" We Embrace It"

 He didn’t engage in coachspeak.  He didn’t dodge the anticipation. I suspect he is telling his players to feed off the media frenzy and enjoy the ride. I think Johnson knows he has the horses to win enter the derby. If you caught the practice earlier this week it is apparent that the Crimson Tide is going to be very good. At a minimum, the Crimson is NCAA good. I wonder what the maximum be. This team isn’t going to win the NCAA this season. Alabama might win the SEC, but it is possible they might. Don’t get overexcited. It likely won’t happen after watching team up close and personal it seems to me the talent is available to give it a good run. Why do I say that? Here are the reasons:

1.       You must understand the firepower that Alabama has on the floor. Sexton and Petty bring a new dimension to set the gym on fire. Add Ingram, Davis, Riley, Davis, and Jr. to the mix and you have a lot of high scoring options.

2.       How about the improvement on the offensive end by Hall? How about the contribution that Giddens is going to bring? Seriously, this big package can dominate the inside. Johnson is not likely to have both on the floor together consistently, but individually they both are big time players. The improvement of the post players is huge, and it could be the most important upgrade the Tide makes.

3.       This team can run and then run some more. The Crimson and White is going beat up some teams with their speed and quickness on the break. See #2 to understand what is going to make that possible.

4.       Alabama also can run a half-court offense that will be patient enough to get great shots. A good inside and outside game is going to win a lot of games.

5.       Think about this – Dazon Ingram may be the 4^th best player on the floor this year. Alabama still has Braxton Key who was last season’s go to guy by seasons end.

   Every time I try to temper my enthusiasm with common sense, the talent makes me even more enthusiastic. This team can win big if all the pieces fall into place. The Canadian swing gives the Tide extra practices and solid competition. One of the Canadian teams is almost SEC caliber.