🏀 Time may be now for Tide to fire Grant

[TerryP]

I'm speculating on what Battle is thinking here...so, forgive that right off the bat.

I think it'll take getting into the 64, and winning RD1 for him to be considered for next season. A loss there may not be his undoing depending on who the opponent is and how they do (tournament) and we do in the game.

A win in RD1, followed by an ugly blowout in RD2 very well could send him packing as well.

Call it a line of demarcation. I think that's where the bar is set, today.

What I'm thinking this morning...

It's not the L that gets me, it's the lack of rebounding. A team having a size advantage makes a difference. That doesn't sway my opinion that putting a body on a body get's the boards 50% of the time—at the least a whistle.

 

[TerryP]

It's not the L that gets me, it's the lack of rebounding.

This made me start thinking—perish the thought, right?

In the last three road games the Tide has lost—games normally indicative of how a team will do in the tournament—the team has lost by a combined total of five points. If we go back to the last four road losses, it's a total of 15.

Over these last three losses the Tide has had 18 offensive boards; opponents, 46. (24 vs 56 going back four games.)

Stats do tell the story sometimes.

 

[TheChief]

If Alabama plays all year like they did last night, I don't care if they win all the time or not. Sort of like McDonalds: I'm loving it!

Coleman and Norris grew up. What a night by Coleman shooting threes! My favorite though was him breaking the press once on his own and breaking Qualls' ankles, sending the superstar onto his butt on the floor.

Bama might make noise this season after all!

 

[TideAlum05]

It's sad that I've come to expect us to lose these close games. It's not like we suck, but the Wichita St, South Carolina, and Arkansas games are a microcosm of the Grant era. We just can't get over the hump.

 

[riz]

@rolltide69 It's not quite apples and oranges to compare the Wimp era and Grant's but it's pretty damn close.

Think about it for a second. When Wimp was at the end of his tenure in Tuscaloosa, the Bulls were winning the first of their two "three-peats." More importantly, the guys you see playing college ball weren't even born. Your league MVP was a big guy who was well known for not being able to hit free-throws and that wasn't a point anyone made note of (the lack of fundamentals.) It was a time where defending him wasn't emphasized, fouling him was...

Shoe contracts were just entering their prime...

A LOT has changed on the professional side...which is what these kids were watching.

Yeah, but Wimp had some ballers on his teams. Guys that went on to be prominent in the league for years. It was fun going and watching those guys. watching Grant's Bama teams is energy draining. Which is even more frustrating, because his VCU teams certainly weren't.

 

[psychojoe]

Bama is in the same role as the rest of the SEC in men's hoops. As has been said about us in football, UK essentially drafts the high schoolers it wants, and everyone else just does the best it can. Can you look at any of the other SEC schools and say that they are clearly the second best team in the league... I know I can't. Among the other 13 teams anyone can literally beat anyone else. We do have good perimeter players, but when Levi is our best offensive rebounder, that says a lot about our 'bigs' and their rebounding abilities. We need one of those inside types who thinks that all of the rebounds are supposed to be his. A player like that would actually make this a pretty good team.

 

[TheChief]

PJ, you have to admit the team looked different last night. Coleman was throwing the ball in the ocean. I swear Norris has matured two years already. I wish Levi wasn't so unselfish.

I do wish the Tide had a guy like you mention. I still think, as of last night, they might make noise yet. Maybe I listened to @TerryP and waited to see how the team looked last night, win or lose, to make my assumptions. @TideAlum05 I may be a sucker, but late in the game and in overtime I thought they were going to win. I think the players thought they would win, throughout, as well.

 

[psychojoe]

PJ, you have to admit the team looked different last night. Coleman was throwing the ball in the ocean. I swear Norris has matured two years already. I wish Levi wasn't so unselfish.

I do wish the Tide had a guy like you mention. I still think, as of last night, they might make noise yet. Maybe I listened to @TerryP and waited to see how the team looked last night, win or lose, to make my assumptions. @TideAlum05 I may be a sucker, but late in the game and in overtime I thought they were going to win. I think the players thought they would win, throughout, as well.

Chief, as I said in another post, we did a lot of good things last night. It just hurts me to see that we lose by two in OT in one of the toughest road environments, yet we get outrebounded by 15. It won't solve the problem entirely, but the fundamental of getting your body between your man and the basket, or if in zone, between the nearest offensive player to you and the basket, when the other guys take a shot, would improve the situation. Like you, I wish Levi would be more assertive about his own offense. For his size he is very good on the offensive boards, and I wish we sent him to the glass more.

