Crimson Red Sports

The game is on ESPN 2 @ 8 pm. Well, I think we can win this one but it will take a complete team effort. I hope the team is not too tired from the Thursday night game. We need a couple of guys to get hot and score 17-19 points each with other players scoring 12-14 points. UT has a strong inside game so we have to block out and hit the boards.

Tennessee Stats:
13-7  4-3 SEC
RPI  45
SOS  7
Rebounds 39.8  17th
Points  73.7  128th
FG%  44.5 175th
Assists  13.0 158th

Maymon 6'8" & Stokes 6'8" are bears on the boards.


Tide Stats
9-11  3-4 SEC
RPI  94
SOS  2
Rebounds 33.8  238th
Assists  11.2  290th
Points  69.8  231st
FG%  44.8 150th


 :popcorn2:

I never know what to expect from the team anymore but I'll be there hoping they play well. There is one good thing about playing the Vols at home though, I don't have to listen to Rocky Top. :clap:

I don't see how they can be tired from the Awbren game, they didn't do anything.  :lol2:

Tennessee will be a tough win but I like our chances since the game is at home. UT has some big guys that can give us trouble.

I hope we have a good crowd like we did last week when we beat LSU.

LOL!! Good points. My biggest concerns is our players being tired and that inside game of UT is very strong. I have seen 2 or 3 games of them playing and they can dominate the inside when they get it going.


 :popcorn2:

LOL!! All that standing around could have worn them get out.

 :lol2:

SEC Early Results:

UK    84
Mizz  79

SC    71
Miss  76

UGA   67
barn  74

I watched parts of the Barn/UGA game and the Barn was in control pretty much all of the game. Unfortunately, with Auburn winning we can't claim our players were too tired if they lose to UT, tonight.
I have a list of potential excuses we can use if we lose:


Our team is young
The team was tired from the Thursday night game. Never mind.
Releford is not 100%
UT always plays better at their place. Never mind, we play in T-town.
The refs cheated us
We need to give Grant more time
It's Verne's & Danielson's fault
The NCAA is after Alabama
We can't get a break


If anyone has any suggestions, please feel to comment.


 :makemyday:

Why don't we just pull for Bama to win.

I hope the team goes after the UT big men under the basket. Drive right at them and pick up some fouls on them. This would slow down their rebounding efforts. Some outside shooting wouldn't hurt, either.


 :dunno:

This is your post in three days that leads me to believe you are an Alabama fan.  :dunno:

Being an Alabama fan means more than cheerleading when a disaster might be encompassing a program you care about. Plus, gallows humor helps relieve the frustration and disappointment of a lost season of high expectations.


 :popcorn2:

No one has ever mistaken you of being a cheerleader. Maybe a friend of our opponent. Why not try being a little more positive?

How will being more "positive" change the reality of the situation? It's my background to deal with facts & reality, not trying to BS myself into believing something else. Like Sgt. Joe Friday said, "just the facts ma'am." I'm waiting for the team to give me a reason to be more positive, like showing some energy & enthusiasm during the game, hustling, and busting their butt.


 :popcorn2: 

How are you changing things by being so negative? Most people think the easiest way to change things is having a positive outlook. Not just in basketball but in general.

You're talking about individuals when you talk about a positive or negative outlook. You can change yourself, but the idea you can change the performance of a sports team through a positive or negative outlook is somewhat over-the-top & unrealistic. Can you honestly say you have enjoyed the team's performance this year? Be sure to be positive in your answer.


 ;)

My keys to beating UT tonight.

1) We need a monster game by Jacobs on offense & defense. He needs to be blocking out and scoring at least 14 points. UT has 2 monsters on the inside who can rebound & score.

2) Hale needs to score 18-21 points and get some rebounds.

3) Releford needs to stay out of foul trouble & score 15+ points.

4) We need a healthy Obasohan to play.

5) An enthusiastic crowd could be a game changer.


 :popcorn2: :popcorn2: :popcorn2:

Tide Starters: Releford, Cooper, Engstrom, Hale, & OBASOHAN! Looks like a good crowd, all in white.



