It is possible...
late breaking news... Tony Mitchell has been suspended for a period of time not yet determined by Coach Grant. It was no single issue but rather an accumulation of things which led to Grant's decision. When I learn more I'll report it ASAP. He will not make the trip with his teammates for the Auburn game... Grant gave no further details regarding the matter which has been his usual approach to such decisions.
What to do? Okay, first you start making some outside shots. That is pretty easy to say. The real question what is causing 3 great 3 point shooters in high school to shoot so poorly at Alabama? Jack Doss, who is the best basketball coach in Alabama, says that Lacey is the best high school player he's ever seen. Not the best he's ever coached, but the best ever. That is a huge statement from a great coach who is at the top of his profession. Alonzo Gee was a great 3 point shooter in high school. He had his moments on campus but he never got back into that high school form. It is a long brick laden list.
When you consider how highly recruited the freshmen trio was and how they are doing now it is almost unbelievable. Shooting is like putting in golf. You make a few and they all start to fall. You miss a few and the cup almost vanishes. So here is a question I'd like to ask all of you because I have no clue as to the answer. How come Kentucky's freshman are deadly shooters in high school and pick right up in college. How is it that Ole Miss recruits a kid that can't miss in college just like he did in high school. This isn't an Anthony Grant thing. This seems to have been going on forever. So what's up? Where are the Alvin Lee's of the world when you need them?
Tomorrow night 'Bama travels to Lee County. This is a really important game because we left ourselves with no wiggle room regarding the NCAA Tournament. A loss to Aubie won't eliminate our chances but it means we would need to find another road win somewhere and win all of them at home. Looking at the schedule it isn't impossible to find a pretty good finish. State and Florida are at home. We might lose those games, but I'd rather take my chances at home vs. away. The truth is that if we can't beat Florida and Mississippi State at home you have to question whether we really are a worthy of the post season dance.
What this team lacks on offense is not just shooting better, it needs the same chemistry as they have found on defense. We are in a catch -22 position in that our bad shooting means that our inside game is shut off. Or does it? Before the three point line Alabama teams pounded the paint like demons. The problem is that coaches are no longer coaching the inside game in the same way they did 26 years ago. It is my opinion that the game has suffered under the gimmick of the three point shot. The rule was put into play so that the little man could find his place in the game again. It backfired. For every Trevor Releford who plays you have 20 6-4 or 6-4 guys like Levi Randolph. Schools did back away from a traditional post player some but the fact that most schools play essentially two power forwards is about the same.
If you want the little guy back into the game in a big way you've got to raise the basket some and widened the court. The players are all so big and fast now that four on a team makes much more sense. It would force people to play a man defense the entire game. Zones don't with only four people. How would a 2-2 or 1-2-1 zone work. Not well. I also think you could eliminate offense rebound scoring and require teams to take the ball past the three point arc before they could score would help. I know everyone is saying those are stupid ideas. Well, they got rid of the peach basket at some point. The point is that the players have evolved well beyond the parameters of the game. The game needs to catch up. Basic basketball now seems to be a forgotten art. Less thinking and more physicality is the rule.
If I were Coach Grant I'd forget the three point shot as a primary option. Pound it inside. Pound it inside some more. The dribble drive dump out pass would leave shooters completely open if the defense had to collapse. I think another thing that would help our offense is to get Green less involved on the defensive end of the game. We rely on him to much, he is not protected from getting quick fouls, or in JayMychal's case making open court fouls. A blocked shot is great. Two made baskets inside when you don't have to worry about an offensive foul is even better. Early in the game we might consider keeping Green away from playing such aggressive defense to insure he is around on offense. The defense seems to keep on ticking when he's on the bench, but the offense falls apart. I'd also post Green or Mitchell. Make the defense play that mid-range offensive player and not always play two layered offense. Defenses flatten out so much against our offense that we can't find ways to pass the ball inside. Our inside game is most Releford driving to the basket or Green and Mitchell on offensive put backs.
We move the ball on offense like it was a chess match. The few times we really zipped the ball on the outside of the Ole Miss zone we were able to successfully reverse the ball for good shots. We also turn the ball over too much to have such good ball handlers. Cut the turnovers down to 10 a game and you will score 70 points in your sleep. Deny yourself 18 or 19 possessions and the baskets get harder to make. The hoop gets mighty small.
That's what I'd do. 1. take care of the ball, 2. pound it inside, 3. Keep Green in the game by allowing him a lesser role on defense, and pound it inside some more. We need to run the floor and get some break away hoops and some steals. We can continue to do that as we do now. Just a thought. Auburn will win if we don't control the middle on offense as well as defense. The Tiger guard play is quick and explosive. We might create a few turnovers. They will probably have several unforced turnovers. We need to make this game a meat grinders convention. Auburn is going to make a few runs. Stick with the game plan and let them beat themselves.
Bama wins the paint they should win, otherwise it will be a Tiger type night.
late breaking news... Tony Mitchell has been suspended for a period of time not yet determined by Coach Grant. It was no single issue but rather an accumulation of things which led to Grant's decision. When I learn more I'll report it ASAP. He will not make the trip with his teammates for the Auburn game... Grant gave no further details regarding the matter which has been his usual approach to such decisions.
When you consider how highly recruited the freshmen trio was and how they are doing now it is almost unbelievable. Shooting is like putting in golf. You make a few and they all start to fall. You miss a few and the cup almost vanishes. So here is a question I'd like to ask all of you because I have no clue as to the answer. How come Kentucky's freshman are deadly shooters in high school and pick right up in college. How is it that Ole Miss recruits a kid that can't miss in college just like he did in high school. This isn't an Anthony Grant thing. This seems to have been going on forever. So what's up? Where are the Alvin Lee's of the world when you need them?
Tomorrow night 'Bama travels to Lee County. This is a really important game because we left ourselves with no wiggle room regarding the NCAA Tournament. A loss to Aubie won't eliminate our chances but it means we would need to find another road win somewhere and win all of them at home. Looking at the schedule it isn't impossible to find a pretty good finish. State and Florida are at home. We might lose those games, but I'd rather take my chances at home vs. away. The truth is that if we can't beat Florida and Mississippi State at home you have to question whether we really are a worthy of the post season dance.
If you want the little guy back into the game in a big way you've got to raise the basket some and widened the court. The players are all so big and fast now that four on a team makes much more sense. It would force people to play a man defense the entire game. Zones don't with only four people. How would a 2-2 or 1-2-1 zone work. Not well. I also think you could eliminate offense rebound scoring and require teams to take the ball past the three point arc before they could score would help. I know everyone is saying those are stupid ideas. Well, they got rid of the peach basket at some point. The point is that the players have evolved well beyond the parameters of the game. The game needs to catch up. Basic basketball now seems to be a forgotten art. Less thinking and more physicality is the rule.
That's what I'd do. 1. take care of the ball, 2. pound it inside, 3. Keep Green in the game by allowing him a lesser role on defense, and pound it inside some more. We need to run the floor and get some break away hoops and some steals. We can continue to do that as we do now. Just a thought. Auburn will win if we don't control the middle on offense as well as defense. The Tiger guard play is quick and explosive. We might create a few turnovers. They will probably have several unforced turnovers. We need to make this game a meat grinders convention. Auburn is going to make a few runs. Stick with the game plan and let them beat themselves.
Bama wins the paint they should win, otherwise it will be a Tiger type night.
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