Game Thread: ****Official Game Thread - Bama vs. UI****

We looked like a team that was not under pressure last night. The kids played to their potential for the 1st time this year. I have to wonder why Battle was asked into the locker room by Retin though. I wonder if they are telling him there will be mass transfers. You may love your coach and that may be part of the problem, CAG may have been too close to them so he didn't say the things that needed to said. If they want to leave let'em. Its time we all move on.

If you think about it, the players are the ones who had the most to lose. Imagine what this team could have been with Jacobs, Taylor, Hale, Levi, Cooper, Lacey and Retin, not to mention Carter, Pollard and Hankerson. They could have been dancing this year with a decent coach, instead they are again in a consolation tournament. Most players dream of a NBA career, but they will never get there on an average team. It is telling that there are numerous players who transferred who are playing the the NCAA's this week instead of the NIT.

Alasippi said:

I'm hiring the interim guy and giving him a year for 250k.I don't know his name, and don't want to.
He knows the players, He knows the recruits, He knows his assistants, and he'll keep them.
This was the best coached Bama basketball team I've seen in 20 years.
We actually played like we know how to play basketball tonight.
That was refreshing.
RTR!
sip

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CMM did that when Sanders got fired from the women's program. I'm gonna screw up the facts here, but wasn't he some admin guy, who maybe used to be a coach of some sort?

Didn't go very well


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Rama Jama said:

We looked like a team that was not under pressure last night. The kids played to their potential for the 1st time this year. I have to wonder why Battle was asked into the locker room by Retin though. I wonder if they are telling him there will be mass transfers. You may love your coach and that may be part of the problem, CAG may have been too close to them so he didn't say the things that needed to said. If they want to leave let'em. Its time we all move on.

If you think about it, the players are the ones who had the most to lose. Imagine what this team could have been with Jacobs, Taylor, Hale, Levi, Cooper, Lacey and Retin, not to mention Carter, Pollard and Hankerson. They could have been dancing this year with a decent coach, instead they are again in a consolation tournament. Most players dream of a NBA career, but they will never get there on an average team. It is telling that there are numerous players who transferred who are playing the the NCAA's this week instead of the NIT.

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In which case every single one of them will have to sit out a year at their 'new' schools..

The majority of the transfer talk are the kids being nervous, as you would expect. It is their future. Maybe one leaves, but the rest will stay. Assuming we hire a proven coach who has been to a final four and has players in the NBA.

Rama Jama said:

We looked like a team that was not under pressure last night. The kids played to their potential for the 1st time this year. I have to wonder why Battle was asked into the locker room by Retin though. I wonder if they are telling him there will be mass transfers. You may love your coach and that may be part of the problem, CAG may have been too close to them so he didn't say the things that needed to said. If they want to leave let'em. Its time we all move on.

If you think about it, the players are the ones who had the most to lose. Imagine what this team could have been with Jacobs, Taylor, Hale, Levi, Cooper, Lacey and Retin, not to mention Carter, Pollard and Hankerson. They could have been dancing this year with a decent coach, instead they are again in a consolation tournament. Most players dream of a NBA career, but they will never get there on an average team. It is telling that there are numerous players who transferred who are playing the the NCAA's this week instead of the NIT.

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This is the two of them on their way into the locker room. Doesn't seem bad to me.

^^ Maybe Retin wanted CBB to knell with them in a team prayer? ^^

That would be a very nice gesture - and would also help with the healing process for all involved. Especially after such a great win.

Thanks for posting that pic.....it's really quite special.

I don't read too much into last night's performance. This is what the team looked like earlier in the year. Also, the team played the same way for Pearson when he took over for Gottfried.

I think it just showed how much CAG "micro-managed" his teams

Illinois was very inept, but our team played well.

seebell said:

Illinois was very inept, but our team played well.

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Agreed. Glad the Tide didn't play down to the competition.