 #+

Shaky start. 9-2 UT early. UT 7 rebounds, UA 2. We just hit a 3 and got a rebound. Let's make a run. 9-5 UT, then another 3 by Releford. 9-8 UT. Timeout. Good energy by players and crowd right now.


 #+

28-19 UT with 3:21 left in half.


Stats:
Rebounds Tide 15-UT 20
3 pointers Tide 2/20, UT 6/13
FT's Tide 2/5, UT 6/10

UT 30 Tide 23 HALF

40-36 UT 15:18 left. Tide showing good energy & ball movement. We just can't get over the hump.

Crap! We were within 4 but UT goes on 7-0 run. 47-38 UT.



 :wall:

Bama was never in the game last night, especially their defense. Tennessee seemed to be much quicker than the Bama players and their outside shooting was at it's best. We had a good crowd at the game but never had anything to happen to get the crowd into it enough to make a difference.

Bill Battle was at the game and I'm pretty sure he and CAG will have a meeting this week. ;)

CAG's press conference after the game.

http://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/index.ssf/2014/02/watch_anthony_grant_explain_al.html#incart_river_default

Thanks for the insights (Jamos), and thanks for those who posted updates during the game.

Time for Bill Battle to earn his pay.   :(

I expected them to play better last night. Very disappointed in the play and effort for the second game in a row. No excuse to play this poorly at home in front of a nice crowd.

 :(

I am never one to jump immediately on the bandwagon to get rid of a coach (and I haven't got on that wagon here yet), but just out of pure curiosity, how much would the University be in for if CAG were to be canned after this season?

About $9.5M I think.

It is not going to get any easier:

Remaining schedule:

2/5:  @Arkansas
2/8:  @Florida
2/11: Ole Miss
2/15: @South Carolina
2/20: @Texas A&M
2/22: Missouri
2/26: @Ole Miss
3/1:  Auburn
3/4:  @Kentucky
3/8:  Arkansas

Ouch. Six out of 10 on the road.

Unless something changes very soon, I'm not sure Bama can beat any of these teams. There seems to be no leadership on this team. If you listen to Releford after the game, he gives no indication as to what he can do, as a senior, to turn this mess around. In most cases, the seniors are quick to call team meetings with just the players in attendance when things go sour, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I got the opinion that Releford thinks that the team can just play out of this slump but I think it goes far deeper than that, it's between the ears. Auburns coach made a post game statement yesterday that the reason Auburn is playing better is because the players have now bought into the process and have improved tremendously. This is where I think a lot of Bama's problem is, but not all of it.

This is what I was thinking. The crowd was energized during the first part of the game, so we can't blame their efforts.

What if the process is flawed? Every coach has a system, method, or process, but every coach is not successful. We have had several different players in the past 5 years at Bama, but the results/problems have been almost identical over the same time period.


 :dunno:

After watching the game, I was thinking the same thing. The season is on the brink of falling completely apart and could get VERY ugly. No one seems to have an answer, especially the coach.


 ???

The best I can see us going 5-5 or 4-6, at best.  That means we finish 14-17 or 13-18 on the season.


 :'(

MD, you are too optimistic.  I bet ya'll never thought you would hear that said on here.  :lol:

I see 2 we should win, and we might muster up enough energy to beat Auburn at home to give us 3.  Folks, I am afraid the wheels are about to come off the bus.  I hope I am wrong.  I hear the wheels squeaking.  Quick, somebody coat those suckers with grease before it is too late!

I think CAG is a good coach, and I don't want to start all over again with some new guy.  We are not likely to get a "proven winner", and the next guy will be an unknown quantity that we will have to sit patiently and wait on for another 4 or 5 years.  I prefer our chances with CAG.

The common problem we have year in and year out is lack of depth.  Every year we field a team with less than the maximum number of players that the NCAA will allow.  Our opponents have a full complement of players to rotate in.  We do not.  It is hard to be competitive through 30+ games with that disadvantage, especially if your strategy is to win by playing smothering defense for 40 minutes.  We have all noted how the team just looks tired and has spells when they just are not playing with much energy.  Imagine what a difference it would make if we had Lacy and Pollard on the team this year.

