Tide win over Tennessee the next day...

Big day for some little players...

• Trevor Lacey had a great day. He had 18 points, but more importantly looked like he had regained his confidence. He still isn't shooting like he did at Butler High School, but he is shooting again. That little drive down the baseline in the second half helped spark a Bama run.
• Levi Randolph didn't have his greatest offensive day. But he was a lot more active on offense. He made a three ball, and even though he missed some shots when got open on good moves, he at least took the shots. Yesterday, they all didn't fall but next time they might. If he doesn't take them the Tide doesn't get a couple of big offensive rebounds which we put back for scores.
• Trevor Releford started off slowly. The little man from Kansas City then began to put on a show. The running crossover scoop layup that he made which was waived off with a charge call & was not only a horrible call but took away a Gameday highlight shot. Releford had no assists however. He needs to get ball to some of the outside shooter on some of his inside drives perhaps. Bama has some good inside players, but none better than our smallest player.
• Andrew Steele did a little bit of everything. He had 7 assists and Bama only had 17 baskets. His "thread the needle" pass to big Carl Engstrom was a thing of beauty. His defense was key in causing Tennessee shooters to have a bad day outside the arc, and he shows no fear in taking the rock inside.
• Rodney Cooper didn't have an LSU night. But he nailed 2 three point baskets, and the one late in the second half as the shot clock neared zero was a killer for the Vols. He played pretty good defense, but his ball handling needs work. It is getting better however

The Tide Big Men held their own...

• Carl Engstrom scored 7 points and generally clogged up the middle. He showed good hands on a couple of rebounds and one lightning quick pass from Steele
• Nick Jacobs did not play due to an infection in his gums
• Bama finally played Rodney Cooper down low after Moussa and Carl fouled out. He then went down to the offensive end and nailed a three

• Moussa Gueye played well. He had six blocked shots including one from behind on Jarnell Stokes. This seemed to unnerve the 'Vols. Bama started a big run. Both Gueye and Engstrom got the job done. It may not have been picturesque but they were effective.

Some late season benefits for the Tide 

 

     Tide freshmen and subs haven't gotten some great playing time in the last three games. That time on the floor will pay dividends as the season winds down No one is going to argue that we've lost two games we probably would have won. We might have been 19-7 and about a 5 seed right now. But we aren't. Let's assume that Green and Mitchell return from the land of the dead. Bama might be able to put away Arkansas and then Mississippi State. Those would be 2 key wins, with only Auburn at home and suddenly stinging Ole Miss. What if the Tide won all those games? I think if Bama won 3 of 4 and the a game or 2 in the SEC Tournament not only will they be in the NCAA Tournament but would get a half way decent seed.

 

     If the NCAA is serious about looking at injuries and suspensions in an effort to put the best available teams in the field that would have to include Alabama. A strong finish could make us a six seed. We are probably penciled in right now as a nine or ten seed. This might be a year where the SEC Tournament really means something if the NCAA sticks to their gun and wants the best.

Finally, how about Anthony Grant?  Can this man coach or what?  Tennessee was starting to think about the NCAA with four straight wins including one over Florida. A great win for a diminished roster.

 

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Tide remains in hunt for NCAA berth

Gritty bunch win a key game...
Engstrom and Gueye hold down the middle...
Lacey heats up...
Tide has 15 steals against the Volunteers...  
     
     On Selection Sunday if you hear the name Alabama shouted out to America you probably can go back and thank a group of 'Bama players who knocked off Tennessee today 62-50. If you are a Tennessee Volunteer you have to wonder if you will ever beat the Tide in any sport. Saturday afternoon the Vols had there chance. Not only were Alabama's top 2 scorers and rebound leaders were suspended, but Nick Jacobs the # 3 inside Tide player was suffering from a dental surgery. Trevor Releford took a blow to the head in practice and had to sit out a day until the medical tests said he was fine. And finally, Andrew Steele was a little gimpy on a sore ankle suffered near the end of the Florida game. If the roof collapsed on Coleman Coliseum earlier in the day no one would have been surprised. It's been that kind of week. 


     The Volunteers came into the game with wins in their last four games including a big upset at Florida. You can't blame the 'Vols if they came in cocky. They were playing well, and Alabama was trying to keep their heads above the water. If someone told you on Friday the Tide would win by 12 whispers of "go take your meds" would have been heard. If someone told you that Bama would have been ahead by 17 in the second half you might have been involuntarily committed. Both things happened despite half the key players sitting and watching.


Did you know that Alabama had their lowest number of field goals in a single game making only 17?  That was a small fall off from the 18 made earlier in the week against Florida. 


Tennessee scored only 25 points in each half. A score in the 40's might have happened if the Tide didn't contest a couple of shots down the stretch. 


Alabama won while shooting only 37%. The Tide only took 46 field goals. But Bama made 75% of their free throw attempts 23-30. Releford was 0-2. 


Bama caused 17 turnovers and had 15 steals. 15 is a huge number. 


The Tide won the battle of the boards 37-31, including 14 offensive boards.


Moussa and Carl combined for 9 points and 11 rebounds. Engstrom had 7 boards. Gueye blocked 6 shots including one by Stokes when the Vols were mounting a comeback in the second half.


Mr. Steady, Andrew Steele had 6 assists including a laser ray pass to Engstrom. 


     It was a solid team effort. When Bama needed a basket they always seemed to make one. The defense was so intense that Tennessee started to look shaky just inbounding the ball. Bama got 75% of the loose balls. The Crimson was everywhere on defense. Tennessee looked shocked at the pressure that the Tide threw at them in their full court press. The Vols just couldn't get in their offensive flow. Smokey had been going inside for the last four games. They won all four. The couldn't find any consistency with the Twin Towers European Version on the floor. Both Carl and Moussa have come a long way in the last few games In fact, all the players have improved. If Alabama can get their collective act together off the Court all that playing time will give the Tide improved depth. 
    
