Well, here we are at the end of yet another Alabama basketball season so I wanted to take the time to review the season from my own point of view. I’m sure the others will chime in with their own thoughts in the days ahead.
First, let
me get this out of the way. My support of Coach Grant has been well-documented
throughout the season so I would prefer it if those who don’t share that
support could help avoid the slap fights we’ve had in the comments section of other posts by simply sitting this one out.
At this point we all know where the other stands on the subject. So please read
the post, agree or disagree with my position on the state of the program, and
let’s move forward toward next season. Thank you.
Coming into
the season, I looked at this Alabama team on paper and predicted 21-22 regular
season wins and a return to the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing the
two best players – JaMychal Green and Tony Mitchell – from last years’ team, I
felt the depth at the guard position would be enough to make the team
competitive, if not exactly a world beater. Yes, there were question marks in
the paint, but Nick Jacobs and Carl Engstrom had shown enough flashes the year
before that I felt confident in that 21-22 win prediction. I also thought the
SEC would be a much-improved conference that would help with the requisite RPI
and SOS numbers. So much for that.
Through the
month of November, things looked promising. The team got off to a 6-0 start,
including winning their second consecutive early season event by defeating
Oregon State and Villanova in New York City in the 2K Sports Classic. And then
came the month of December.
It began
with Andrew Steele once again being bit by the injury bug as he was forced to
miss time due to surgery for a sports hernia. And then Carl Engstrom was lost
for the season with a knee injury. For a team with limited skill and depth in
the post, his loss was significant. To add insult to his injury, Alabama then
lost a crucial road game at Cincinnati when the Bearcats’ Cashmere Wright hit a
buzzer-beating shot. That loss began a dreadful month in which Alabama went
1-5, including home losses to Dayton, Mercer and Tulane that ultimately proved
to be the nail in Alabama’s NCAA tournament hopes.
The
team regrouped and went 12-6 in conference play, finishing tied for second
after being selected to finish sixth in the preseason. Unfortunately, even with
that accomplishment, it was hard to shake the fact that Alabama could have
finished higher in the standings if they had only shown up in a dreadful road
loss at Auburn, and had finished strong in winnable games at LSU, Tennessee and
Florida that they allowed to slip away down the stretch. Then again, one could
also argue they easily could have lost several close games they won.
In the end,
the Alabama basketball team was simply unable to win enough games down the
stretch to offset that December struggle and had to settle for an NIT bid.
While a third straight postseason appearance is not to be dismissed, a number
of Alabama fans, even those outside the lunatic fringe element of the fanbase,
were disappointed with the lack of an NCAA bid. Alabama played some spirited
basketball in its three NIT games, but fell short in the quarterfinals, once
again rousing the naysayers.
On top of
all that, Anthony Grant’s name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for
the Minnesota job. My gut tells me that Coach Grant will return for his fifth
season, but the coaching profession has become a nomadic one and until the
coaching carousel comes to an end and Anthony Grant is still the Alabama coach,
anything is possible. For some, Grant moving on would not be a tragedy, but I
still believe that Anthony Grant can take this program to the next level. It is
my hope he feels the same and will return to finish the job.
With that
said, should Anthony Grant return, year five will be a pivotal one for him.
Assuming there are no offseason injuries or transfers, Alabama will return
experience and depth in the backcourt and will finally have the frontcourt
depth that has been a missing ingredient since Grant arrived in Tuscaloosa.
Simply put, anything less than another 20-win season, a return to the NCAA
tournament, and some measure of success in March would have to be considered a
disappointment.
This season
was not devoid of success. If anything, Alabama persevered despite their
shortcomings as a team. The fact that a team that frequently struggled to score
and rebound the ball can still win 23 games is a testament to the coaching
staff and the hunger to improve on the part of the players. It could portend
great things in 2013-14.
For now,
we’re left to observe what happens in the offseason with the coaching carousel
and the recruiting class for next season, which is off to a promising start with the commitments of Jimmie Taylor and Shannon Hale.
After the summer months have passed, I’ll look at the current roster, preview
each player and what they can hopefully bring to the table in the 2013-14
season.
Roll Tide
3 comments:
If we do not win at least 25 games, and get a top 6 seed next season, consider me disappointed. I believe we will have more talent and depth in the 2013-14 season than any other team in the Anthony Grant era. I have not seen the schedule, and the roster has not been finalized yet, but there is no reason we should not be a top 25 team next season. Alabama needs to avoid the bad losses in November and December to avoid putting themselves in a hole again. We also need to win some games we are not suppose to win, if the program is to go to the next level. My opinions on Grant are clear, but weather people like it or not Grant is coming back for a make or break year, so I will get behind him one last time. Next year is a pivotal year not only for CAG, but for the program as well. We have pretty much stunk since 2007, there is no sugar coating that. I believe this program can and will eventually return to the glory day's of Wimp and CM, but if we lay an egg again next year, I will start to question if we are doomed to mediocrity as a program. The fan's are hungry for a winner, the fans deserve a winner. It is time for Alabama to step up to the plate and give us a winner. Roll Tide, always.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/21977641/ucla-made-a-good-hire-but-not-the-hire-its-trying-to-sell
There is a reason more coaches are staying at smaller schools. Those schools give them enough $, are actually dedicated to hoops, and for the most part have a more rabid fan base. Saying that, I'm surprised Alford took the UCLA job. He'll be fired in 5 years where he could've retired in Albuquerque (now that I typed that I see why he left).
As I watch Wichita St make the Final Four I sit here asking myself how come we've only made it past the 1st week of the tournament ONE TIME in the past 21 years. We are the Chicago Cubs of hoops.... the few years where we have hyped expectations we end up flopping.
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