BOL Round Table

And if we were in 2nd place in a 14 team conference coming into today then what does that say about everybody else? We're in better shape than most others?

He is being hard on Grant but the inconsistency in his 4 year run is keeping the program from taking the next step and it has showed no signs of getting better.

Grant is an average at best coach unless he resolves his teams offensive scoring droughts that happen EVERY game.

That would mean something if we were playing in a league that had more than one ranked team.

Also we won't finish 2nd.

Saying Grant has an awesome conference record is like saying Boise fans defending Peterson by saying "well he went 10-2." It's not good enough

You play to a standard, not to a number. I don't care if we're 16-2, if you're playing bad competition and losing to teams inferior to you, then you're underperforming. That is not grounds for praise.

Some of our fan base will be unhappy until we have Tom Izzo or Mark Few as our coach.

Translation: they will always be unhappy.

Everyone talks about how how bad this conference is right now. I don't disagree, but that has to work both ways. That the sec is so bed reflects how challenging it has become to field a quality basketball team in this league. The weakness of the league becomes a barrier to recruiting that Grant's predecessors did not have to overcome.

Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, a falling tide has a tendency to sink them. I'm not saying that it's impossible to overcome the weakness of the league (there are plenty of examples of great teams in bad leagues), but there's no denying that it has an impact.

No I think people would be happy if we could do what Florida does year in and year out...

It doesn't matter. He cannot control how good other teams are. They give them the schedule and his teams goes and plays the games like every other team in the SEC. Alabama might very well lose more games in the regular season. Then again, they may when them all. What excuse will you make to takeaway from the teams's and CAG's accomplishments?

This team has holes BUT they keep showing up and giving great effort.

I've been watching and attending Alabama men's basketball since the 70's. I am a proud alumnus and fan of "ALL" things Crimson Tide. I am upset with the piss poor fundamentals, poor scoring, and minuscule game day acumen displayed of MY program and the players. BUT, I value commitment, hustle, competing and team work over all of it. Almost every single deficiency on this team can be overcome or addressed with practice, better talent, more big men and coaching.

We were outscored because we are VERY limited in the post/middle. The offensive plays called were designed to get the ball in the hands of the scorers in positions for them to create their shot. When the shot was there in rhythm the player refused to shoot, instead opting to pass to another unwilling shooter. CAG cannot force a kid to shoot from the bench. CAG cannot move bodies and will minds of the players on the floor from the bench. CAG cannot make his big men develop low-post skills in the middle of a game. CAG cannot jump and attack rebounds with BOTH hands for his post players from the bench. I am pretty DAMN certain that the staff knows 99.9% of the time that RO is on the floor creates as much an advantage for the OTHER team than he does for Alabama versus TL / LR / RC on the floor for Alabama most of the game. CAG cannot stop MG / NJ from making stupid fouls or untimely turnovers from the bench. CAG cannot slow the game down for DP so that he can see what's happening, stop thinking so much and just play basketball. Finally, NO MATTER WHAT, CAG is NOT going to do anything satisfactorily for you and your legions that will win your enthusiastic loyal support; not even a Final Four birth or NCAA title. I can envision you tepidly cheering hoping that the moment comes when ALL of the fans and the athletic department turns away from supporting CAG and his basketball program.

Any OBJECTIVE PERSON watching that game knows which team had the better players. Anyone watching that game knew which team stood the best chance of winning that game. Any casual fan of the game knew which team on the floor played with more confidence. Any casual critic realizes which team possessed the right combinations of players necessary to deliver winning basketball plays. The team with all of those ingredients was the team that WON the game.

I am NEVER satisfied with losing. WE had every chance to WIN the basketball game today. I EXPECTED Alabama to not only compete, BUT to WIN the damn game today. However, we played just like we have for most of this season with meager parts that we have on this team. Like Dennis Green infamously stated, "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE. YOU CROWNED THEM...WE HAD'EM RIGHT WHERE WE WANTED THEM..."

When I look back on the FLORIDA game, I see a ton of missed opportunities. I don't see one place where screaming from the bench would have changed one play. I see a team where our best inside options are only half the players of their counterparts on other teams. Of our post players, MG is the only one worth playing all game as long as he hasn't fouled out because he can impact the game from the DEFENSIVE end better than most in college basketball. However, that means you need 4 GOOD (definitely 3 REALLY GOOD) basketball players on the floor with him that are playing GREAT basketball. NJ is at best a 6-8th option on any other REALLY GOOD basketball team, until he understands the fundamentals of post play: (1) Keep the basketball at least chest high, (2) develop a right hand, (3) develop a proper left-handed jump hook, (4) move his feet to maintain a balanced base that will enable him to jump for rebounds, gain strong post-position and defend, and (5) make 70-75% of his free throws. In high school, NJ must have been overpowering the opposition, because he is another year away from being an EFFECTIVE big man at the ELITE level of division-1 (BCS) basketball.

Our perimeter players are growing as SOPHOMORES. But, as much as we want it, they did NOT truly have a polished game coming out of high school either. Each one of those young guys is full of talent and athletic ability. Yet, they lack basketball awareness, shooting fundamentals and supreme confidence. DP is in the same boat BUT he is a freshman. So, EVERY game is a new experience for DP. Unfortunately, the talent level in Tuscaloosa is NOT nearly enough to create true competition that harnesses and develops the talent in the players on the team. Practicing and playing against what Alabama puts on the floor in practice is NOT the road to improving our basketball players, program and game day performances. There are only 3-4 ways to remedy this conundrum: (1) RECRUIT better talent, (2) DEVELOP better basketball players, (3) ARRANGE off-season games/competition in a Basketball Summer League in Birmingham, (4) HIRE a basketball operations coach to cut-up film of every player that highlights their weaknesses and strengths and mistakes for viewing/teaching during the off-season, (5) HIRE a coach to cut-up film of each team's OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE schemes in our conference AND 2-3 of the best fundamental playing CHAMPIONSHIP caliber teams in the nation for off-season teaching/viewing, (6) SEND players to various camps during the Summer to improve their skills, confidence, will and performances come basketball season, (7) either HIRE an OFFENSIVE guru/skills coach or SEND the ones on staff to various coaching clinics and universities to learn ways to better our OFFENSIVE scheme, production and efficiency AND (8) BRING in a CONSULTANT, eg. Bobby Knight, to evaluate and recommend solutions for improving our overall product.

As for TR, his game has its flaws. But, he is more than a serviceable PG. Think about how strong his game would be with more legitimate weapons. I trust that he will really improve his game over the Summer. I expect him to become one of the BEST PGs in college basketball next season, definitely the best in the SEC.

As I watched the game today, I thought about Alabama competing with a legitimate inside game. It would certainly shorten those 5-7 minutes droughts from the field of which we seem to own a monopoly. We are closer to being a really good solid basketball program. But, just like a lot of you, I can see where we can easily slip in the doldrums of average with an occasional breakout season.

For me, I think it still too early to turn the page or close the book on the CAG era. I think its high time for everyone to get behind the program and players. Its time for us to send the basketball playing world the message "we KNOW AND LOVE the game; and WE want it to be played at a highly successful level." Its time the administration shows that it has the will and resources ready to commit to achieving nothing less than a TOP 10 basketball program.

For all the REAL Alabama basketball fans, let's ratchet up the support of the program and players.