     The defense won the game. Here's what Grant had to say - 
“Once again it goes to effort, style of play-wise. We had a tremendous effort on defense, which allowed us to create points off turnovers. We didn’t have a great day shooting but we played well on defense. We created 17 turnovers and 15 of those were steals. We were able to get to the line a lot. You know, Tennessee came in playing well offensively in terms of creating their own shots and making baskets. I think three or four of their players were scoring double-figures the past three games. Their shots didn’t fall and that played well for us on offense and defense.”


So now with an unexpected win which brought the Tide to 17-9 and 6-6. So what's next? Grant hinted a return of Mitchell and Green next week. The Tide has a road game with mecurial Arkansas on Tuesday and then home games with State and Aubie. Can the Tide win three? Maybe. The return of the duo would help on the road and with State. By the way Auburn beat State today. 


Saturday nights is one of those games that a real fan will never forget.


Be sure to look at the article on the revamped selection process and how it helps Bama. It's on the upper right just above the ads.


www.tiderinsider.com
   

15 steals sparks the Tide to 62-50 win over red hot Tennessee...

BAMA'S SMALL LINEUP BEATS THE VOL'S

     This is as bad as it can get. I hope. On top of the all the other problems Nick Jacobs caught elbow and it developed an infection which required dental work. He didn’t play.  As a fan I’d like to suggest to our remaining plays not to take any airplane flights, don’t jaywalk anywhere, and have someone taste your food before eating. I am almost afraid to ask what else can happen. Please let this be the end to all the drama, injuries, and discipline problems this season. No way the Tide could win. No way in the world. The Tide did win 62-50 and for all of you Johnny jump- off the wagon types - Anthony Grant can coach. Wow, how proud can Tide fans be about the defensive minded survivors of the gang that can’t shoot straight? 


      Having to play without your best inside players is not exactly a great  formula to win a game. At the end of the first half Alabama was ahead 29-25. Only a very late run in the last 2 minutes of the half got it that close. The Tide was up by 10 at the 2:28 mark. Engstrom was playing some solid minutes. Gueye did the same for the Tide. The main thing that Alabama did in the first half to play the Vols off their game with rugged man to man defense. Lacey scored 12 points in the first half. The Tide had 7 turnovers but caused 5. The Tide controlled the boards in the first half pulling down 20 to Tennessee’s 12. The Tide also made 10-11 from the line. Alabama shot only 33.% from the field but held the Vols to 36%. If you are a Tide fan surely your heart started wondering if this was going to be a stunning upset, or would Tennessee make adjustments in the locker at halftime like Florida was able to do. Tennessee may not have seen this group of Tide players on the offensive end, but the defense had to look familiar. The Tide’s effort on defense was nothing short of inspiring. The Tide also had 4 steals in the first half to Tennessee’s 2. Tennessee’s best player, Jarnell Stokes only played around 3 minutes due to foul trouble. Eight straight Tennessee offensive possession had led to 4 missed shots, and 4 turnovers. There was going to be a point in this game when one good run would decide the issue. 


       Tennessee made adjustments to start the second half. Tennessee was going to go inside to get Tide big men in foul trouble. With 17 minutes left in the second  both Tide big men had 3 each. They both would ultimately foul out. Alabama had 5 teams fouls at the 16:00 mark and that might end up being big. Tennessee might win this  game but Alabama wasn’t going  to just hand it over. You could almost sense a change in momentum in the Coliseum. Tennessee was starting to play better. The question was whether or not the Tide could pick it up again.  


. The question was whether or not the Tide could pick it up again.    When Trevor Lacey hit a baseline layup with 12:31 the Tide was up by a score of 39-33. The Tide defense was coming up with almost every 50/50 loose ball. When Tennessee took it inside they found a lot of Crimson hands slapping for the ball.  Tennessee was starting to look very much like a team that was worried. 


And then... Bama went on a run. The demon defense that Alabama was playing on the Tennessee end of the court was paying dividends. The run went to 15-2 and a 12 point lead. Bama led 47-35 and then Releford hit one of his unnameable lays ups and the lead had grown to 14. A tremendous steal and a touchdown pass to other end of the floor found a wide open Trevor Lacey. Bama then had a 15 point lead and the run had grown to 18-3 with 7 minutes to play. 


Bama was doing two things on defense. They were contesting every three point shot by anticipating them. The Tide had also cut off the inside to Jarnell Stokes. Tennessee couldn’t make a basket. The Tide was in the face of any Tennessee player who looked like he even thought they might shoot.  A big block by Moussa on Stokes seemed to stun the Vols. When Tennessee called a time out the there was 5:44 and Alabama had a 52-37 lead. Stoke finally scored an inside basket and the lead was 15. Releford nailed 2 freebies and it was again 15 with 4:35. For Bama it was now ball control and run the clock. Tennessee cut the lead to 13 with 3:00 minutes remaining.


     Bama was going to shoot a lot of free throws down the stretch. Since Bama had no big me in the game except for Engstrom the ball handlers were already in the lineup. Bama spread the floor with 2:55 and when Andrew Steele dropped in a runner with  seconds left on the shot clock and the Volunteers were looked like they might be done. To Tennessee’s credit they didn’t quit. They cut the 15 point lead to 10 with 2 minutes left. Now it was just a matter if the Tide could make their free throws. Grant chose to keep the ball in the hands of Trevor Releford. TR made 2 free throws and the lead was 12.Rodney Cooper came in for Engstrom who got foul number 5. He was the closest thing to big man for the Tide. Bingo - he nailed a three and the Tide was up 15 again. The final score was Alabama 62-50. Bama won without their top two scorers and rebounders. Chew on that for a minute.  Full story tomorrow. The Tide moves to 17-9 which sounds a whole lot better than 16-10. 


