gave credence to football in the Deep South. One Philadelphia sports page said, "Those Southern Boys sure can Play". Many in the South view the game as retribution for Gettysburg. Some southerners might have believed that. It turned out to be more important than that.

ujGl

2017-08-14T14:54:00.007-07:00

THE BEST OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL

There are and were so many great players in the NCAA. I have my best two players in mind. You probably won't agree but you'll get no argument from me. In fact, I'd like to see who our posters believe might hold that honor. There are a few things to keep in mind. I think there is no doubt that modern players are superior athletes. When I was in school there were some great athletes but today's size and speed are beyond compare. Finally, who made a significant impact on the game of basketball. That narrows the list.

Here's an example - What player had the biggest impact on the history of college basketball? Michael Jordan would be a good pick. What about Kareem? Or should we say Lew Alcindor? If you like SEC players you might pick Pete Maravich, who averaged 44.8 points a game. That is just short of an Anthony Grant team average. Bill Walton was a deadly shooter. I was in the stands in '73 when he made 21-22 against the Memphis Tigers in the NCAA Championship game. The list is long and distinguished.

Here, are some I considered.

The Shooters:

Think style, grace, and percentage

Rick Mount of Purdue refined college shooting with the deadliest jump shot ever. He was so technically perfect that every kid who ever dreams of shooting should watch his form. If Mount had a three-point line he would have averaged 45 a game. Runner-Up in the shooting category - Pete Maravich of LSU - the pistol could do it all including long range shooting,

High Honorable Mention: Steve Alford of Indiana - Alford was a dead eye shooter before becoming a coach. Larry Bird of Indiana State: The bird man has the quickest release of any shooter I've seen. As an aside, John Petty may be quicker and he is a lot like Bird. Jerry West of West Virginia - back in the day he was the absolute man.

Honorable Mention: Wesley Person Auburn, Chris Lofton Tn, Alan Houston Tn, Jimmer Fredette BYU (best long distance shooter in NCAA history) Tony Bennett Wisc. Green Bay (holds the NCAA record for the percentage on threes) Glenn Rice Michigan, Jason Kapono UCLA, Austin Carr Notre Dame, Salim Stoudemire Arizona, Steph Curry Davidson, J.J.Redick of Duke.

For the record: Pete Maravich is the greatest college player in NCAA history. There are two categories for that honor. Pistol Pete is #1 and the rest of the NCAA is up for grabs. He was a single man Harlem Globetrotters team against real opposition. He was Meadowlark Lemon with the ball. He transcended the era of basketball when he came to LSU. No one had ever seen anyone like him. If he played today, he would still be the best player on the floor. There have been some great players in NCAA history but there was only one Pete Maravich. I am excited to watch him, talk with him, and even play a three-on-three game with him back when younger blood flowed through my veins. The day he passed away I wept tears of sadness but also tears of joyful remembrance.

Number two: Lew Alcindor, and if I lost the argument about Pete, it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

Did you know that Mount was the first high school player on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED?

THE POST PLAYERS

Think dominance

Lew Alcindor of UCLA was a tremendous presence in the lane for UCLA. Alcindor came out of NYC and stunned the world by choosing UCLA. He did everything you could ask a big man to do. He could score (and literally was so long no one could guard him). He rebounded and if a big board was needed he was always there. He blocked shots. No doubt Alcindor was the most versatile. He was also responsible for the Alcindor rule. Dunking in college was prohibited because the NCAA thought he would dominate the game.

Bill Walton of UCLA - he defied logic. He was the center in terms of playing within a system I've ever seen. Walton was a free spirit except for one place - in the paint. He was a dominant player. You want to know one reason why UCLA had the best program in basketball history. Think Walton. He looked gangly. John Wooden would never single out a favorite player, but if he did it probably would have been Walton

Wilt Chamberlain of Kansas. Chamberlain's first game as a JayHawker saw him score 52 points and grab 31 rebounds. Chamberlain frequently led Kansas fast breaks. He would get a rebound and turn and fly down the court. He was the fasted player on the Kansas team. Chamberlain's impact on the game is undeniable. Chamberlain causes a rule change in college basketball - he would throw the ball off the glass on a free throw, follow the shot in, and then slam dunk.