Was able to watch the game tonight for the 1st time. Looks like they just went out there and played basketball without worries, pressure, etc. As some have said, Grant just was not able to get these type of performances out of them many times.

ReturnToGlory said:

Was able to watch the game tonight for the 1st time. Looks like they just went out there and played basketball without worries, pressure, etc. As some have said, Grant just was not able to get these type of performances out of them many times.

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Which is why I don't totally agree with the "playing for CAG" opinions expressed by some. I really think they were relieved to be freed of his method of coaching, especially during the games. The way they completely embarrassed Illinois on the court by showing what they were really capable of doing. With the type of play they demonstrated during this game there' no reason in the world (except coaching that is) they should not have been in the Dance.

I can say that I agree with him 100 percent. There was lot of talk of that in the community as well... If he had made changes to his offense, then maybe we would've won lot of the games.. and he would be here... I think Grant learned his lesson and hopefully He'll make adjustments...

TIDE-HSV said:

I didn't want to talk about it so long as he was the coach, but there was a lot of dissatisfaction with some of the parents with Grant's offensive coaching. It appears that it was just as regimented as his defensive coaching (and I approve of his defensive coaching.) It was detailed down to what type of shot could be taken, who could take it, where and when on the court it could be taken, etc. I know that, in the case of one father, he felt that the offense so neutralized his kid's talents that it basically removed any possibility his son could make the NBA. I know how parental prejudice plays into these kinds of opinions, so the latter part should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but I really believe the "regimented" part. JMO, but I think Grant should go back to being the head defensive coach of a good team and make a career of it...

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I didn't want to talk about it so long as he was the coach, but there was a lot of dissatisfaction with some of the parents with Grant's offensive coaching. It appears that it was just as regimented as his defensive coaching (and I approve of his defensive coaching.)

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Made no sense, none whatsoever for the sport Grant coaches in. In the English Premier League there are "survival specialist" coaches who are usually hired halfway or sooner through the season to stave off relegation to a lower league. They deploy bet- or bring-the-house strategy on getting a 1-nil lead early in the game, then sitting back on their side of the pitch with nine men (maybe all 10) and suffocating the other team's offense in hopes of either winning by that one goal or getting a draw. That's a playing-from-ahead to stay ahead or not to fall behind strategy. But that ain't basketball and there ain't no relegation in the SEC anyhow. Grant's micromanagement - or should I say mis-micromanagement - brought his downfall. The offensive talent he assembled didn't really need development any more than other teams' players, they just needed to be set free.

One of the talking heads was talking about this as a general thing in college game today. Coaches overcoaching the offense in fear of their teams looking undisciplined.

wsims74 said:

One of the talking heads was talking about this as a general thing in college game today. Coaches overcoaching the offense in fear of their teams looking undisciplined.

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I don't think that was the issue with AG though. He definitely knows how to coach defense, and he did so admirably. Offense-wise though, he under-achieved, to say the least.

Bama Reb said:

I don't think that was the issue with AG though. He definitely knows how to coach defense, and he did so admirably. Offense-wise though, he under-achieved, to say the least.

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He defended our offense very well!

scroll up and see what TIDE-HSV said, that is was i was referring to

TIDE-HSV said:

I didn't want to talk about it so long as he was the coach, but there was a lot of dissatisfaction with some of the parents with Grant's offensive coaching. It appears that it was just as regimented as his defensive coaching (and I approve of his defensive coaching.) It was detailed down to what type of shot could be taken, who could take it, where and when on the court it could be taken, etc. I know that, in the case of one father, he felt that the offense so neutralized his kid's talents that it basically removed any possibility his son could make the NBA. I know how parental prejudice plays into these kinds of opinions, so the latter part should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but I really believe the "regimented" part. JMO, but I think Grant should go back to being the head defensive coach of a good team and make a career of it...

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"Thank" button. Makes perfect sense watching the offense over the last two seasons.