By the way it was Prostrate Awareness Day. Write them a check. Even if it is just a dollar, less than the cost of a soft drink. Let’s see just how much money the readers of TiderInsider can raise. 

Letter to Coach Saban

This is the body of my recent letter to Coach Saban that you requested to see

Dear Coach Saban,

     I recently posted an article on my blog page that suggested you acted unfairly in the manner in which the recruitment of the Vigor High School student, Darius Philon, ended.  I have included you an Internet link to the site as well as the enclosed color copy of the article itself. Many of your fans suggested that I had treated you very unfairly in characterization of your actions on the time leading up to National Signing date. And let you tell you, you have a lot of fans.

     It was never my intent to demonize you in way. I think the point I was trying to make is very clear, and you can see so yourself if you read the article. I have reviewed the letter and do think that some of what I wrote was over the top. For that tone in article I most certainly offer you an apology, and for any incorrect factual mistakes as well. I now make that apology hoping you will accept it. I am sorry.

     My parents, the late Big Bill and Carolyn Ellis, taught me to say you are wrong when you act improperly. In many ways it seems our parents had a great deal in common. Of course, I never had the pleasure of meeting your parents but they sound like they were wonderful people. My father owned a service station where I spent many hours pumping gas, wiping windshields, giving a lot of directions. We also had a little ice cream shop on the far end of the station. It was nothing fancy, we sold scooped ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and made milk shakes. I grew up in the middle of the Blount County, which sounds a lot like your county. It is the last official county in the Appalachian Mountains so we got a lot of those federal programs which were extended to poor Americans.

     Again, please accept my apology for anything that you consider unfair or incorrect, I look forward to meeting you and extending this apology in person.


With Kindest Regards,


William A. Ellis, III

Who plays tomorrow against a very underrated UT team?

Don't you miss the good old days?
WUOA reports that the suspension remains...

     I certainly do. Those good old days when all I had to do is write about players and matchups. Instead, all anyone can write about is how players will Bama have for the Tennessee. Today, the most important thing is to have a roster to make sure you know exactly who everyone is and and what their game to game status might be. And the answer is still who knows. I did a radio show today in an nearby state. The topics were SEC basketball, the NCAA, and who is going to get in the Big Dance. The real topic was what is going on with Alabama basketball. I miss the days when I could just pick up the phone and call the coach and find out. I am not going into the way that Coach Grant handles his program regarding information. This new excuse of "privacy of the student" is just laughable. I'd rather coaches just say, we don't want anyone know what is going on out of sheer embarrassment or its none of your business. Don't hide behind some mythical law that doesn't exist. How any Coach runs his public relations is his business,  and he gets to make the call. I'm not talking about just Alabama either. A lot of schools do the same thing. 


    Lack of transparency or keeping secrets as it was once called is a pretty dangerous thing to do. Way to much room for speculation. That is just the way people are. You might jaywalk on a Sunday and by next Sunday rumor has it you were run over by a truck. But the most asked question I got was "Will Mitchell and Green play" this weekend. My answer is they better, or Alabama can kiss the season bon voyage. There is a lot of speculation about the pair. A few people who know much about Alabama basketball say that Mitchell is coming back and Green misses one more game. I think these disciplinary stories all go the same way. Player does something wrong, coach suspends the player, coach is praised for taking action, team gets blasted but the coach still knows best, game two arrives and the players still are benched. Now the coach is praised for showing "toughness" as the teams gets pounded at home by 20. Now the fans are restless. Forums start taking about his inability to get the job done, Coach is screwing up the season, etc. Now people are openly questioning not only Coaches disciplinary technique, but his coaching ability, and parents, and why did we hire him. Game three roles around and now the fans are worried about winning the conference or making the NCAA. The forums are have calls to get rid of the coach and hire back the old coach. The truth is that it is hard to have discipline and win when you suspend 60% of your starting lineup. The bottom line is the that most fans don't care about long term results but only in winning today.


     That is what Coach Grant is facing. If Alabama loses tomorrow without Green and Mitchell all hell will break loose. Forums will go ballistic. What if the suspension last long enough for Auburn to come to Coleman and beat Alabama?  That is the state of Alabama basketball. I hope that the damned duo are allowed to play on Saturday for a lot of different reason. The main reason is I'm afraid that Coach Grant is going to lose to much support if they don't play.You look at next season and think that Mitchell and Green will be gone (Mitchell needs to stay) and think that the Tide signed no players this season and it's scary. I'll tell you that Grant has couple of surprises up his sleeve. Maybe they'll be JUCO's and transfers. Maybe one will be a super high school player. I do know that Alabama isn't worried about recruiting. That is a little reassuring. My guess for tomorrow night is that both players will suit up and play. Honestly,  I could be wrong. With Coach Grant it is hard to tell. WUOA and Grant said again today the suspension continues. Does that mean for Friday and Saturday? We'll see. If Bama loses to Tennessee people will not be happy. 


One other little tidbit that I verified today: The NCAA can take into account injuries and supensions of players in selecting teams for the Tournament. 


Final Shot: Tennessee is the talented 13-12 team I've ever seen. Ask Florida. The Al/TN has not been put on the board as of 5:00PM

Judgement tempered with mercy...

Where is the balance in discipline?

     I was in Court today and heard a lawyer pleading a case for his client to receive a lighter sentence. His argument went something like this - My client is guilty, he is remorseful, and he is immature. If you sentence him to a short stretch he will learn his lesson. If you sentence him to five years he will become embittered, learn a lot to new criminal skills, and never be a productive person. It was a valid argument if we lived in a state where rehabilitation of criminals is important. Most elected officials hand out stiff sentences to insure their re-election. No doubt some do deserved long sentences. I'm not saying some don't. But you simply can't paint every person in life with the same brush. There are different brush strokes for different folks so to speak. I'm not sure that it is wise to lump everyone together and expect positive results.  A judge can't do that and neither can a coach. Discipline can seem to light to some people but in reality it is crushing. I submit that you can't help build character with discipline alone. It is a combination of a lot of things, and that finding  the correct discipline is essential. I'm not saying that we all go down to the river and sing Cumbaya. I am suggesting that the person receiving  the discipline isn't always going to respond in the manner we expect. You suspend one player for 3 games and it  might make the player straighten up, but the same 3 games will discourage another player forever. Being humbled will make some players see the light, and make another give up. 