Tom Gola of LaSalle - as hard as it is to understand how good LaSalle was back in the day just look them up. The reason why? Tom Gola had 2021 rebounds at LaSalle. Gola was only 6-6 but played like a giant. He was technically a shooting guard, but he spent most of his time inside.

Honorable Mention: Bill Russell of the University of San Fransico. Robert Parrish of Centenary. David Robinson of Navy. Elvin Hayes of Houston. Jerry Harper of Alabama* Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston.

Coming up soon: OTHER POSITIONS AND IMPACT ON THE GAME.

* Technically a power forward, but played inside

2017-08-14T14:27:00.004-07:00

BEST SHOOTERS IN NCAA HISTORY?

OR CAN LONZO BELL BE A GREAT SHOOTER?

2017-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

TIDE TAKES DOWN OTTAWA 81-71

Sexton sits out this one...

Petty hurts shoulder but is okay...

AJ, jr. played a good floor game...compliments UA

It is early in the season, but color me unimpressed with our perimeter defense. I'm sure it will get better. Check that. I hope it will get better. The Gee -Gees of the University of Ottawa dribbled around, through, and around the Alabama's perimeter defense. This is obvious after the win over Ottawa. The Tide allows defenders to get into the lane like a someone with a credit card in Paint Department at HOME DEPOT. Three things are obvious about the Tide after three exhibition games.

Freshman Alex Reese

1. Our perimeter defense is not good at all. Quick passing around the elbow seems to confuse our defenders. Also, it seems as if anyone can dribble penetrate. After penetrating the offense trails a shooter in the lane and he drops in a bunny.

2. John Petty is our best offensive threat. His outside shooting is deadly, and he shoots so quickly a defense can't get set. Petty is well versed in taking it to the hoop.

3. Our two inside players, despite glowing pre-season chatter, need some real improvement. Neither seems to have drop step to the basket. Neither appears to have a move to the basket. The big men get too deep around the goal and have to lean back toward the outs. Each is very aggressive on defense. Put them on the floor together and a lot of stumbling seems to occur.

Ingram will be fine...

Let me get one thing out of the way. The term Gee-Gee has to be the worst nickname in the entire history of nicknames. The team colors are garnet and gray. That could be their origin. It is also a well-known term in horse racing for the fastest horse out of the gate who usually fades down the stretch.I'd like to tender my apology to the Campbell College Fighting Camels. I was unaware that camels fought, although I did have one spit at me once, and second, camels are nowhere to be found around Campbell College. Presbyterian was a close second to Campbell. They are the Blue Hose. Really? I also had the Akron Zips up there at one time. Zip seems to hint you are nothing, as in nothing burger.

One thing to keep in mind was that Sexton and Ingram did not play. Sexton sat out the game with an injury against Carleton. Ingram hurt a foot and Johnson is taking no chances for an exhibition swing. Both injuries as described as "not serious". Junior took over the point and scored 15 points and showed he can hold down the position when.

Norris has been Mr. Steady...

Riley Norris played an aggressive back to the basket on over matches and had three nice inside moves. He also hit a three pointer. Norris continues to impress with his overall play going into his final season. Time flys. Braxton Key also had a good game. I thought Lawson played a good game. It is nice to see him get some extended minutes.

Alex Reese may dodge a redshirt season. He has shown some toughness inside and plays well within himself. He has a nice touch. Every player on the Bama teams needs to watch him shoot freebies. Once again the Tide had a bad night from the line. 60% won't get it done.

COACHSPEAK:

“For a team that’s just played three games in four nights, I thought we gave an outstanding effort, especially in the second half,” Coach Avery Johnson said in a release. “We were able to get our defense set, guys made the extra pass and we did a great job on the boards. Thankfully, we were able to close it out.