Of course, CAG is responsible for roster management, so it is up to him to correct that situation.  But I think he knows that and will be more diligent in that area going forward.  You can't really plan ahead for a player's mama kidnapping somebody, but that is not going to happen again.

After looking at the roster, I agree with pmull that next year should be a big year for us... if CAG stays.  And I think he will be back.  I count 7 seniors for next year, plus Obasohan, Taylor, Hale, and all of those top recruits.  Now that is depth, and it should make a big difference.

Coach Grant is responsible for a lot more than roster management. How about player development, team defense, recruiting, offensive scheme, etc? With a buyout of $9.5 mil, he's not going anywhere, no matter how bad things get. Losing Releford will be huge, but I think if Hale continues to improve he can replace his scoring. Hopefully, Tarrant or Key will be able to function as the point guard. I like Tarrant, so I see him at that position. We HAVE to have an inside presence, though.


 :dog:

Bench the starters and let the 2nd team get some experience for next year, Insanity: Keeping the same things and expecting a different outcome. I rest my case. RTR!

LOL!!! I was thinking the EXACT same thing. Let the other guys play, they can do no worse. A loss is a loss. I would probably still start Hale & maybe Levi, at least they show energy in the game.


 :lol2:

I think we can beat Auburn, Arkansas in T-Town, USC, and MAYBE, MAYBE Missouri in T-Town, & Ole Miss in T-Town. I feel good about 3 more wins, not so good on the other two. No doubt we are staring at a 12-19 record right now.


 :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Our RPI fell to 110 after two losses last week.

It looked like no one wants to take a shot.  It is easy to defend when you only have 2/3 people willing to shoot.  People go thru slumps and you have to fight thru it.  Have confidence step up and take the shoot.  How many open shots did Randolf turn down the other night?

Levi has done that all season & basically his whole time at Bama. I've wondered the same thing. Also, we may only have 3 guys on the court who are capable of scoring at any time. When you have Taylor, Engstrom, Cooper & Levi (on most occasions), & Key on the floor, you get almost no or very little point production. Hale & Releford are the only two who may score on a regular basis. Obasohan can score but get be spotty. This team is a disorganized mess right now.


 ???

I think Taylor has potential and I look forward to seeing how he develops.

Agree. I think Taylor has real potential and I really am interested in the development of Hale.


 :clap: :clap: :clap:

Promises, promises....  Been there with Bama BB too many times.

Yea, play the 2nd team and let them learn.

Or put the best 5 shooters on the floor no matter (almost) what "position" they're supposed to play.

Taylor reminds me of Jacobs, he plays well in spurts. :dunno:

Which players are considered the 2nd team?

I'm glad you asked. I wanted to know who our 2nd team is as well. To my knowledge we only have 9 scholarship players and they all average 15 minutes per game or more.

The starters for the last several games have been:
Randolph (Obasohan been injured)
Cooper
Hale
Releford
Engstrom

Subs:
Taylor
Key
Randolph if Obasohan healthy
Jacobs

Plus, the rest of the bench that almost never plays


 :wave:

CAG uses all 9 scholarship players. In SEC play no one averages less than 15 minutes a game. There is no "rest of the bench". We have two walk ons and two transfers. I guess we could play the walk ons but that would be ridiculous. The transfers are ineligible until next year.

The walk-ons are listed on the roster so they are part of the team. Why not let them start? Can they do worse than Engstrom, Key, or maybe Cooper?


 :dunno:

You are joking, right?

CAG sees the walk ons in practice everyday.  I assume there is a reason why they have never seen the court in a game.

They have seen the court, in mop up duty. Every eligible player on the team has played this year.

We have two walk ons and two available scholarships that were not being used. CAG awarded Dakota Slaughter a one year scholly for his hard work in practice. His scholly will go to one of the new guys next year when we have our full allotment of scholarship players.

Isiah Wilson Wilson was not awarded a scholly. CAG decided to let a scholly go unused rather than award it to him.