All of this led me to thinking about Green and Mitchell. At what point does punishment become counter productive? I don't have a ready answer because I don't think there is a standard answer for every problem. Mitchell and Green are not bad kids. They are moody. I could talk about their early years and the blows that life dealt each of them. That was then and this is now. I think each of us is the sum of all our experiences we have learned from all our days before. I know that Mitchell and Green are moody and easily discouraged. They are both easily frustrated. I think the burden of leadership has not helped Green at all. Some people are not leaders, and that is okay. Some of us have trouble just making it from day to day and I think that the pair fit that profile. Green is a senior, he has missed two games we might have won had he played. Here's what I wonder. Does missing the games teach him anything or does it just lower his personal life expectations even more? The same with Mitchell. Of the two I think that Mitchell will actually learn from the punishment than Green. When does something stop being punishment and start  becoming overkill?


I think the pair have served their time, and should be allowed back for the Tennessee game.
Even though we might not know until game time, the time is right for allowing them to play. I wouldn't blame Grant for holding back the info if he decides to let them play. I think the fans are ready to forgive the pair for whatever they did. Americans love a comeback. If the pair could turn around the season and lead the Tide to an NCAA berth do you think that such an  accomplishment would be positive reinforcement and allow the lesson is that discipline can lead to better things? Perhaps then it will let them know what they can do if they apply themselves by following the rules? Grant is the boss. The players know that. I suspect that the new guys are probably learning more than the duo because they already knew what the rules mean. When you bench your top two players that says a lot about how serious he is about the rules. Rules are important. People are more important. They are not mutually exclusive but it is foolish to think that all kids will respond to discipline in the manner Coach would like. I think the real key to discipline is to find what works without hurting player's future. The distance between discipline and being stubborn is pretty short.


None of this means that Anthony Grant is wrong in what he is doing. He could be absolutely correct in every area. All I am saying is that discipline is a fragile goal for anyone. I think that what Grant did with the pair was correct. I'm wondering if now is the time to temper his idea of judgement with mercy.

Time to re-instate the last two?

Hard on everyone including the fans...

    This is my personal opinion and nothing else. I think Coach Grant has now made his point, and for the sake of the season and fans he needs to consider letting Mitchell and Green return to the team. Regardless, of what Coach decides I will support him, but just for arguments sake let me represent the other side.

    The fans have suffered enough. We've watched two games that made us sad, mad, think the players are bad, and had enough of all this. If Tony Mitchell and Green haven't learned their lesson by now they never will. And if they can't learn the lesson who are you now punishing? I'd submit that it is the fans, who live and die, with every game, and they  don't deserve this in any form or fashion. Play them or kick them off the team. This is like being in a room with a bobcat. Just shoot the gun so one of us can find some relief. There are a lot of people who pay thousands of dollars in tickets and donations to watch basketball. Coach, you do not live in a vacuum. Those people have as stake in this as well as you.

     You know the only thing worst than a bad seat at a basketball game? An expensive bad seat. And if you are watching the Tide play right now you are seeing bad. It isn't fair for fans to be punished with a bad product. The point has been made. The players have been chastized. They have been publically humilated. They deserved it. I know one thing about Americans - we are quick to forgive. Coach Grant needs to find some balance here and if continues to suspend these guys he becomes the bad guy.

     That would be pretty much what I would say if I felt strongly enough to really disagree with the coach. The team knows who is in charge. Now is time to forgive but not forget. If you re-instate the players tomorrow the season may not be lost. If you continue down this path you will be heaping more blame on the players than they may deserve. When you won't release the details to the public it is not good. If these actions of the players occured in public then their is no expectation of privacy. If this punishment is a written policy of the University of Alabama then that is public record as well. This isn't grades. I have no problem protecting the privacy of grades, although a good case could be made for making them public. Players are public figures. I'm not sure that these players have any expectation of privacy.  Okay, there is my argument.

    Grant will do what he feels is best for his team and the players. The line that Grant is taking is as narrow as a razor's edge. I'm going to continue to support Grant in his decision. There are many others who will not support him as the embarrassing losses keep getting larger. At the University of Alabama the only thing that matters in the long run is winning. Coach should remember that. Two games for Green, three for Mitchell should be enough for anyone.

    

Heart only goes so far...

Florida talent is too much in the end...
Will Mitchell and Grant be allowed back?


    Alabama's heart and tenacious defense carried the team to a 26-26 first half tie. In the second half it was all Florida. I'm sure all Alabama fans were hoping for a miracle. I know I sure was. Hope springs eternal and that second half seemed like an eternity. After shooting 60% in the first half the Tide went stone cold in the second. Florida opened up with red hot second stanza shooting, and the Tide didn't have the firepower to match them. 


     I have no doubt that had Mitchell and Green played the outcome would have been different. There is no reassurance either will return. This is a terribly sad situation to the fans who love their team, and to those players and coaches who have worked hard to have a good season. At this moment Alabama is the worst team in the SEC. I can't see them winning many, if any, remaining games in the rough and ready SEC. 


