Avery Johnson has Alabama on the rise

[pmull]

This ESPN article looks back on CAJ first year as Alabama head coach and looks ahead to next year. The roster looks more talented and much deeper than recent years. I think this will be the year we take a step forward and reach the NCAA Tournament.

Despite the loss of two seniors -- Retin Obasohan, who carried much of the load on a struggling offense a year ago, and guard Arthur Edwards, the team's best perimeter shooter -- Johnson seems bullish, too. In mid-June, in an interview with Tide 99.1, Johnson rightly cited "decision-making and scoring on offense" as the 2015-16 team's biggest flaw, before listing a coterie of new guards he believes will improve that aspect of 'Bama's attack. Among them: Dazon Ingram, who missed much of his freshman season with an injury; Corban Collins, a graduate transfer from Morehead State; junior college transfer Armond Davis, who should bring shooting; and, perhaps most impactful, transfers Nick King (Memphis) and Avery Johnson Jr. (Texas A&M), who are both eligible to take the floor this season. (Update: Senior forward Shannon Hale was listed among the departures in an earlier version of this post; he will be on the roster next season.)

It's a much, much deeper backcourt. It's also complemented by emerging talent up front. Johnson has signed two top-100 players in his two recruiting classes. Forward Donta' Hall got reserve minutes as a freshman and should be up for a bigger role, while newcomer Braxton Key, the No. 8 small forward in the 2016 class, should offer positional versatility and athleticism from the wing as soon as he steps on the floor. Meanwhile, rising junior Riley Norris -- at 6-foot-7 -- is a genuine stretch-four, and center Jimmie Taylor is one of the SEC's better rim protectors.

"We feel we're deeper," Johnson told Tide 99.1. "We only had about a five-and-a-half or six-man rotation last year. We're looking to have maybe 10-and-a-half or 11 guys we feel comfortable putting on the floor, so that we can play faster, score more points, and not put as much pressure on our defense."

Click here for link

[pmull]

T Ferg, who shunned Alabama for Arizona, is not going to enroll at Arizona. Instead he will pursue a pro career being overseas.

Click here for link

[Marshal Dillon]

T Ferg, who shunned Alabama for Arizona, is not going to enroll at Arizona. Instead he will pursue a pro career being overseas.

Click here for link

This is the latest "shortcut" to the NBA that players will use to make a big money grab through the NBA Draft without having really displayed any real talent. Playing one year in China ain't the equivalent of the NBA. As long as the NBA does this nonsense, the kids will keep doing it. I'm continually dismayed at the huge sums of money that NBA teams are throwing away at 18/19 year old kids in the giant gamble to find the next Kobe Bryant.

Ferguson had long been rumored to be considering a move overseas, following in the footsteps of Emmanuel Mudiay, who played for one season in China before entering the NBA draft. Ferguson attended Dallas' Advanced Prep International, formerly known as Prime Prep -- where Mudiay also went to high school.

[ricky023]

It is all about money whether they are ready or not. RTR!

[McBaman]

It is all about money whether they are ready or not. RTR!

Yea, but can you blame the kids?

[Marshal Dillon]

It is all about money whether they are ready or not. RTR!

Yea, but can you blame the kids?

No, I blame poor parental guidance, if they have any. These kids get the money & then it's blown away with little to show for it. It's a shame.

[ricky023]

It is all about money whether they are ready or not. RTR!

Yea, but can you blame the kids?

No, I blame poor parental guidance, if they have any. These kids get the money & then it's blown away with little to show for it. It's a shame.

  to you MD. You are so correct and the more we want good things for these kids it seems the more problems they run into. I do know how to solve part of these problems though. When these kids want all that night play put them behind a plowstock and let them follow a mule for about 6 to 7 hours and they will run to that bed and sleep. All these investigations will go away.  , RTR!

[pmull]

Alabama 2017 Basketball targets. 247 Sports put this list together. This class could be one of the best ever for Alabama Basketball.

Click here for link

Collin Sexton  PG 5* Mapleton, GA
19 National (N) 2 Postion (P) 2 State (S)
Heavy Alabama lean (Considering UGA and Duke)
MVP of National Team that just won the world championship.

