Hurt: Thin roster to blame for basketball struggles

[pmull]

These are hard times for University of Alabama men's basketball, mired in a slump, losing the sort of nonconference home games that used to be certain wins. A season that started with promise, including a pair of nice wins at Madison Square Garden, is on the brink.

How did it happen? Theories abound. Some blame injuries. Some blame coaching. Some blame a thin roster that limits Alabama's options for turning things around, and that theory deserves a closer look. How did Alabama, in Anthony Grant's fourth year, end up with eight scholarship players available for action?

Part of the answer lies in the unique nature of college basketball recruiting, with its November signing period. Part of the answer seems to derive directly from Grant's character and how it applies to roster management, some of it to injury, some of it to gambles that haven't paid off.

The roots of today's Alabama roster situation go back to November 2011, when the current roster was being formed. At that point, Alabama was at a full allotment of 13 scholarship players, with only one senior. JaMychal Green would be departing and the UA staff had clearly targeted Mississippi prep star Devonta Pollard to fill his spot. The rest of the roster, it must have been assumed, would return.

Click here for link

[BAMAWV]

I've said before that I believe CAG has been working toward 2013-14 as his signature season. He, of course, relied on Mitchell to build around last season and this season to show marked progress along the way.

Pollard was a great pick up. He should have been able to "piggy-back" another player or two off of Pollard's commitment but it came to late.

I've also noticed a slight drop off in the intensity of play. I suspect that is either the players lack of confidence in Grant and/or their realization that this season will not play out as anticipated. RTR

[pmull]

Part of being a good coach is being a good recruiter. CAG is responsible for the roster in year four. This season is on him.

We have some good recruits signed for next year along with Pollard, a very good junior class and Releford.

To be blunt we have under preformed with CAG through his first 3.5 years. I am ready to get our basketball program turned around. We used to expect Sweet 16 every year. Now we just hope to make the Tournament and don't most years.

[Catch Prothro]

Part of being a good coach is being a good recruiter. CAG is responsible for the roster in year four. This season is on him.

We have some good recruits signed for next year along with Pollard, a very good junior class and Releford.

To be blunt we have under preformed with CAG through his first 3.5 years. I am ready to get our basketball program turned around. We used to expect Sweet 16 every year. Now we just hope to make the Tournament and don't most years.

My memory must be faulty.  I never thought Bama reached that point.  Sweet 16s were few and far between.

CAG has done a good job.  I think next season is his target year.  He didn't anticipate Gottfried players bailing either -- Gottfried was more accustomed to that. 

[pmull]

Part of being a good coach is being a good recruiter. CAG is responsible for the roster in year four. This season is on him.

We have some good recruits signed for next year along with Pollard, a very good junior class and Releford.

To be blunt we have under preformed with CAG through his first 3.5 years. I am ready to get our basketball program turned around. We used to expect Sweet 16 every year. Now we just hope to make the Tournament and don't most years.

My memory must be faulty.  I never thought Bama reached that point.  Sweet 16s were few and far between.

CAG has done a good job.  I think next season is his target year.  He didn't anticipate Gottfried players bailing either -- Gottfried was more accustomed to that. 

We have advanced to the Sweet 16 Eight times. Under Coaches CM Newton and Wimp Sanderson we expected to make the Tournament and advance to the round of Sweet 16. Our program slipped under David Hobbs in the mid 90's. Mark Gottfried got our program back on the right track making the NCAA 6 straight times including an Elite 8 run in 2004. Our program declined again in Gottfried's last two years and Antony Grant is having trouble getting us back in the Top 25.

FYI: Alabama has a rich basketball tradition. We have more wins, more SEC Championships and more SEC Tournament Championships than any other school except Kentucky.

[Catch Prothro]

Part of being a good coach is being a good recruiter. CAG is responsible for the roster in year four. This season is on him.

We have some good recruits signed for next year along with Pollard, a very good junior class and Releford.

To be blunt we have under preformed with CAG through his first 3.5 years. I am ready to get our basketball program turned around. We used to expect Sweet 16 every year. Now we just hope to make the Tournament and don't most years.

My memory must be faulty.  I never thought Bama reached that point.  Sweet 16s were few and far between.

CAG has done a good job.  I think next season is his target year.  He didn't anticipate Gottfried players bailing either -- Gottfried was more accustomed to that. 

We have advanced to the Sweet 16 Eight times. Under Coaches CM Newton and Wimp Sanderson we expected to make the Tournament and advance to the round of Sweet 16. Our program slipped under David Hobbs in the mid 90's. Mark Gottfried got our program back on the right track making the NCAA 6 straight times including an Elite 8 run in 2004. Our program declined again in Gottfried's last two years and Antony Grant is having trouble getting us back in the Top 25.

FYI: Alabama has a rich basketball tradition. We have more wins, more SEC Championships and more SEC Tournament Championships than any other school except Kentucky.

Those Sweet 16s were under Wimp, except one for Newton and one for Gottfried.  I was at Bama when Wimp was hired, though I had graduated by the time he really got on a roll in 1985.  By then I was out of state with a busy schedule.  So I guess I missed those glory years. 

[pmull]

[[/quote]Those Sweet 16s were under Wimp, except one for Newton and one for Gottfried.  I was at Bama when Wimp was hired, though I had graduated by the time he really got on a roll in 1985.  By then I was out of state with a busy schedule.  So I guess I missed those glory years. 
[/quote]

Actually Newton led us to two Sweet 16's, Wimp had five and Gottfried one.

Alabama's basketball program became a power under CM Newton. He won SEC titles in 74, 75 and 76. No other program except Kentucky has ever won three in a row. Before 1975 only conference champions made the Tournament. We had some great teams playing in the NIT in those years because of Kentucky. In 1975 the NCAA field expanded to 32 teams allowing at large bids.

We have a winning record over every SEC team except for Kentucky and Arkansas. Arkansas came into the league as a national power under Nolan Richardson. Our record vs Arkansas is 23-27.

The point I am trying to make is we should not be happy with a middle of the pack SEC team. We should be playing Kentucky for titles and making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.

[Guest]

Username:
Password:
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

There aren't any users online.

Loading Tweet...