    I wonder what Mitchell and Green are thinking at this very moment. I couldn't stand to watch my teammates suffer because of my actions. The pair should offer to  walk on broken glass and beg Grant to forgive them so all of this can end. The hard part about punishing those suspended players is that everyone else gets  punished as well. The kids gave it their all tonight, but the the talent level was too much to make up. Great coaching can carry you a long way, and in the first half it did. Bama had a chance. 10 turnovers in the first half made it impossible for the Tide to sustain any offensive momentum. Some of those turnovers were due to trying hard to make good plays. Others were just brain dead plays. Bama didn't hit their free throws, gave up too many offensive rebounds, and had no answer to Florida's inside game. How could they. They were overpowered. At 6-8 athlete who can jump is going to get more rebounds that a 6-4 player most nights.


    In this, our month of disbelief, Tide fans wonder what happened. How did all this go so wrong?  You would have to ask four young men. Grant reinstated Steel and Releford telling the press they were men of high character. That means they made a stupid mistake out of their normal behavior. But what does that mean about Mitchell and Green?  It might very well say they are through this season. Grant will do whatever is necessary for the overall good of the program, and to insure that the foundation is built on character and not characters. What is so sad for Green and Mitchell is that might have been remembered for taking the Alabama to the NCAA Tournament. Instead, and unless things change, they will remembered as the players who placed self above team and cost us all a season. 


     Realistically, if all the players return before the Tennessee game and gets a win,  the Tide still has a chance to make the NCAA. It seems the NCAA (if bracketologists are correct) really wants the Tide to make it. Right now we are clearly on the bubble. It is a bubble we created and we simply don't have enough manpower to put together enough wins without Green and Mitchell. Whatever happened with the pair, the coach is adement, and he enjoys the full support of Mal Moore. Maybe its one of those things we really don't want to know what happened, or is continuing to happen. Green who was a dead lock to make first team All-SEC is seeing that slip away as well as any hope to be drafted. 


     These type suspensions follow players on draft day like a vulture follows a staggering cow. Green knows this. Mitchell knows this. Even I know this. What in the world could this pair be thinking? I have to admit to being  upset with them. I also have to admit to this pervasive sense of sadness that surrounds all the fall out from this. This little Crimson nightmare is the type of story you tell your children in order to make them understand how we are all interconnected. Four Freshmen and two juniors are not going to beat Florida unless they are from Kentucky. It is hard to believe that Trevor Lacey was even a starter in high school, much less a two-time Mr. Basketball. His game as vanished. Randolph has remained great on defense but his offense has fallen off the map. Cooper was a cold as a dead fish, and as nervous as a chain smoker working the line in a dynamite factory in tonight's game. I think the pressure was too much for the freshman. 


    There is this Hindu Proverb that I find helpful in my life when things are not going well. It helps me when I doubt myself. It also helps me when I am far to full of myself. "There is nothing noble about being superior to some other man. True nobility is being superior to your previous self." Maybe that is what the pair of castaways have not yet considered? 


I am proud that Grant has made such a tough decisions. I am reassured to know that such men still exist. 

Releford and Steele return

A glass half full or empty...


Will two of the four be enough for the Tide?




Can Cooper do it again? Which player will step up to make a difference for the Tide tonight? 

    Regardless of the viewpoint you take it won't be enough unless the team has the best offensive game of the year in my opinion. Releford and Steele will give the Tide some leadership an stability. I thought this was going to be a TV night for me. Well, I caught a break and my trial was continued. They had nothing on me anyway. This means BASKETBALL and a trip to Tuscaloosa. No better feeling than pulling up to Coleman Coliseum or Bryant-Denny on game day. ‘Bama is now a 6 1/2 point dog. That is a  number that is warranted, but I think ‘Bama might pull off the near impossible...


     Florida is a good team. They are probably the second best team in the SEC but they are living proof that a team that lives by  3 point shots, will die by them as well. If you watched Tennessee dismantle the Florida last weekend you understand what I mean. Florida gave a whole new definition to the term soft. Billy Donovan will have worked his team on collision type in the paint drills getting ready for ‘Bama. Donovan and  Grant are best friends as well as colleagues. They probably can anticipate what the other has planned. Florida now knows that going inside is the ticket for success against the Tide. That goes against the character of his team. They will give it their best shot thought. The three remaining big men, plus Levi Randolph better be prepared for a hard night.

     Whatever Donavan has ready for us on offense, I wonder what he will be offering up on defense. One things is for certain - he has one game to judge what the Tide may do, and now Releford and Steele are back. He has no fixed game plan on defense except to zone the Tide. If Alabama ever had a game where shooting lights out from downtown let it be this game. I don’t think that Releford and Steele will start but they’ll play shortly. One thing that helps the Tide is they defend the three point shot well. Florida has the most sophisticated sets I’ve ever seen to shoot the 3. They have about 8 players who can drill ‘em. The top two off the Gator bench may not play. Alabama will have a short bench again. Gueye and Engstrom need some really quality minutes to rest Jacobs. At LSU no one knew who Rodney Cooper really was and what he could do. Tonight everyone on the Florida team knows about him and have heard the 21 a thousand times. 

     So if you are ‘Bama you hope for a lights out night, and hope that Florida shoots as bad as they did against Tennessee. All of us (a.k.a - the crowd) needs to bring our A game tonight. I think we can win this game. It is possible. Will it happen? Probably not,but you see some strange things happen in Sports. Do you believe in miracles?

Due to schedule I will not post for a few days...

I'm sure everyone knows that Releford and Steele are going play, not start however. Green is out as is Mitchell. I have to wonder if JayMychal will be asked to come back or will choose to come back at this point. Mitchell's time in purgatory is still unknown.

Can Bama beat Florida without Green or Mitchell? Not likely, but these remaining players will give it all they have. Let's hope that Green and Mitchell might return before the State game. Let's hope they understand what Grant is telling them first.

