Bama Basketball, A Team of Hope and Determination

[Jamos]

Where do you start in trying to describe where Bama basketball is this morning? Just a short few months ago, Alabama was trying to hire a new coach that could somehow turn their shipwreck of a basketball program into a nice new shining yacht, something that most sports analysts thought was impossible because of their beliefs that Bama is a football school and no big time coach in his right mind would ever want to take on that task and have to play second fiddle to the football program. Alabama did make a hire though, they hired a coach that had a winning past record in his playing days and also his past coaching days. Those analyst and most fans still scoffed at the idea of him being able to turn the program around and even if he did it would be a long term task of getting in new players and  convincing everyone that  that he could actually make it happen.

How many of you watched the game yesterday and how many of you really thought Bama could actually do what they did? All of us had watched the team get better during the course of the season but still there was a lot doubt that they could actually play with the BIG BOYS and be successful when crunch time would come to put themselves in a position for the post season tournaments. I for one thought they had a slight chance but I think all of my hope was based on being an avid fan and Alabama would would make it happen because they are Alabama, my team.

Coach Avery Johnson, is he the real Superman that the University Of Alabama has hired for their new coach? This morning, there are some analysts and doubter fans with a new perception of this new coach of the Crimson Tide because of what the team has accomplished so far this season, it's been an incredible run for the team. I say incredible because of the team that CAJ inherited from Bama's previous coach Anthony Grant was in shambles and had no sense of direction of where they were headed. Coach Avery and staff have taken this team and used their knowledge of the game and their abilities  to coach individual players and made them both into being a winner. There are players on this team that I said just a short time ago that were lazy and could not play the game of basketball and CAJ would never win until he recruited some players that were more athletic and understood what was needed to be a winner. Well I can take my foot out of my mouth now because he has taken those very players and coached them into being competitive and making the plays that just a short time ago was impossible for them to do. I will use Jimmy Taylor as my example of one of those that I mentioned. Yesterday he wasn't the player of just a short few weeks ago but he was a beast, the player that me and some others had wanted him to be since he arrived at Alabama. What a coaching job that CAJ and staff have done on him and a couple of others with Riley Norris being one of them. If they can get Hale to get on board and be the player that he is capable of being, there will be brighter days ahead for the team

The "Bama Nation" is in a frenzy today because of the big win against Florida last night and they have every right to be. There is still a long way to go for this team to make it to the Big Dance but now there is a real hope that this can actually happen. There is now the hope that Bama basketball can be on the same level as their beloved Nick Saban and the football program is on, they can now have the chance to compete for championships.

Maybe we are counting our chickens before the eggs have hatched and who really cares but what a feeling it is to even think that the basketball program is back, something that we all have been dreaming of for a very long time. Maybe Bama doesn't make the Big Dance this year but at least the Bama fans have had a real chance to think that we might  would make  it, something that hasn't crossed our minds is quite some time. Alabama hasn't gotten their new yacht just yet but I think it is in construction and in the months and years ahead, CAJ and staff will do the things necessary to get it completed by recruiting the players that are necessary to finish the job. RTR!!!!

[ricky023]

Excellent description and especially for us who didn't get to see the game. I too, was one who thought the respect was down the road with CAJ recruits but he has proved he could coach guys with talent no matter who recruited them. One game down and one more in the way. One day at a time is truly our resolve but we have a great start. RTR!

[2Stater]

Great insights, J. Wish I could have watched the game yesterday, as well.

CAJ has won as many, if not more, big games than CAG did his entire time at Bama. This is getting to be a lot of fun! 

[Chechem]

Well said, Jamos.

Enjoyed the read.  It should be a highlight thread!

 

[Marshal Dillon]

The idea that a team could be out rebounded 27 to 7 on the offensive boards and out rebounded 59 to 34 in total & still win is beyond belief. I have never seen such a thing. The continued development/improvement of Norris and even Coleman & Taylor have been important in our winning, especially Norris. I have to disagree about Hale. Hale has been an important key for us but injuries have slowed him down. He's the 2nd leading scorer on the team. The game announcers stated he was being limited to a certain amount of minutes due to his foot injury. He played 25 minutes yesterday.

[Marshal Dillon]

Announcers sounded like you after the game. High praise for CAJ and how losing under Grant made the players so coachable and hungry to win.



 

[Jamos]

The idea that a team could be out rebounded 27 to 7 on the offensive boards and out rebounded 59 to 34 in total & still win is beyond belief. I have never seen such a thing. The continued development/improvement of Norris and even Coleman & Taylor have been important in our winning, especially Norris. I have to disagree about Hale. Hale has been an important key for us but injuries have slowed him down. He's the 2nd leading scorer on the team. The game announcers stated he was being limited to a certain amount of minutes due to his foot injury. He played 25 minutes yesterday.

My thing with Hale is his mood swings that affects his play on the court. He can't seem to let go of a mistake when he makes one and sometimes will follow that mistake with another. To me, he has a lot more game in him than what he has displayed last year and this year. There is more to the game than shooting the basketball and to me that is his weakness. What is he doing when he doesn't have the basketball?

[McBaman]

Great post J.  Thanks for that.

During the coach-hiring process, many of us  noted that we needed a coach who could develop players; something that did not happen under Grant.  Well CAJ has shown that he and the staff can do that.  This is a HUGE change and is only now beginning to pay dividends for the team.

This should make Bama a much more attractive place for top talent, i.e. they can trust that they can come to Bama and get better as a player.

[pmull]

Listening to the SEC Network post game show Dane Bradshaw (Former UT player) made an interesting comment. He said that CAJ inherited a limited and offensive challenged roster but they are quality guys that stay out of trouble and are very coach-able. That is a complement to Anthony Grant and an insult to Auburn IMO.