We wanted to take a look at different rotations because we had a lot of different guys playing tonight. We have a lot of young players and they all got their share of minutes. We looked at a lot of different combinations and I like the different combinations we can utilize this year – we can go big, we can go small or we can spread the floor. We had a chance to look at multiple defenses, so from a video standpoint, we’ve got a lot that we are able to analyze."

GRADING THE TIDE IN CANADA:

Overall Grade: B - Winning two of three games was okay. I wish we had beaten Carleton. What was that important? The Raens represented the best of college basketball in Canada. In all the games the Tide offense had trouble getting out of the gate. Only an exceptional effort by Braxton Key in game three got the Tide started quickly. Ottawa was not physically imposing. They had no size and their best man didn't play. Of course, winning was probably a secondary concern for the Tide coaching staff. Mixing lineups (three different starting lineups) and rotations don't make for polished play. You have to keep that in mind, yet...

Big 1st quarter sparked Tide

The OffenseLB this swing. The inside game with Hall and Giddens showed potential, but potential is worst thing a player can show. That means he is not fullfilling his game. The big men were just short of horrible on offense. They did get a few offensive rebounds. Was the effort there? I'll leave that for the posters to decide but at best it was spotty. Collin Sexton played well. His injury gives him an ' i ' for incomplete. Riley Norris was steady. Braxton Key was impressive. John Petty was lights out, and he showed us something we haven't seen at 'Bama in a long time. We may have never seen an outside shooter with the quickest release possible.

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The Defense: D I'm tempted to say what defense but the two inside big men covered up a multitude of sins on the perimeter. If the Tide cannot fix the outside portion of their defense, look for a lot of losses. Granted, Sexton and Petty are freshmen. The big men were aircraft carriers compared to PT Boats they had to defend. As a last line of defense Hall was outstanding. Giddens looked a little lost but he is game rusty. I bet he will okay with a few games under his belt.

Final Thoughts:

I have some real mixed opinion about the Candadian swing. Clearly, Alabama has a lot of talent. The ability to mesh that talent is all that matters. The best five players are not always the best team. We need to keep that in mind. I didn't see but one thing that causes any worry. The Tide's perimeter defense simply not SEC ready. This is not a criticism, but a concern. A harder work ethic should fix this in a few games.

Next Game:

Alabama's next scheduled game is with Memphis at the Veteren's Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. The games will be played at the United States Naval Academy. Teams in the field are: Alabama, Memphis, Navy, and Pitt.

Tip-Off: 5:30 PM (CST)

Televison: CBS Sports
Navy vs. Pitt: 1/2 hour later

Highest Ranked preseason team: Alabama

Overtime:

Exhibition games can make you look great or horrible. There is rarely anything in between. The last two games the Tide looked like the KeyStone Kops rumbling and bumbling all over the Court. The lineups are frequently changed to see what a combination looks like in action. One thing should always be present and that is defense. That doesn't take anything but effort. Tide won this game not because they outplayed Ottawa. They won by physical presence. By the way, Ottawa was playing without their best player. Just something to keep in mind. Speaking of physical presence, you have to love those Page Two Canadian young ladies.

2017-08-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tide Stumbles Against Carleton 84-71

Sexton injury not serious

Jones out with concussion protocol

You'll never find a better sparring partner than adversity - Golda Meir. After setting the world on fire, the Crimson Tide stumbled. Young teams do that, and hopefully, a lesson is learned and you improve. For Alabama's younger players big time basketball just knocked the silly out of high school dreams. It happens to each of us. Unfortunately, athletes get to learn that before the world. Most of us learn the lesson and quietly go home and brood over what happened. In the greater scheme of a basketball season, it is best to learn this lesson when a game doesn't count. You can't make any lasting impressions about an exhibition game. Lick your wounds and come back to soothe the pain of a loss with a victory.

