🏀 Opinions? Do you feel the men's basketball program is in better shape today than it was when Grant was "let go." Or, when CMG was fired?

[TerryP]

In one aspect I'd say it's a resounding yes. It is in better shape.

That aspect has to do with what I'm seeing here and around the 'net. Just looking over the first page of this forum you'll see a thread about spring practice and it's pretty well limited to that one thread. A school, a football school no less, with the majority of fans focused on a team who's season is over with little attention being paid to spring camp.

When's the last time you remember forum conversations being centered on basketball during spring camp for football? I can't remember a time because there hasn't been one in this era of fan communications.

Better. Yes, because we've got A LOT more fan interactions and attention paid to basketball than we've ever seen. The vast majority have "unbucked" but they're still firmly strapped in.

It's makes for a fascinating time in my Bama history.

 

[TUSKtimes]

When Grant was losing so was everyone else in the SEC. This weekend, Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky, and the Barners are playing in the Sweet 16. Miss State, Miss, Florida also looks like a better basketball program than we have. Basketball fans can reasonable expect Georgia under Crean to recruit and be better as well. No self-respecting Bama fan is putting up with this new SEC pecking order.

The old line about Bama's natural place in basketball and you shouldn't expect more doesn't work when the barn has 2 SEC banners in the last 2 seasons.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Bama has 18 winning seasons out of the past 19 and not many teams in the SEC can say that BUT we can't seem to get to the top shelf for whatever reason(s). These past couple of years with SEC teams hiring whatappear to be solid coaches has Bama in a tuff spot. The AD and the U of A may have wanted to give AJ another shot at the title but with what is taking place with the other teams in the SEC Bama had no choice but to try and get back into the race. This is a huge hire and making a change is always a big deal. This change if bigger than Huge.

Best of luck to the AD.

 

[#80]

I would say yes in one aspect under CAJ we won against ranked teams which Grant was unable to do.

 

[JoshB]

Better than Grant? Yeah, maybe because we were terrible and no one cared but half the SEC was like that, too.

Better than Gottfried? That's an absolute joke of a question. I don't even understand how you could ask that with a straight face. Elite 8, 5 or 6 straight NCAA Tournament bids, a No. 1 ranking, SEC Championship, like eight All Americans? Please stop. The only difference from then is that we have social media now and people that don't actually care can pretend like they do. That 2000-2006 span people that barely even tolerate basketball gave a damn.

 

[#80]

You can't compare CAJ and Gottfried if you look at the entire body of work he took us to the dance 5 consecutive years '01-'06 the only other coach to do that was Wimp. If you look at his last 4 fours then you certainly have an argument.

 

[TerryP]

Better than Gottfried? That's an absolute joke of a question. I don't even understand how you could ask that with a straight face. Elite 8, 5 or 6 straight NCAA Tournament bids, a No. 1 ranking, SEC Championship, like eight All Americans?

If you don't understand how I could ask that it makes me think you also don't know what was going on at that time.

The question was about when he left, Josh. It's not about what he'd done. He crapped all over that the last few years of his tenure in Tuscaloosa.

 

[The Old Man and the Tide]

As far as the basketball landscape goes, Alabama peers up at the giants. The Tide has never been past the Elite 8. So, Grant versus Johnson? Use your own politically correct analogy for being vertically challenged and realize that this sport at this school walks under huge legs and peeps about.

 

[JoshB]

If you don't understand how I could ask that it makes me think you also don't know what was going on at that time.

The question was about when he left, Josh. It's not about what he'd done. He crapped all over that the last few years of his tenure in Tuscaloosa.

I understood the question and I understand how he left and the bad taste it left in people, but it doesn't change the fact that the program was def. much stronger, even if just by perception, than it is right now. Alabama basketball is looked at as a joke currently. Dude, 1,000 people just showed up to a post season game. We are no better right this moment than we were when Avery took over in my opinion.

None of that matters, though. It's not about comparing Avery to Gottfried or Johnson or Wimp or anyone else. It's about making the changes in the program that is going to make people stop laughing at it. That stats with hiring the right person to lead the program and it goes down to stop bullshitting and build a new damn arena and getting some faith back into the program.

 

[TerryP]

I understood the question and I understand how he left and the bad taste it left in people, but it doesn't change the fact that the program was def. much stronger, even if just by perception, than it is right now. Alabama basketball is looked at as a joke currently. Dude, 1,000 people just showed up to a post season game. We are no better right this moment than we were when Avery took over in my opinion.

Just sayin' ... and this is leaving the "off the court" stuff out.

Gottfried
2005–06	Alabama	18–13	10–6	2nd	NCAA Division I Second Round
2006–07	Alabama	20–12	7–9	T–3rd	NIT First Round
2007–08	Alabama	17–16	5–11	5th
2008–09	Alabama	12–7 †	2–3 †	3rd

Johnson
2015–16	Alabama	18–15	8–10	10th	NIT First Round
2016–17	Alabama	19–15	10–8	T–5th	NIT First Round
2017–18	Alabama	20–16	8–10	T–9th	NCAA Second Round
2018–19	Alabama	18–16	8–10	T–9th	NIT First Round

You've already pointed out how the SEC wasn't as strong when Mark was coaching.

There it is in black and white (and a little red.)

We are no better right this moment than we were when Avery took over in my opinion.

The amount of attention placed on basketball right now says differently. And, that was one of the points in the first place, Josh. The fans are more engaged with what's happening around the basketball program than they've been in years.

 

[mando]

My perception - program is in better shape than under Grant. The program took a step back this year. If you have a bunch of players jumping ship via the portal we will take an even further step backwards which could negate the positives from CAJ's time.

Now the right coach would do wanders in turning things around quickly to stop the bleeding so to speak.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Program status......its as @TUSKtimes put it.....its relationships to other programs.... second by a long shot in home state.... its in the same shape the AU football program is in the state of Alabama.... way behind in home state...
A middle of pack program.....sad for Bama anything ....
And without the confidence the BOT will fixit