I think you nailed it. There have been times when I really wished that we would start taking the mid-major approach. I enjoy watching those teams that take care of the ball with solid ball handling and passing. They shoot well. They defend well. They make free throws. Basically, they play fundamentally sound basketball. I enjoy watching that. I don't care if a guy can touch the top of the backboard if he can't hit a free throw or make a decent pass. Now, if you can get guys who have great athletic ability to also play fundamentally sound ball, you can consistently compete for championships. That is one of the things that is so great about Coach Saban in football. I hope Coach Johnson can get these guys to pay more attention to the details in order to be more consistent.I follow Alabama basketball with casual interest, but the same can be said for OSU basketball. I just can't get excited about regular season basketball when the post season has 68 teams. Honestly, any team that is a "bubble" team has no chance of winning a title, but watching them in the playoff is still kinda cool. But watching bubble teams struggle through the regular season just isn't.
That said, you are better in both recruiting and on-court play than you have been in decades. Title contenders? That is a totally different story. You are not going to win the way that Kentucky wins because you do not land enough top 20 players to sustain when you lose guys after one or two seasons. And you are not going to win the way that the mid-majors win because you will never have a roster full of players with 5 years in your system because you are starting to land one or two of the top guys every year, and those guys leave early and cause continual roster disruption. The way that you are trying to win is an almost impossibility. You are going to have to capture lightening in a bottle one year to have a shot (same with OSU).
So, you have to watch knowing that it isn't all about winning. That is hard to do for an Alabama fan given the success of your football program.