What a train wreck Pearl has at the barn. The barn fans know so little about basketball they think it is going to get better once Pearl gets his guys in place. His roster is full of JUCO players that he brought in. Bowers was suspended for several games for conduct detrimental to the program and their best player (Canty) quit the team. The barners seem to think their savior will be Purifoy who could not get academically eligible to play this year. In order to be successful you have to have good players but they also need to be good kids.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that CAJ is our coach and the direction our program is headed. 

[SUPERCOACH]

Listening to the SEC Network post game show Dane Bradshaw (Former UT player) made an interesting comment. He said that CAJ inherited a limited and offensive challenged roster but they are quality guys that stay out of trouble and are very coach-able. That is a complement to Anthony Grant and an insult to Auburn IMO.

What a train wreck Pearl has at the barn. The barn fans know so little about basketball they think it is going to get better once Pearl gets his guys in place. His roster is full of JUCO players that he brought in. Bowers was suspended for several games for conduct detrimental to the program and their best player (Canty) quit the team. The barners seem to think their savior will be Purifoy who could not get academically eligible to play this year. In order to be successful you have to have good players but they also need to be good kids.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that CAJ is our coach and the direction our program is headed. 

Garbage in, garbage out.  We should refer to Coach Pearl as the garbage man.  He picks up the trash and brings it to the dump. 

[ricky023]

Listening to the SEC Network post game show Dane Bradshaw (Former UT player) made an interesting comment. He said that CAJ inherited a limited and offensive challenged roster but they are quality guys that stay out of trouble and are very coach-able. That is a complement to Anthony Grant and an insult to Auburn IMO.

What a train wreck Pearl has at the barn. The barn fans know so little about basketball they think it is going to get better once Pearl gets his guys in place. His roster is full of JUCO players that he brought in. Bowers was suspended for several games for conduct detrimental to the program and their best player (Canty) quit the team. The barners seem to think their savior will be Purifoy who could not get academically eligible to play this year. In order to be successful you have to have good players but they also need to be good kids.

I cannot tell you how happy I am that CAJ is our coach and the direction our program is headed. 

Garbage in, garbage out.  We should refer to Coach Pearl as the garbage man.  He picks up the trash and brings it to the dump. 

  , LORDY SC, you make a statement of such truth. He did the same thing at TENN. if you remember too. I have a great brother in Christ at church but he ios a Tenn. man and now he is having a heart attack over what is happening there.  , RTR!

[Marshal Dillon]

The idea that a team could be out rebounded 27 to 7 on the offensive boards and out rebounded 59 to 34 in total & still win is beyond belief. I have never seen such a thing. The continued development/improvement of Norris and even Coleman & Taylor have been important in our winning, especially Norris. I have to disagree about Hale. Hale has been an important key for us but injuries have slowed him down. He's the 2nd leading scorer on the team. The game announcers stated he was being limited to a certain amount of minutes due to his foot injury. He played 25 minutes yesterday.

My thing with Hale is his mood swings that affects his play on the court. He can't seem to let go of a mistake when he makes one and sometimes will follow that mistake with another. To me, he has a lot more game in him than what he has displayed last year and this year. There is more to the game than shooting the basketball and to me that is his weakness. What is he doing when he doesn't have the basketball?

Interesting comments. Since you attend the games you may see things that the camera is not showing the rest of us. Of course, many players commit a silly foul after missing a shot or committing a turnover. He seems involved in the game, but we could be missing key stuff that is not shown on the TV. Thanks for the observations.

[bamaphil]

This was a huge week for Bama Basketball.  The 2-6 start in SEC play had really killed the excitement and momentum that the team had built in non-conference play.  The wins over A&M and UF have brought the team out of the valley to heights we haven't seen from Bama Basketball in a long time.  I anticipated Bama would be better than the next to last place finish that was predicted pre-season.  I didn't expect what we've seen.  I agree that when Johnson brings in his big-time recruits on top of the foundation he has built this year things are going to get fun.  I'm buckled up and enjoying the ride!

[Jamos]

The idea that a team could be out rebounded 27 to 7 on the offensive boards and out rebounded 59 to 34 in total & still win is beyond belief. I have never seen such a thing. The continued development/improvement of Norris and even Coleman & Taylor have been important in our winning, especially Norris. I have to disagree about Hale. Hale has been an important key for us but injuries have slowed him down. He's the 2nd leading scorer on the team. The game announcers stated he was being limited to a certain amount of minutes due to his foot injury. He played 25 minutes yesterday.

My thing with Hale is his mood swings that affects his play on the court. He can't seem to let go of a mistake when he makes one and sometimes will follow that mistake with another. To me, he has a lot more game in him than what he has displayed last year and this year. There is more to the game than shooting the basketball and to me that is his weakness. What is he doing when he doesn't have the basketball?

Interesting comments. Since you attend the games you may see things that the camera is not showing the rest of us. Of course, many players commit a silly foul after missing a shot or committing a turnover. He seems involved in the game, but we could be missing key stuff that is not shown on the TV. Thanks for

Hale is a little different, he doesn't play off of the visitors cheers, he let's it play him. Saturday  CAJ made him apologize for the second time this season to the opponents. The first time, I think it was with the Ole Miss bench but not sure, when he got a technical for cursing them and then Saturday night he was made to apologize to the Florida student section after the game for some more choice words he used. He lets his mind get caught up in the crowd and he should let it pump him up instead. I think the crowd noise is what pumps up Norris and Obasohan so much though, the noisier it gets the better they play. I think the opponent crowd noise has bothered Coleman some in a bad way but he played better Saturday night in all that noise, maybe he's starting to grow up a little. Hale can be a very good player if he would get his head screwed on right.

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