Crimson Red Sports

The 2013-14 basketball schedule has not been released yet. However, enough information has been leaked to the media that it appears we will have a very good non-conference schedule this year.

We will play in the preseason NIT Tip-Off Classic. We will play two home games and two games in New York. Duke, Arizona and Rutgers are in this tournament. We should play two of those teams. We have a neutral site game with Oklahoma in Dallas. We have an away game at UCLA. We host Texas Tech who will be coached by Tubby Smith in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge. It is being announced today that we have agreed to a home & home with Final Four team Wichita State. Wichita State will play in Tuscaloosa this year and we go to their place next year.

This is shaping up to be a very good but challenging schedule. Now we need to win those games.

Wichita State Game Link:
http://www.abc3340.com/story/22451886/alabama-basketball-adds-wichita-state-to-schedule

If we win half those games, our RPI will be very solid. Beating say, Arizona, Wichita St., Oklahoma, & maybe one other would be a huge boost for us.


 :clap:

We are going to have to improve to win these games. I do think that CAG can get this done if he runs the team and not the team running him.
We need help in the middle so bad it hurts,but do we have that? I am hoping injuries are low this year and remember last year we came out blowing people away and won a tourney. Seeing that kind of play would make us smile. Who are our leaders? RTR!

I think we have a good team coming back next year and we add two freshmen. We lost Gueye (no harm there) and Lacey (that one hurt a lttle). Andrew Steele graduated but he was injuried more than he played.

Our big guys will be Engstrom, Jacobs and Pollard along with a freshmen Taylor (6-10 center) and Hale (6-8 forward). I look for us to be much stronger under the basket this year. I hope the new S&C coach works these guys to death this summer.

Leaders: No question this is Releford's team. He is the star, a senior and the man who has to have a good year. I think he is up to the task. Randolph leads by example. He will be a junior and works harder than anyone, especially on defense. Cooper and Jacobs will also be juniors and Engstrom is a senior. We will not be able to say he are a young team anymore.

I am excited about our schedule and the team we will put on the floor next year.

It will be interesting to see how CAG handles the new 2 headed monster we have at point.  Will he leave Relly as the starter and bring Retin off the bench, or will he play them both at the same time and move Relly to the 2?  I like playing them both at the same time and letting them pressure the other team and run the fast break at every chance we get.  We would be really small at the guard positon, but both of those guys play physical enough to make up for it. 

I like this idea of playing them both and running the floor.  With the way we play defense we should get a lot of fast breaks.

I don't think Obasohan will start. I think he will play an important role coming off the bench. I look for Releford, Randolph, Cooper, Pollard and Engstrom to start. Jacobs is the first big man sub and Obasohan the first guard. Too soon to know what impact if any the two freshmen will provide. I put Pollard as a starter not because of his play last year but because of his potential.

I truly hope Pollard will be much improved over this last year. Speaking of Pollard, anybody know the latest on the debacle with his mom?

I had forgotten about that.

Here is the most recent news I could find on this sordid situation.








http://www.wtok.com/home/headlines/BOND-DENIED-FOR-SECOND-KIDNAPPING-SUSPECT-206876071.html

Apparently he was not involved in the situation at all. I know at one time there was some speculation that maybe she used his car. I was concerned that he might have inadvertently gotten mixed up in it.

At any rate, it has to weigh heavy on his mind. Hope he can work through it.

Thanks for the updates MD and 2.

There has been nothing about this on the local news. I'm guessing the State and Federal boys are building this case together, so it may be a while before they start processing it.

I agree with pmull on the starters for right now but I'm very anxious to see what the the S&C coach brings to the table. If Jacobs has a good off season and comes back in good playing condition, he could make them a different team. It would be also be nice if Engstrom develops some offensive skills in the off season, this would be a huge boost for the team. I've got my fingers crossed. I think the post position is the key for their success this year.

I just don't see Pollard starting this year. He was a 5 star recruit and he was atrocious as a freshman. Now, his momma is facing 20 years to life for kidnapping and I can't see him blocking that out of his mind and being solely focused on BB. I think Jacobs shows up in shape and starts in place of Pollard. I really hope one of the new freshgmen can be a help when they come in. Also, I think Obasahan will be a solid guard for the Tide this year.


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I'm hearing that Devonta has been arrested for involvement now.

Alabama has added Xavier to the schedule. The game will be Dec 21 in Tuscaloosa.

Our non conference schedule is very demanding but will have a big reward if we can win most of those games.

http://bamahoops.blogspot.com/2013/06/schedule-news-alabamaxavier-on-december.html

What a great addition! So, we have the possibility of playing Arizona, Duke, plus Xavier, Oklahoma, & UCLA.


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It is my understanding in the preseason NIT we will play 2 games in New York against Arizona, Duke and Rutgers. We will play 2 of the 3.

We will also play Texas Tech who will be coached by Tubby Smith next year.