Carleton was a miserable 9-40 from three point land against Towson. The Ravens were on fire against Bama. The home standing team made 12 threes. A 25% shooting night against Towson turned into a 45% night against Bama. That isn't a world beater but it was good enough. Surprisingly, the Ravens controlled the offensive and defensive boards against a much bigger and more physical Tide. The Crimson opened up with both Hall and Giddens in the starting lineup. Okay, let's table that lineup for further discussion. The only weakness the Ravens showed was a poor night from the free throw line. They hit only 10-17. Bama was a lackluster 12-18 for 67%. Alabama shot only 38% for the night. Ouch, you won't win a lot of games anywhere throwing up bricks. The Tide was only 38% from behind the arc. The team shot 9-24. John Petty knocked down 4-7 from downtown and Braxton Key was 3-4. The remainder of the team was only 2-13. That is a double Ouch.

Bama got a scare when it appeared Collin Sexton was hurt. Johnson said the Sexton is fine and expects him to play tomorrow against the Univesity of Ottawa. It might assuage your fears when you understand that Carleton has won 13 of the last 15 Canadian National Championships. The Ravens were a perfect 19-0 for last season's regular season. Ask Wichita State how good they are? SEC and Alabama fans will get a chance to compare Vanderbilt and the Tide when Carleton takes on the Commodores next week.

The Tide played very poor defense and had 15 turnovers on offense. Sexton had 8 assists to lead both teams. All teams have off nights shooting. Bama just had one and now can move on. Johnson is not going to be happy with his offense but is going to be upset (and clearly so) with the rebounding. That is just effort and guts. The defense was pretty bad as well. The Tide has shown some problems with their man defense.

2017-08-08T17:21:00.002-07:00

Carleton is the Next Victim for the Tide
Live Streaming of tonight's game on Tide Facebook Page...
6:00 PM tip-off
LIVE UPDATES PRIOR TO TIPOFF
Thank you guys. No radio again...

Day one after game one and I'm thinking about how much improved this team can be in the long run. There are a couple of things we learned. First, John Petty is going to be in the starting lineup. That might mean that Dazon Ingram would come off the bench. Or will Avery Johnson play a three guard lineup? Could it be Hall, Key, Sexton, Petty, and Ingram? Will that be enough rebounding to fire up the fast break? I was almost certain that Petty was going to be the first player off the bench. After watching his performance against McGill, I'm not sure how you can keep him out of the starting lineup. This is going to be a big watch issue after Canada. Second, I think we learned that all the hype about this team may not be hype. It may be a reality. The Tide just scored 96 points with most of the big guns getting limited minutes. Johnson knows what he is doing but I'd love to see the starters get three-quarters against Carleton. Keep in mind, that McGill was totally overmatched. Carleton will be better, but I can't see the Tide losing. The Ravens are the big dog in Canadian college basketball. They know how to win, but they won't know how to defend Sexton and company.

That doesn't mean that everything was satisfactory to Johnson. He said his team got beat off the dribble (against the man defense) too often. That is not uncommon for high school players who step up to Division

CARLETON RAVENS...

Carleton is a perennial winner in the race for C. National Championship. If you want to have a better understanding about the caliber of play for the next game, I think the Ravens might be the equivalent of a mid-minor team. Alabama actually lost to Carleton in 2007. Who was on that team for Bama? Richard Hendrix, Mikhail Torrence, and Alonzo Gee. Alabama finished 17-16 and 5-11 in the SEC West. Poor guard play killed the Tide that season. It is an example of how a Canadian team can beat a NCAA team. Towson State whipped the Ravens in their last game 74-64 behind a lackluster 26% shooting from the floor. Just for good measure, Carleton hit a miserable 23% from behind the arc. It wasn't a lack of trying, however. The final number was 9-40. It was shooting that killed the Ravens. The Canadians were even in every other category. They hit 13-14 from the line. Statistically, the only way that Carleton can beat Alabama is in a game of twenty-one or h.o.r.s.e but stranger things have happened. Those 40 outside shots might give you a tip of the Alabama game plan. The Tide's man-to-man defense didn't look that sharp in game one of the Can-Am classic. Remember these games are called 'friendlies' by our Canadian hosts. Tell that the Collin Sexton. LOL.