GRANT FACES A TOUGH DECISION

The four suspended players may return for Florida...
No Final decision is reached after today's meeting with the players involved, however

     A meeting was scheduled this afternoon between Coach Anthony Grant with the three recently suspended players. I have been told the meeting did occur and that the players met individually with Grant. The meetings lasted approximately 2 1/2 hours.( According to someone I've known for three decades and is close to the Athletic Department) It is unknown if the players will play against Florida on Tuesday night. A couple of people who are close to the basketball program have told me what they think happened. It was more was more complicated than just missing bed check, but was a violation of a routine rule known and understood by all the players.  It would be unfair to offer rank speculation at this point, but it seems to have been the a missed bed check which led Grant to ask the players more questions. I am told it is being treated as  a routine punishment that has pre-determined penalties, to which the entire team is subject to following. I don't know if the rule violation carries a mandatory number of games. It seems logical that such a violation would be at the discretion of the head coach. Perhaps Coach has some type of prior offense rule in effect. Perhaps first time offenders get off light so to speak. At any rate, whatever the Coach decides is fine with me. If the suspension last three games the season is over as far as making the field for the tournament. This week Florida and Tennessee come calling in Coleman Coliseum. There is no guarantee that 'Bama would beat either at full strength. It would seem hard to believe that 'Bama could win two key games without the starters. I would hate to look back on this season and know that losses to South Carolina and LSU, two teams which are not as good as the Tide cost us the NCAA. I can understand what happened in Baton Rouge. What happened in Columbia was a shocker even if it was a road game. 


So let's do a little bit of thinking out loud. The Tide is now 16-8. The SOS is good, and the RPI is still very good as well. Those are big factors in Alabama's favor. Two wins next week would take the Tide to 18-8. A win over the Gator's would be huge. A win over Tennessee will be good, but not as record enhancing. Disregard the fact that Tennessee beat Florida in Gainesville like a rag doll. It wasn't that Tennessee beat Florida that was so surprising. Any team in the SEC can beat any other team. But it was how they beat the Gators that was impressive. Tennessee showed that playing hard down low and pounding the boards is the way a team can beat them. 

     After next week's games the Tide travels to Fayetteville and then come home for Ms. State. Arkansas will be tough to win. Alabama and Arkansas are both hovering around the edges of the tournament, and whoever wins can say "we beat them". Bama has a chance to sweep this year's series with a win. The State game is crucial. I am almost at the point of saying that if Alabama can beat State and Florida we are make the field. Win all three and we start talking about seed. All of this is great fun to speculate but the only speculation that matters is what is going on in the mind of Coach Grant tonight. 


He probably knows what he is going to do, but I'll almost guarantee he'll think about it for another night to be absolutely sure his judgement is correct, and let the players sweat it out for a little bit longer. Coach Saban says that everyone, including the fans, are part of the team, and the process. So even the fans get to worry another night or so. I just don't think that two additional losses with our without the starters can be overcome without a strong run in the SEC. Such as reach the Finals. Or beat Kentucky or Vandy in the process. 

How about the performance of Rodney Cooper? That was the Rodney Cooper I saw play in high school. In fact, when Bama signed all four of the freshman,  I thought Cooper had the most upside. All things considered Levi Randolph and Jacobs have led the freshman pack. Lacey started slow, picked it up, and now has slowed down again. Randolph probably summed it up when he said playing at the Division One level is about "finding a comfort level". If you notice, all the freshman make good instinctive plays. You have to think about shooting. Cooper has never seen a shot he wouldn't take and didn't like. It's not surprising that he would be the one who had the first red hot night. He's a shooter. I bet when he walked off the floor he was upset about not taking more shots in the first half. He could probably tell you to the minute how long it is before tip-off for Florida. It was a brilliant performance by a freshman. It would have been a brilliant performance by a senior. Without checking I think that was the season high for any Tide player.


The thing that makes Cooper so valuable is his versatility. He can drain the long ball, hit the medium range jump shot, and can take it to the hoop. Imagine him next season with more power and twenty more pounds on his frame. Jacobs is just as wide load in a narrow lane. He is going to be very good in the future. The good thing about our freshman, and I include Gueye in that group is that they held their own on the road. I think they would have beaten LSU with either Lacey or Hankerson had been able to hit a few baskets.

So this weird week is over. First, the Tide annilates Auburn. Then the starters kill themselves, and then the freshman make us proud. Somehow Anthony Grant handled all of that with a lot of humility and poise. I bet he's glad the week is over. So this week we got to see the good, the bad, and not quite so ugly. It was pretty wild. My bet is the starters return on Tuesday and seek hardwood redemption. Just my feeling.


Final Shot: How good is to have a freshman come off the bench and play like Cooper played?  Overheard walking out of the Maravich Center: "Who the hell was that # 21?" and "well, if their first team had played they would have beat us by 20." Probably, but that if is the key word.


So how about this - If the starters all return, and if they obey the rules, and if Tony Mitchell decides he can play GrantBall,we are going to make life pretty miserable for someone in the future. I hope the future is Tuesday night. 


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Grant draws the line

Bama NCAA trip now in doubt...
Fans express anger and disappointment

    There is no margin of error at the University of Alabama for breaking team rules or poor conduct. Coach Anthony Grant made that abundantly clear in now indefinite suspension of four Alabama players. Three reportedly broke a team rule, and the other's suspension is based on reasons a little more vague. Regardless, Grant chooses to handle these matters in house, and the details are not made available to the public, nor should they be. In watching Grant's post game comments I was struck by the humility of the man as he discussed his part in the suspensions. He was very much like a father who has learned his children have misbehaved and is disappointed in them. Grant also let it be known that he tells the parents of the players that it is his job to build upon the foundation started by the them. 


    Coach did not lose his composure, but his body language and tone his voice betrayed his personal disappointment in what has happened. I always hope that our team makes it to the NCAA. We all know coaches who look the other way when players behave inappropriately. We also know coaches like John Calipari who think that unethical behavior, cheating to get kids in schools, breaking NCAA rules, leaving that school on probation are all part of his job. Anthony Grant is cut from a different pattern than that type coach.  He is a fierce competitor. He loves winning. Winning in the case of Mitchell, Steele, Releford, and Green goes beyond games. As overstated as is seems this coach is helping our kids prepare for the game named life. 