John Petty SF 5* Huntsville
25 (N) 8 (P) 2 (S)
Kentucky or Alabama with UK most likely

Alex Reese PF 4* Pelham
86 (N) 17 (P) 3(S)
Alabama or Vandy with Bama heavy favorite

Luke Garza C  4* Washington DC
131 (N) 14 (P) 2(S)
Louisville leads with Iowa second and Bama a distant 3rd. He visited Bama last week and it was reported a very good visit.

Herb Jones SG  4* Moundville
96 (N) 28(P) 4(S)
Alabama heavy favorite

Jamal Johnson G 3* Spain Park
166 (N) 5 (P) 6(S)
Auburn in lead over Bama
Buck Johnson's son. He is a secondary target for Bama if a scholarship is still available.

Take a look at the link for more info. We are recruiting at a very high level. We may not get them all but recruits are listening to what CAJ is saying. The notes I provided are from the link and other sources I have read or heard about.

[2Stater]

Alabama 2017 Basketball targets. 247 Sports put this list together. This class could be one of the best ever for Alabama Basketball.

Click here for link

Collin Sexton  PG 5* Mapleton, GA
19 National (N) 2 Postion (P) 2 State (S)
Heavy Alabama lean (Considering UGA and Duke)
MVP of National Team that just won the world championship.

John Petty SF 5* Huntsville
25 (N) 8 (P) 2 (S)
Kentucky or Alabama with UK most likely

Alex Reese PF 4* Pelham
86 (N) 17 (P) 3(S)
Alabama or Vandy with Bama heavy favorite

Luke Garza C  4* Washington DC
131 (N) 14 (P) 2(S)
Louisville leads with Iowa second and Bama a distant 3rd. He visited Bama last week and it was reported a very good visit.

Herb Jones SG  4* Moundville
96 (N) 28(P) 4(S)
Alabama heavy favorite

Jamal Johnson G 3* Spain Park
166 (N) 5 (P) 6(S)
Auburn in lead over Bama
Buck Johnson's son. He is a secondary target for Bama if a scholarship is still available.

Take a look at the link for more info. We are recruiting at a very high level. We may not get them all but recruits are listening to what CAJ is saying. The notes I provided are from the link and other sources I have read or heard about.

If he could reel in the heavy leans, that would be a good recruiting class in itself. Fingers crossed!

[pmull]

Alabama 2017 Basketball targets. 247 Sports put this list together. This class could be one of the best ever for Alabama Basketball.

Click here for link

Collin Sexton  PG 5* Mapleton, GA
19 National (N) 2 Postion (P) 2 State (S)
Heavy Alabama lean (Considering UGA and Duke)
MVP of National Team that just won the world championship.

John Petty SF 5* Huntsville
25 (N) 8 (P) 2 (S)
Kentucky or Alabama with UK most likely

Alex Reese PF 4* Pelham
86 (N) 17 (P) 3(S)
Alabama or Vandy with Bama heavy favorite

Luke Garza C  4* Washington DC
131 (N) 14 (P) 2(S)
Louisville leads with Iowa second and Bama a distant 3rd. He visited Bama last week and it was reported a very good visit.

Herb Jones SG  4* Moundville
96 (N) 28(P) 4(S)
Alabama heavy favorite

Jamal Johnson G 3* Spain Park
166 (N) 5 (P) 6(S)
Auburn in lead over Bama
Buck Johnson's son. He is a secondary target for Bama if a scholarship is still available.

Take a look at the link for more info. We are recruiting at a very high level. We may not get them all but recruits are listening to what CAJ is saying. The notes I provided are from the link and other sources I have read or heard about.

If he could reel in the heavy leans, that would be a good recruiting class in itself. Fingers crossed!

Sexton, Reese and Jones as very likely at this point I think we will take at least 4 in this class.

[ricky023]

Alabama 2017 Basketball targets. 247 Sports put this list together. This class could be one of the best ever for Alabama Basketball.