Here's some interesting news. SMU just squeaked by McGill in OT 86-83. Things that make you wonder about how good is SMU. ESPN doesn't have SMU in their top 25. Bama was 24th. Last season the Mustangs were a salty 17-1 in the America Athletic Conference. It is obvious SMU is not the NCAA team a season ago. This close game is not a good sign for the AmAC. This is an example of losing when you win. I bet Joe Lunardi is re-thinking is 5 seed in the Dance.

Did you know? That the 18 wins notched by Avery Johnson's first-year Crimson Tide was the most ever by a new Coach? Johnson has taken the Crimson Tide to consecutive NIT games. He is looking for something better this time around. I'm guessing that is going to happen. Bama is listed as a top 25 team in several Pre-Season web sites. The highest I have seen is 19th.

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2017-08-07T19:29:00.003-07:00

Tide Rips McGill 96-57

Slow start and then boom

Petty and Sexton's debut is successful

THE GAME...

If this had been a fight McGill's coach would have thrown in the towel. When the home team jumped out to an 11-2 lead the McGill crowd started to Crow. At the end of the game, they had to settle for eating some Crow. I don't know how good McGill is going to be but I know that Alabama has a chance to be very good. In fact, I think the Tide can be one of the most surprising teams in the NCAA. Several things would have to happen in order the Tide to be a deep tournament team. Can the team keep up the

energy I saw in the Love Competiton Arena? Can Sexton and Petty look as good against better competition? Turnovers were certainly apparent on Monday night? Can the Tide keep them down to an acceptable number? Honestly, when a team runs as fast as this team does I'm not sure what that number might be. This team is going to get so many more possessions than last season. Will Hall, Giddens, and company control the boards? I think 'Bama's rebounding numbers are going to go up. I'm not concerned about the sloppy second half play. A lot of substitutions were made with a lot of odd lineups.

10 Things to take away from the McGill Game:

1. John Petty was 6-8 from the downtown. He had 22 points in just 16 minutes of play.

2 Collin Sexton had 13 including 11 in the first half. He might have had 30 otherwise. His quickness and speed separate him from everyone.

3. Daniel Giddens makes a statement with 13 points and strong play inside.

4, Giddens, Hall, and Smith were everywhere inside. They blocked a few shots (even the statistic showed only recorded one). The altered a dozen or so shots inside. Reese surprised me with his defensive tenacity. Some thought him "soft" in high school. Those writers were dead wrong.

4. Remember when we said this team would score in bushels? How about a nifty little 49-17 run to end half one. The Tide fell behind 11-2 and then the Redman got caught in a Deep Southern avalanche. This wasn't snow. It was a bomb away three point clinic. It was almost like the legendary Dan Jenkins fictional character Astronaut Jones. Jones was "trying one" when he reached midcourt.

5. Norris and Key played a subdued role in the McGill game. Don't worry, they will play their respective parts when called upon

6.The Tide has depth. After years of watching a thin bench, this year's rendition of 'Bama basketball will have too many players. Johnson has some hard decisions to make regarding his rotation.

7. Ar'mond Davis scored 14 points and showed some real flashes of offensive and defensive ability. He'll have a role in the rotation. He proved to me that even with the new found talent he belongs. Johnson didn't ask him to return unless he had a reason.

8. This team can shoot the three and play hard inside. The Tide is going to run for a fast break basket and if they can't score that way, they will be able to play the half court game. Expect that to be faster than last season. The theme of this team may be "hurry up we are wasting time."

9. Not to get ahead of ourselves but the talent seems to be there for a nice run in the NCAA. Alabama will get a bid to the NCAA in my opinion, and they may go further in the Dance than pre-season predictions.

10. This team will play the Canadian swing without Dazon Ingram. It makes you wonder just how good is this team going to be, and who will be in an eight man rotation.

Tide lays down the Law...

Alabama did look a bit confused with the fast passes attempting to reverse to the weak-side of the Tide defense. The Tide fixed that by playing a 2-3 zone. I bet Johnson is not happy with the man effort. Still, this team had 11 days to get ready to play a game where their top two offensive players were in high school last year. I thought Galin Smith (huge in size) showed some potential but had hands of stone against McGill. Pleasant surprises came from both Reese (who looked as big as anyone size wise) and a much taller than expected Herb Jones.