    It is unfortunate that the decision to make these individuals suffer from their choices effects all of us. My wife cried last night. She wasn't crying because we might lose the game, but rather expressing her feelings that these kids had someone in their life who would not allow anything other than acting correctly. We then relaxed to watch what was surely to be a slaughter of the lambs. The lambs lost the game, but the wolf had a tough night. I hope as Alabama fans we can accept the fact we really had a great night - if you believe in the values that Grant lives. Grant isn't laying down a moral code to follow. He isn't preaching any doctrine of faith here. He is saying that certain behaviors will not be tolerated and that if you break a rule you will be punished. Like any family member, we suffer when our family suffers. At least we know this story will probably have a happy ending. It might not have an NCAA ending. Right now that is unimportant. What is important is that we let our Coach know that we fully support him in how he runs his team and what he expects from these young men. This writer believes in Grant 110% even though a long suspension means our NCAA hopes are over. 


   None of this means that the kids suspended are bad people. Good people make bad decisions all the time. We say and do things out of character. We live to regret the results of our actions. What Grant is hoping today is that these players regret the results of their actions because those actions were wrong, and not just because they got caught. If the understand the former things will improve. If they believe the latter ... well, that's not good. I personally know each of these kids. They are fine kids. 


    I don't know what Grant will do regarding the Florida game. It depends on what the players convince him they have learned. Their return may be en mass or they may trickle back in one at a time. In the midst of all this Grant is having to balance the needs of his school, his fan base, and the players. As part of that base for over 50 years I'd like to tell our coach not to worry about the us. I guarantee that each of us have been down the same road as the coach. Either as parents having to punish our children, or perhaps as young adults who remember the lessons learned. In my case it would be both. I wasn't a poster child for obeying rules. But I was lucky to have parents like Grant. I think every one of us can be proud of our coach, and I think that most of us will agree that we offer up our deepest sense of pain for what he is going through on this Sunday Morning.

Rammer Jammer Freshmen...

Tide Pride won't let Crimson quit...
Writers trip to hell in Baton Rouge (second page)

Cooper sparks Tide offense

     What do you have suspended 4 of your top 6 players, including your point guard, and the SEC's leading rebounder?  You start 4 freshmen and Ben Eblen. A funny thing happened in the Maravich Center on Saturday night - the winners lost and the losers won in a funny kind of way. I know there are no moral victories. So let's call this one Tide Pride and glimpse of a very bright future in Tuscaloosa. If anyone doubts that Anthony Davis is a great coach, we just saw exhibit A and B today. Exhibit A is to suspend stars who don't want to follow the rules. Exhibit B is to play a rag tag bunch of kids and almost pull off a stunning upset cause they are so excellently coached.  


    I have no idea why LSU fans were applauding their team as the Tigers left the arena. I do understand and appreciate the LSU fans who applauded the Alabama when they left the Court. In a rivalry marked by increasing hostility that recognition was both gracious and well-deserved. I know that the game will go down as an Alabama loss, but I suspect that there might have been a great deal more won in the game Saturday night than lost. I don't think I've ever been more proud of any Crimson Tide team. That goes back 55 years for me. Things happen that are bad. Out of those bad things comes good things on occasion. Tonight was such an occasion. Tonight was very special to an older guy who has seen over a thousand Alabama games. It should be special to all Alabama fans who relish watching the Tide under adverse circumstances and equating themselves well.


     Twice in the second half Alabama pulled to within 3 points. Each time the Bengals went inside to Justin Hamilton. Alabama had the speed, the heart, and the quickness. They just didn't have the athletic size needed inside. One other thing that Alabama had was Rodney Cooper. The 6-7 Cooper, who played small school ball, had a coming out party. It was Cooper who picked up the Tide on offense when he started knocking down everything he shot. Then Nick Jacobs joined in. I think at some point the Tide started to believe they could win. I know that LSU thought they might lose. 


    It was wonderful to watch. The Tide climbed the peak but couldn't reach the summit. When the contest ended Alabama had fought the hard fight but lost. I've heard men say there is no shame in losing. When you have left it all on the floor you have done all you can do. Bama did that. They missed some shots they could have made. All in all you can't ask for anything more out of a bunch of kids. If Bama could get this type of production from Cooper and Jacobs down the stretch...


     For the night Rodney Cooper scored a career high 28 points and showed the promise he brought with him to Alabama. Full report tomorrow

Grant suspends Green, Releford, and Steele

Good grief what is going on?

The line in the Sand is for everyone

   Those three players are undoubtedly the leaders of Alabama basketball team. Grant told the media that "talent is a gift, but character is a choice".  At this point no one really knows exactly what happened to cause this suspension.


    It appears to be a one game suspension because the term indefinite was not used by Coach Grant. That may not be true. This is truly discouraging for Tide fans who have gone through the highs and lows, both on and off the court, of the Crimson Tide. 


   Grants pointed but succinct statement is such that it really offers no details, but makes it very clear this is an issue of character. All three of these players fully understand the rules and expectations of the Coach and it is very disappointing to Tide fans. It is almost hard to believe that Andrew Steele could have done something to raise the ire and concern of his coach. Releford has never given any indication behavior detrimental to the team. Green has been suspended before but it was not a character issue.


The full statement reads: 


"We are extremely disappointed in the choices and decisions made by these young men that has The led to this suspension," coach Anthony Grant said. "Talent is a gift, but character is a choice. consequences of their choices have negatively impacted them as individuals and the people that love and support them. Our hope is that they will be mature enough to accept responsibility for their actions and place a higher value on their character."