I see we are building a tough schedule. I have to wonder if we can come to the court every night ready for the challenge? RTR!

I wonder if they'll loan us some players?  :-\

It looks like our two freshmen big men will be thrown to the lions early in the season.



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I like it. One, the risk is worth the reward if we win. Two, it looks better than the barn playing North Dakota State Tech School for the Blind.

We have 9 scholarship players that will be eligible next year. Two transfers can not play for a year.

Guard: Releford, Obasohan, Randolph, Key

Forward: Cooper, Jacobs, Hale

Center: Engstrom, Taylor

I think our guards will be fine. Most people said we had too many guards anyway. We will be improved at the post. I think we will be better than last year. If the two freshmen can contribute we will be a very good team.

You can NEVER have too many guards. They are the ballhandlers & outside shooters. In the NBA, most teams have 5 guards on the roster. Overall, I think we are in a good position, but one of the freshmen really needs to contribute. If one of the guards, besides Releford, can hit from the outside and we can get some solid forward play on the inside from Jacobs or Cooper, we can make some noise in the SEC. We have to stay healthy, that is the secret to our success next season.


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I like our 9 players. We have a better mix of guards and big guys this year. We have the ability to play small with one post player like we did all of last year or go big. Assuming the two freshmen can contribute quality playing time we will be able to rotate four big guys in Engstrom, Jacobs, Hale and Taylor. Add Cooper and Randolph (who rebounds well for his size) with 2 of the 4 bigs and we will have a big line up.

Randolph, Cooper and the JUCO transfer Key will be able to play with Releford or Obasohan for a small quick line up that presses full court. I do not look for Releford and Obasohan to play together often. They are our only two ball handlers that can run our offense. We need one in the game at all times. 

I think these 9 guys give CAG options we have not had. We just need to keep all 9 healthy.

Freshmen Hale and Taylor will be an important part of our team. We will need more out of them that we got out of Pollard (which was nothing) last year.

We have 1 proven player that we can build around next season. Releford should continue at last seasons pace or maybe even improve. That is, if the unproven post guys don't clog things up and/or offset his efforts with turnovers and fouls. Obasohan can give him breathers, maybe even longer stretches of relief, but only if he becomes a little consistent as he showed tendencies of toward the end of last season.

The two freshmen big guys cannot be relied upon until they also show some consistency of play, and this will not be known until we get close to opening league play. It is nice to dream of an improved and motivated Jacobs, but only time will tell. I am happy if he starts 2013 the way he finished 2013. That does not seem to be too much to ask. 

Randolph and Cooper have potential to really help, both inside and out. Pollard also, but we'll have to wait and see if he is even in uniform. Again, consistency on both sides of the ball from these 3 gives the Tide a 3 dimensional attack, ---picking up a few 3's, rebounding with put backs, and presenting an open look in the 6-10 range now and then. Key is an unknown at this point, but another slasher to the goal would be an asset.

Engstrom is a senior with nothing on his resume to indicate anything but mediocrity. The best you can hope for here is that he'll spell others for 2-3 minutes at a time without costing us a 6 point lead.  CAG has beefed the sked because he knows this is make or break time for his employment outlook.  Some guys may improve this summer, others will not. But these are the cold, hard, realities so you may as well face them.  RTR     

 #+, well said pmull. Our life I also think holds on injuries also. Hey I thank you for all the posts but this makes our team sound real with goals to look for. NCAA tourney, I don't know but if we win the NIT or go deep in the NCAA tourney, then we will be well done. RTR!

I agree with everything you said, but it always makes me a little nervous when we have to play with fewer guys on the bench. Not much room for error or serious injury.

I think we have three proven SEC players. Releford is All-SEC and the leader of our team. Randolph and Cooper have been solid SEC players for two years. They are not All-SEC caliber but they are good players.

When you go to the JUCO route you are wasting your time if the player can not contribute immediately. I give CAG benefit of the doubt and expect Key to play quality minutes for us. He is not expected to be a serious 3-point threat but he is a scorer. I think he helps us.

Obasohan showed he has potential at the end of last year. I am glad we have him.

Post play is where we need the most help. Engstrom will never be All-SEC but he can be a solid defensive player and rebounder for us. If we can get 4-6 points out of him that would be a plus. Jacobs is a big body 6-8 forward. I think he picks up where he left off last year. He will be a bigger scoring threat is he has another big guy like Engstrom or Taylor in the game with him. At 6-8 he has trouble being the only post player on the floor. Hale and Taylor are question marks. Freshmen struggle most of the time but if we can get anything out of these two players we will be a good team.

I look forward to next season. I think we will put a bigger improved team on the floor.

I will be surprised if Pollard is on the team. I'm not counting on him. Based on his play last year he will not be missed.

Losing to Arizona helps our SOS more than our beating Alabama State which is why you must have a solid schedule. I can not wait for us to play this schedule and I think we can win some of them.