Click here for link

Collin Sexton  PG 5* Mapleton, GA
19 National (N) 2 Postion (P) 2 State (S)
Heavy Alabama lean (Considering UGA and Duke)
MVP of National Team that just won the world championship.

John Petty SF 5* Huntsville
25 (N) 8 (P) 2 (S)
Kentucky or Alabama with UK most likely

Alex Reese PF 4* Pelham
86 (N) 17 (P) 3(S)
Alabama or Vandy with Bama heavy favorite

Luke Garza C  4* Washington DC
131 (N) 14 (P) 2(S)
Louisville leads with Iowa second and Bama a distant 3rd. He visited Bama last week and it was reported a very good visit.

Herb Jones SG  4* Moundville
96 (N) 28(P) 4(S)
Alabama heavy favorite

Jamal Johnson G 3* Spain Park
166 (N) 5 (P) 6(S)
Auburn in lead over Bama
Buck Johnson's son. He is a secondary target for Bama if a scholarship is still available.

Take a look at the link for more info. We are recruiting at a very high level. We may not get them all but recruits are listening to what CAJ is saying. The notes I provided are from the link and other sources I have read or heard about.

If he could reel in the heavy leans, that would be a good recruiting class in itself. Fingers crossed!

Sexton, Reese and Jones as very likely at this point I think we will take at least 4 in this class.

First off  e-cred to pmull for this report. Second reading this gave me chills. If we picked up this year the 3 mentioned and looking toward next year, maybe 3 more good Lord in 4 to 6 years we would or could be challenging Kentucky for the SEC. Everybody I may not live to see Alabama win a NCAA championship in basketball but from what I see coach doing it is not impossible anymore. I would honestly say it is coming and remember if I die I said with this coach we will win one if not more Basketball championships. Well done CAJ. RTR!

[Marshal Dillon]

Outstanding info for us BB fans. Here's a further breakdown:

Sexton  6'2" PG  This may be 1 of the 2 most important players we can recruit since he's a point guard, the      most important position on the court.

Reese  6'9" PF  This is the other critical need, an inside power guy around the basket.

Jones  6'7" SG  A tall, lean shooting guard is an ideal player for the perimeter or driving the basket.

Johnson  6'4" CG  A combo guard who I think we should go for. He's a 3* guy, but he has great genes from Buck Johnson.


This would be an outstanding recruiting class if we can close the deal.

[pmull]

A little more recruiting info. Cecil Hurt wrote this column last weekend.

The two names that every Alabama fan has been watching are guard Collin Sexton from Pebblebrook, Georgia, and guard/forward John Petty of Huntsville.

Those aren't the only two players Alabama is recruiting. The Crimson Tide would probably like to sign five players in November, if it can get the right five. Maybe even six. UA is recruiting Pelham's Alex Reese, a forward, and skilled center Luka Garza from Washington, D.C., and on Saturday night, the staff again gave four-coach attention to the Alabama Challenge team's game, featuring inside player Rayshaun Hammonds and Hale County's Herb Jones. This has been a very productive week for Jones. The guard from nearby Moundville has been impressive offensively and likely pushed himself up the recruiting charts as well.

Click here for link

[pmull]

Here is another basketball story about Dazon Ingram's injury and how the recovery is coming. This was written a couple of weeks ago. Ingram was a team leader in limited play last year. We beat Wichita St and Notra Dame with him in the line up.

Before going down with the season-ending injury, Ingram had started every Alabama game. His 5.9 rebounds per game led the team while he scored 7.7 points and handed out 3.3 assists a game.

"You could see he missed some time," Johnson said. "But every day, he's getting better. The great thing is, all of the terminology, he knows what we're trying to do. And also, we have more decision makers on the floor than we did last year."

Ingram said he wasn't exactly sure what his role would be in 2016-17 when he returns to full speed. Alabama added graduate transfer point guard Corban Collins from Morehead State while Avery Johnson Jr. is eligible after sitting out last season because of transferring.

"Sitting on the sidelines, I learned a lot," Ingram said. "I learned a lot of things I need to do on offense to be able to help my team."

Click here for link

[Hannibal Lecter, MD]

Thanks for the links, pmull!

Have an e-cred.

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