Come watch an exciting team. Sexton and Petty are just passing through on the Road to the NBA. These are special players on a fast rising program in my opinion.

Player of the Game: John Petty, who scored 22 points. He devastated the Redmen from just short of midcourt.

So game on in the great Northern adventure is over. The Tide simply over matched their hosts. Next up is Carleton. This appears to be the toughest game for 'Bama. The Ravens lost to Towson State 76-64. An ice cold third quarter did in the home standing Ravens. Carleton has won two national championships in the last four years.

COACHSPEAK:

"Overall it was extremely positive," head coach Avery Johnson said of the result. "We had unbelievable energy throughout the game. Our guys moved the ball and we made some shots. I thought we played really good defense. We clamped down on them defensively, so I am pleased with the overall energy and passion that we played with.

"In the first half, I thought we did a great job with our pace. We set great screens and our guys had great spacing on offense, which allowed John to hit some shots. In the second half, we got really sloppy. That gives me something to talk to the team about and show them some video. We have really good kids on our team who want to play the right way. We had some correctable mistakes tonight and we can learn from those."

"We wanted to give everybody a chance to play," Johnson said. "We had a chance to spread out the minutes because we are playing three games in four nights. We want to try and impose our will against teams. We were a little sloppy and need to take better care of the basketball, then we will have chances to score even more points."

DID YOU KNOW

'Bama went on runs of 36-2 and 16-2 to put the Redmen away in the first half?
Bama's leading rebounder was Braxton Key?
Canada needs some serious work on live streaming I'm told.
Alabama made only 14-23 free throws. Not good.
How long has it been since a Tide offense hit 60% from the floor
The Tide hit 56% of their three point shots. They made 50% or more in each quarter.

2017-08-06T09:58:00.006-07:00

BOLT LOSES HIS LAST RACE

Gatlin beats Bolt in his final race

Usain Bolt was beaten by Justin Gatlin in the World Amateur Championship. For Bolt, it was a sad ending to the most successful track and field career in the history of the sport. Having previously announced the race has his final individual competitive event, Bolt was the odds on favorite to see his legacy furthered by a win in this race. It didn't happen. American's Justin Gatlin and Christopher Coleman. Gatlin stormed from behind the last thirty meters to nip both Coleman and Bolt in a razor sharp finish. Bolt's records are unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future. Usain came from absurdity to capture the attention of the world. He accomplished his record, not from a regimented sports program like Russia, or a sponsor-driven program like the United States.
Bolt refined his entire sport in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. In his final interview before the press, he said, "no regrets" to recap the loss and then recapped why he thought he lost the race. No crying from the man.

Gatlin pays homage to the KingThe lanky 6-5 Jamaican got off to a less than a stellar start but fought his way back to a history making finish until Gaitlan exploded in the last portion of the sprint. Gatlin made up five yards over the last 30 meters to pull off the upset. The American was timed in 9.92 seconds. Coleman finished at 9.94 and Bolt was out leaned the tape for second place. The crowd in London was hoping to see an English Commonwealth sprinter conclude his career with a win. Sadly, it didn't happen. Bolt has struggled with starts in the quarter and semi-final races and couldn't overcome a lackluster start in the finals. The collective crowd was stunned at the outcome.

Gatlin was ecstatic. After seeing that he had won, he turned around and bowed on one knee to Bolt to acknowledge that the Jamaican was the best ever. Time waits for no man. It was the time of Bolt's race and father time that eventually stopped the greatest athlete ever in track and field. The sprints are a pure sport. You line up and run. The race is always about sheer ability and heart. Bolt had the heart and his ability was eroded in an almost interceptable manner. That it took so long for any man to beat him is the tribute to his God given gift of his fleetness of foot. Perhaps another Usain Bolt will arise from the sunny Caribbean to delight the world. I am betting that won't happen because there is only one Usain Bolt.