 

[TerryP]

@TheChief Watching those guys play last night I think people saw guys that were playing for each other. I'm thinking there's a team chemistry there that's been lacking. I bring that up because we've seen attrition through the last few years with guys who've been "on their own," so to speak (and being diplomatic.)

Yet, a little more effort on the boards last night and it's a W. And, that effort? It's fundamental basketball. I think we can agree it's lacking in the prep scene for players. But, is it something that can be taught? Emphasized? I believe so and wonder "why hasn't it been?"

The thing with me is...for every point in favor, there's one against. That was the story last year, but it was a different chapter.

Things of note, in my opinion.

Five of the next eight are road games.

Out of those three at home, what does attendance look like? I don't think Saturday counts here due to it being Auburn.

At 12-6, I'm leaning towards the thought they'll have to win 10 of the next 13 to ensure a tourney bid—UK being one of the 13.

 

[TerryP]

It just hurts me to see that we lose by two in OT in one of the toughest road environments, yet we get outrebounded by 15. It won't solve the problem entirely, but the fundamental of getting your body between your man and the basket, or if in zone, between the nearest offensive player to you and the basket, when the other guys take a shot, would improve the situation.

:clap:

 

[TheChief]

It seems to me Norris rebounds much better than he should be able to. He's not the biggest guy in the world, but without looking at the stats I would bet in rebounds per minute played he might be our team leader. He's one player who is in position most of the time. He obviously had some quality coaching in high school (and at home every night I would imagine).

This team's going to make the tourney and win a game. After that, who knows.

My wife said this morning, "This is the first time you've enjoyed watching a basketball game in two years." I guess it is.

 

[TheChief]

Okay, back on the rebounding topic. Big man Taylor averages a rebound every 4.5 minutes. Kessens every four minutes. Norris averages a rebound every 4.7 minutes. (Arrived at by dividing total minutes played by rebounds.) By comparison, Levi and Coop both average a rebound about every 7 minutes!

The big difference in the numbers for Taylor and Kessens as opposed comes from the defensive side where those guys play down low and have the greater opportunities. They have about half as many more boards defensively.

The average number of rebounds given on the site doesn't consider minutes played. The reality points to what you guys are saying.

 

[TerryP]

@TheChief Good stuff

 

[psychojoe]

I am pulling hard for this team, but looking at the rebounding stats, our leading rebounder overall with 8, and offensive rebounds, with 3, was Levi, who plays on the wings. No one else had more than one offensive rebound for us. Portis, for Arkansas, is a very good big man. He had 13 rebounds in in 38 minutes, five of them offensive rebounds. He had the same number of offensive rebounds as all of our players who are not named Levi. Taylor had 5 in only fourteen minutes, not bad for the number of minutes played, but he managed to foul out in 14 minutes, another issue altogether.

I agree with you entirely about Norris. I think he got flustered a couple of times by their pressure, but that is understandable considering his experience level and the arena. He is sound fundamentally. Looks about 6-6, with a sturdy body. I am glad to see Coleman find his way. He can really help us on offense, and seems to be learning to use his quickness on defense. This team still has a chance to be a good team, I just wish they would tighten up the fundamentals a bit.

 

[ElephantStomp]

I thought Grant should've been fired after last year and this year short of a RD1 win and at least competitive RD2 game Battle makes a change at the end of the year.

Who we get to coach is a whole entire different conversation.

 

[TerryP]

I thought Grant should've been fired after last year

I'm not trying to single you out here, Stomp, but want to use this to ask a question.

Last season was Bill Battle's first as AD meaning he's just worked with Grant for how many months at the conclusion of last season?

I realize he undoubtedly knew about how Grant's tenure had been through conversations with Coach Moore. That said, and here's the question that comes to mind.

Would it have been a knee-jerk reaction on Battle's part to fire him with so little experience actually working with Grant?

 

[ElephantStomp]

@TerryP Good point and good question. Now, thinking about it it would've been a knee jerk reaction

 

[UAgrad93]

Rebounding is all about want to! Levi has that want to that our "bigs" lack. Norris does a great job of "reading" where the ball will kick. I watched the last 8 min + the OT and felt we were going to pull it out. Still left scratching my head as to one team having 4 starters foul out as opposed to none or one for the other side when you saw the same beating and banging going on at both ends of the floor. Damn I hate stripes!!

 

[TideAlum05]

This game just set basketball back 20 years, but it is a win/win. If we lose, it's the death blow for Grant. If we win, f*** Auburn.

 

[TideAlum05]

I want Grant to be gone, but here I am hoping we beat Auburn. F*** Auburn outweighs f*** Grant. I don't want to lose to Pearl and Auburn.