   At this point I have no idea what's up. I will tell you one thing - If the players won't adhere to the rules of their Coach they deserve what they get. We should be proud to such a man as the coach and teacher of our student athletes. This is a huge blow to Bama's NCAA fight. One  game will not eliminate the Tide from the chase, but it merely makes future games even larger.


UPDATE:  This is not a drug related problem. It is a rules violation that applies to games on the road. If we can get a "on the record" statement we'll post immediately. All three players have been sent back to Tuscaloosa. A staff person drove them back. I have been told that the staff believes this will be a one game suspension provided that certain things are done, including apologizing to their teammates. Each has already done so, but I think it is going to be something more formal. Reports are that all three are deeply ashamed of their actions and that TR was actually in tears. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE BY THE COACH AS TO THE  NUMBER OF GAMES TH E SUSPENSION WILL LAST. 

    

KEY ROAD GAME IN THE BAYOU

Improved LSU team...   Every game is big for Tide

Trent Johnson took Stanford to national
prominence. The man can coach...

     There are no inconsequential games for Alabama until the seasons ends now. There is no more games which provide some breathing room, or even one where Grant might try different lineups to fine tune his team. Alabama's four game losing streak has made them a team under the microscope. Every big win, like the Auburn road victory, helps Tide fans think we are probably in the NCAA. A loss means maybe not. This isn't a good position to be found late in the season. There are lots of games left, but none of them is unimportant. A road win over a much improved LSU team will boost the Tide's record to 17-7 (5-4) The Tigers are now 13-10 coming into the game. LSU is 3-6 in the league with their lone home loss to the Wildcats.


    On Tuesday night, game one without suspended start Tony Mitchell, saw the Crimson Tide rally around each other to belt Auburn 68-50. It was a good road win. Double meaningful for the Tide who savored the road win, and the victim was a bonus. It keeps the Tide on a clear track for the NCAA. Now the Tide heads to the Bayou for a Saturday game with LSU. You can imagine the welcome the Tide will receive. I'm so excited about his game and the challenges that come with tip-off. Talk about a game of opportunities. I bet Anthony Grant is as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof, but here is the game the coach can point too and say, "today proves a lot about us as a team." Two good road wins will propel the Tide into next week. Key games with Florida and Tennessee are next.


    Friday night finds Bama once again without Tony Mitchell. The petucalent Tide star will sit out his second game of the year. You will remember that it was the suspension of JayMychal Green last season that put the Crimson Tide into a tail spin which eventually led to an NCAA snub. Lost in the fact was Alabama fighting back to have a 12-4 conference record, a win the SEC Western Division. It was a remarkable turnaround for the team. That is the only time a division winner has every been left out in the rain when the field was set for the Big Dance. Like the man said, "so what have you done for us lately?"

Grizzard stood on a table
and heckled LSU fans
after big Tide road win.

    Lately comes tomorrow. The Tide will open with the same line up as they did against Auburn. That means Andrew Steele will be inserted in the starting five instead of Mitchell. Mitchell was not allowed to travel with team for the game. Green, Jacobs, Randolph, and Releford will likely round out the first five. The Tigers played # 1 Kentucky at home and lost but certainly did not get outclassed. You might think that Bama almost beat Kentucky in Rupp so there should be no trouble dispatching the Tigers. That isn't how the SEC works. The win over Auburn was only the 4th road win by any team not in the top 3 of the SEC. Tomorrow will be a back yard brawl between 2 schools that don't like each other in the least. You might recall Rod Grizzard standing on the scorers table in the Maravich Center giving the LSU crowd his opinion of how they acted. Needless to say, he wasn't exactly warmly received. That's the kind of rivalry it has become. The football rivalry is really recent when compared with the strained feelings between the two basketball programs. Alabama and LSU frequently go head to head for recruits such as Ralston Turner, an Alabama native. 


     In the first game the Tide beat the Tigers 69-53 in Tuscaloosa. The Tide jumped on the Tigers early and disrupted their game plan. Alabama shot 51% from the floor. If Alabama wins on Saturday they'll have to do without Tony Mitchell's 9 points and 11 rebounds in the first. It will take a joint effort by several players to make up the loss. Game one also a head to head battle between two of the best young points in the league. Releford had a 20 point night and only 2 turnovers as he ran the Bama offense. Anthony Hicky, the reigning Mr. Basketball, had 8 and Releford made his night miserable. Watch that battle. 

     The inside battle between JayMychal Green and Nick Jacobs will have their hands full with Ralston Turner, 6-11 Justin Hamilton who logged 36 minutes in game one, and Malcolm White. A key match up will be how LSU coach Trent Johnson decides to play Bama smaller lineup. One other thing in LSU's favor. National top ten recruit Johnny O'Bryant, 6-9 power forward who is very athletic and very active around the paint. The O'Braynt - Jacobs freshman showdown could be key. Likewise, Hamilton, has been a huge pickup for LSU . He is very tall, very strong, and shoots well. In the last match-up Trent Johnson tried to use Hamilton to draw fouls on Green. Alabama's defensive guard play really cut down on touches to Hamilton. Don't look for Turner to be a no show again. O'Bryant is a the unknown factor. LSU has the size and the home court. LSU is not a good three point shooting team. Bama is going to zone more than usual and offer some strong offside help to both Jacobs, and particularly Green inside. Bama must protect Green from foul trouble. He has been prone to be to active on the road at the defensive end. For Bama to win, Green and Releford and one other player need to step up. Last game it was Hankerson, before that it was Steele. The Tide may not have a singular player to replace Mitchell but the chemistry was good against Auburn, and the team is confident. 


    A Tide win gives them 17 for the year. With the remaining schedule the Tide should win more than 20 and get a berth. A loss to LSU makes it much harder. Bama is a 2 point favorite. A 2 point favorite on the road in the SEC. Hard to believe. 


MY PICK:  BAMA by 1

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