Crimson Red Sports

Alabama will play Georgetown on Dec 1 in the Big East/SEC Challenge. This should be a good game for Trevor Lacey's coming out party. A win in this high profile game will vault us up in the polls.

al.com article link:
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/05/alabama_will_play_host_to_geor.html

I really don't expect much from a true freshman so early in the season. I am excited about the game especially with us having Tony Mitchell, Trevor Releford, and JaMychal Greene. Those are the 3 guys who will carry the team this year. I do expect some major stuff from our new guys, especially Lacey & Randolph in February.

There is no doubt that Mitchell, Releford and Greene with carry this team next year but we desperately need someone who can knock down an outside shot. I think both Lacey and Randolph can do that. I think they will both play a lot in the early season so they will be ready when SEC play starts.

I just don't think Lacey or Randolph will be ready for the pace & physicality of major college BB so soon. Releford started "getting it" around mid-January. We desperately need some outside shooting but Mitchell looked like he had worked on his outside shooting last year. Also, Hankerson has had a year of experience and I'm hoping he can step up. It would be great if Lacey is a reliable outside shooter by mid or late January. Even Releford was hitting some outside shots late last year. Now, we need consistent outside shooting if we really want to make a dent in the NCAA and SEC Tourneys. This upsoming season has me very excited.

The SEC was 3-1 last year and is tied at 8-8 in the overall course of the challenge. You would not know that by watching the northeast dominated media.

We have the same problem with the media in BB that we have in FB. In BB, the media loves the Big East/ACC/Big Ten and in football they love the Big Ten. Bottom line, they are prejudiced against the Deep South and Texas. 

 :dog:

Playing the East Coast teams IS the fastest way for Bama to get a little love from the selection committee come tournament time.

^^^This^^^

I would love for us to play at least two teams from the Big East and Big Ten and one ACC team every year.

^^This^^ RTR!

We were criticized for a weak schedule last year. We played 2 Big East (Seton Hall, Providence) , 2 Big Ten (Iowa, Purdue) and 1 Big 12 (Oklahoma State). That does not count Colorado and Miami that we played post season in the NIT.

We were criticized for having a poor RPI since you don't get credit for getting beat. Of the above, I think we beat Seton Hall (can't remember Iowa). Last years results will maybe help CAG hammer home the importance of off season conditioning and getting off to a good start pre-SEC.

You don't get much credit for beating a bad Big East/Big Ten team, kinda like beating Vandy in football. Plus, we lost to some bad teams and that really hurts your RPI.

I think these young men had a great learning experience last year by what happened to them at the end of the season due to the early part of the season. The experience that they gained last year, added to the maturity gained by having to deal with it, will only make all of them a better person and player.

The attitude of this team will be much different this year. RTR!!

My bad. We lost to Seton Hall (and Iowa). :(

Yeah, and both teams were poor last year. We're going to be much better this year. I really can see us going 23-7 in the regular season.

Back to football for a second. Talk about the media loving the Big Ten. This one escaped me until a few minutes ago. But here you go:

Iowa was a Top 10 team starting the 2010 season. They lost to Arizona, Wisconsin, Northwestern, OSU, and finally Minnesota before dropping out of the Top 25. Their non coferennce games were Ball St., Eastern Illinois, Iowa St., and Arizona (L).

The Big Ten is a media team if they are big time such as Mich. tOSU, and now maybe Wisconsin. Penn ST. is only mentioned at times because of JoPa.  RTR!