2019-20 Schedule News: 2020 Conference Opponents Announced

Hi. It seems like only yesterday that I wrote about Bama Hoops. Wait, it was yesterday. Huh. Well, it's wonderful to see you again just the same.

SEC coaches are currently in Destin, FL for the conference summer meetings. In recent years the conference has taken the opportunity to release the conference basketball opponents for each school, and they were kind enough to do so again.

#Alabama's 2020 @SEC home/away opponents have been announced‼️ 👀⤵️

🔗https://t.co/QcZ1Y5Veov#RollTide pic.twitter.com/LXIy1oMsQj

— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) May 29, 2019

 

Alabama will play home-and-homes with Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt. Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State all made the NCAA Tournament last season, and will likely be projected to return to the tournament in 19-20. I remain confused what the schedule rotation process is because Alabama played a home-and-home with Vandy just last season and will do so again. I thought the purpose of rotating two home-and-home opponents was to create a different matchup each season. Whatever.

Conference home games for Alabama: Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Road games for Alabama: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

The league has been on an upswing the last few years, and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Once again, the conference should be in contention for 7-8 bids.

Offseason Post # 6: The Tevin Mack Will Not Be Back Edition

Hello again, everyone. The deadline for early withdrawal from the NBA Draft is today. The only decision that Alabama was waiting for was that of redshirt senior, Tevin Mack. Tevin sat out the 17-18 season after transferring from Texas. This past season, he averaged 9 pts and 3.3 rebs. He had flashes of brilliance during the season, but I would have to judge his 18-19 season as a disappointment overall. Yesterday, Tevin announced that he was withdrawing from the NBA Draft, but he will not be returning to Alabama. Instead, he will transfer as a graduate, thus insuring he can play immediately wherever he chooses to go. Good luck and best wishes to Tevin moving forward.

Tevin's decision to transfer means the coaching staff have a scholarship to give. It appears their primary recruiting target for that scholarship is Villanova transfer and former McDonald's All-American, Jahvon Quinerly, who was in Tuscaloosa earlier this week for a visit. Quinerly is a 6'1, 175 lb guard. The four schools that appear to have emerged as leaders for him are Bama, Pittsburgh (he's visiting there today), Arkansas and Georgia. Quinerly will have to sit out a season per NCAA transfer rules.

👀 looks like a good fit pic.twitter.com/5iY2RJ42vA

— Alabama Roundball (@BamaRoundball) May 28, 2019

 

In Other News:

1] Not long after Trendon Watford elected to commit to LSU, Alabama announced that Juco All-American James Rojas had signed. The 6'8, 215 lb forward led Hutchinson Community College in scoring at 19 pts per game (his points per 40 minutes was an astounding 29.4), while also averaging 6.8 rebs and 1.5 stls. His shooting percentages were impressive: 50.4% FG, 38.4% from 3, and 79.5% from the free throw line. While I was disappointed to see Trendon leave the state, signing a Juco All-American isn't a bad consolation prize. If Rojas is able to transition his game successfully from Juco to major college basketball, he could be a pleasant surprise for the team this season.

Offseason Post # 5: The Trendon Watford Has Left The State Edition

As most of you reading this likely know by now, Trendon Watford, a 5-star forward and the top player in the state of Alabama in the 2019 class, made his college decision on Monday, choosing to take his talents to Baton Rouge and play for the LSU Tigers. For any Alabama fans angry at this development, let me just remind you that Trendon wasn't likely to come to Alabama if Avery Johnson was still the coach. What once seemed like a sure commitment got away over the last two years as the leadership of the program began to be openly questioned by fans, media and, it would seem, recruits and their families. If Nate Oats had more time to build a relationship with Trendon and his family, I think Alabama would have remained a strong leader for his commitment, but there just wasn't time.

I wish Trendon was suiting up for Alabama next season, but I'm guessing Will Wade made a strong a** offer. It is what it is. In all seriousness, I wish Trendon the best at LSU. He's a great player that is doing what he feels is best for his basketball future, and any sane, rational fan has to accept his decision process. That said, I hope Alabama sweeps LSU next season. Will Wade has quickly become, for me anyways, one of the more loathsome characters in college basketball. The fact he still has a job after the revelations that have surfaced the last few months is further testament to the now open embrace of the rot and corruption at the heart of college basketball, and, if I may be so bold, our society as a whole. One thing is for certain: the game between the two programs in Coleman Coliseum next season should be quite interesting. I suspect the Alabama students will not be kind.