 :clap:

Bama has the schedule for sure that can put them into the post season play, that's a big improvement from the past year's schedules. With the squad size being reduced so drastically, it will be a challenge for the team. I will say though, if they can get through the non-conference games in good shape, they should do well in conference play.

I read on another board that 9 of our scholarship players are in Tuscaloosa this summer. Carl Engstrom and Micheal Kessens are overseas playing summer ball. Kessens has to sit out next year due to his transfer from Longwood. Another transfer, Ricky Tarrant, is one of the 9 on campus.

I wish Engstrom was in Tuscaloosa. Both freshmen, Taylor and Hale, are there.

I hear the team is hitting the weights and working with the new S&C coach.

I also saw a comment that Nick Jacobs is working hard and appears to be in better shape than he was all of last season.

Great info, especially about Jacobs & the 2 freshmen big men. Engstrom is an example of the problems you have with foreign players. They fill obligated to represent their country in BB & risk being injured or overly tired by the time the return to the states to play.


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Alabama is pursuing Penn St transfer Jermaine Marshall. He is a junior who graduates this summer and can transfer and play immediately. He has received his release from Penn St. He avg 15 pts and was their top 3 pt shooter. He is a 6-4 guard.

The ESPN link talks about his transfer but does not list any schools he is looking at.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9397396/jermaine-marshall-penn-state-nittany-lions-stay-college-transfer

This is good to hear and it would be a fantastic addition for the team. Hopefully it will happen. :pray:

I like the way CAG has gotten in line for these big time players. We can start building a great foundation if some of these come through. RTR!

Engstrom is back in Tuscaloosa working with the team.

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I can't remember... do we like Engstrom or is he another 9FG?

I like him. I think he has potential and at 7'2" he can be a presence in the center. Before his injury, he was showing some of this and was very active around the basket. We will know more in a few months. If he can just clog the middle, block a few shots, & score 7-9 points, I will be happy.

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First off, he seems like an ernest, hardworking, and coachable kid. That's a great foundation. His boards, points, and assts. will all go up if he can work on catching and controlling the ball. With so many hands down in the block, the slightest fumble of the ball vastly increases the chances it will be taken or knocked away before he has a chance to extend and use his height to full effect. If someone can help him catch and control balls, and keep the ball high once he catches it, his production will double or triple. I know I have harped on this before, but the very most frustrating thing for me to watch in a basketball game is a big man with bad hands, and all those oh-so-close opportunities to dunk or steal a board that are wasted when the ball gets fumbled away.

Engstrom's defense is above average. His offense needs a lot of work. He has hard hands but he is much better than Gueye who started for us last year. IMO Engstrom going down in the Cincinnati game cost us that game and a shot the NCAA Tournament.

My concern is how well the knee is doing. At his size he puts a lot of stress on his legs and most importantly his knee.

Engstrom looked like he was already working out some before the season ended this year. I would see him at the games and you would never know that he had been injured as he walked around. I understand though that walking is one thing and jumping is another. Unless something has happened to him and it has been kept quiet, I think he shows up ready to play and yes, he is a hustler like Randolph.

I am more anxious though to see how Jacobs shows up. Bama needs more out of him and he has the ability to do so, but I don't know about his heart and desire to do it. He can be a BIG help to this team.

I think if Jacobs is healthy he will be a big factor this season.

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Hopefully the incoming freshmen can give them some good minutes as well to help shore up the bench strength. Just maybe there could be a pleasant surprise from the incoming freshmen. ;)

I read where Engstrom has been playing some this summer on a Swedish team. He was only playing a few minutes each game. Enough to test his knee but not re-injure it. I am glad he is back on campus and getting ready for the Europe trip with the team.

I agree with you about Jacobs. He needs to come back in shape and play up to his potential. I also look forward to seeing what Hale and Taylor are able to do as freshmen.

Trevor Releford Invited To Attend LeBron James Skills Academy
Rising senior one of 20 collegiate players invited to attend prestigious camp


http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/070413aac.html

What an honor for him, he truly deserves this.  :clap:

Maybe he can bring some things back to the team that might help them some this season. I hope he has a great senior season, Bama will really miss him when he is gone.

The team leaves for the 10 day Europe tour on Aug. 8th. They get 10 practices before they leave. I wonder when the practices will start, I'm guessing the last week of July.

Nick Jacobs is a key to our teams success this year. I am interested to hear what kind of shape he is in and if he is ready to play. I hope he learned from last year when he came back heavy and out of shape.

I also look forward to hearing what Hale and Taylor have to offer. If they could play at the level Jacobs did two years ago as a freshman it would be a big help to our team.

The young guys are an interest to me. If they are going to be able to play SEC Basketball. They need to start learning the plays. RTR!

I really believe this trip can and will do a lot for the team. Bama needed something different to encourage and excite the players as well as the future recruits. It also gives them a chance to start early, this could do wonders for the incoming freshmen.