Hi, i've been a long time reader, so i finally joined this site. I'd just like to say that even though this year was pretty terrible, i think next year will be better. Gottfried has won an SEC Season Championship and gone to the elite eight, he's not an complete idiot. We only lose one guy(Hopefully), granted he did carry us in the last part of the season he is only one guy. You Want leadership? Four of our starters will be seniors(Steele, Hollinger,Gee and hopefully Hendrix). Put in that Green kid and we will look alright. I'm not saying were poised for a final four run, but i think we have the potenial to make it to the sweet sixteen.
2008-2009 Season
- Thread starter steelefor3
- Start date
I wish I had your optimism but watching this tournament, seeing the high level of play and coaching, and considering the 10-year record of CMG, the gulf between our's and the elite programs is huge.
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i totally agree with you.. i am surprised by the number of ppl that expect us to be a great team year in and year out. we are not a basketball school. Bama has always been a solid program that can make a tourney run every now and then. This year imo Gottfried lost the team which is his fault however i think that he can save face by doing well next year.
I have to agree with Tidetwin. Based on CMG’s ten year record we can’t expect much from the b-ball program. Until a coaching change is made the Tide program is irrelevant. Yes, I believe next year will be better but it would be hard to do worse.
The school needs to make a decision that they want to have a competitive athletic program such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio State and others. However, since it appears that CMG will be back next year the school has cast their vote. Basketball is just not important.
Yes, next year will be better but does it matter? The b-ball program is not trending toward becoming competitive for the West, SEC, or National championships.
The school needs to make a decision that they want to have a competitive athletic program such as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio State and others. However, since it appears that CMG will be back next year the school has cast their vote. Basketball is just not important.
Yes, next year will be better but does it matter? The b-ball program is not trending toward becoming competitive for the West, SEC, or National championships.
I wished I shared your optimism but having seen the quality of play and coaching in the 1st weekend of the tournament, its hard for me to beleive that we have the ability in our current state to advance to even the Sweet 16 next year, let alone a Final 4.
The precise execution of some of these teams is light years ahead of what I see out of UA on a nightly basis at the Colisium. Imagine if Davidson played us?? Curry would go for 50.
The precise execution of some of these teams is light years ahead of what I see out of UA on a nightly basis at the Colisium. Imagine if Davidson played us?? Curry would go for 50.
I just think people are jumping ship too soon. We had a terrible year, but hopefully Gottfried will get next year's team together because of the pressure of his job situation.
I agree Bama 3:16, there are so many quality teams in B-ball. But next year should be our year to potentially make a sweet 16. Which brings me to my next point. Alabama has become a program of putting all of our eggs in one basket, in other words gearing up for that one big year. The true bonifide programs can usually expect a certain competitive level in their football, baseball, and basketball teams on a near consistent level. One word Coach Saban has been mentioning regularly is consistency. This is something that has been missing in Tuscaloosa in the men's programs for years. Winning streaks against our football teams, 500 basketball the last 10 years in S.E.C. play, mediocre baseball results. When will we become a national player in the big three? Is this a fair question or should we expect mediocrity or maybe one good year followed by two very average years followed by a train disaster, only to repeat the same cycle again over and over. Other programs have done it and maintained their integrity, why can't we?
I've been thinking the same thing and when you consider that our league champion didn't belong on the same floor with Louisville, what would happen if we played these teams?
The Tennessee players and coaches had a very bad night -- and that happens (I was at the game in Charlotte -- UT's point-guard play was awful, and they continued to run too much of their set offense on the shrinking hope that Chris Lofton could 1. get open; 2. get off a shot and 3., make more than a third of them. Strike 1. Strike 2. Strike 3. )
That said, see what Bruce Pearl has wrought in two years. See what Mark Gottfried has wrought in 10.
Back to us: Tidetwin nails it. The fury in which great teams play this game at this time of year is extraordinary. We would be unable to compete at a single position on either side of the court. Think about the pistol-whipping we took from Clemson in January. Now increase that by at least 50 percent.
The kids still playing are so much more talented, focused and prepared. And the gap in coaching is even more extreme. A couple of examples: Instead of taking solace that his underdog team manages a first-half tie, look at what Bob McKillop unveils in the second half of in the Davidson/Wisconsin game: gears up his press again, and moves his offense from the perimeter to the paint to exploit a Badger defense pushed out to help on Curry.
Pitino was masterful Saturday night: Louisville used three or four variations of his press; down 12 at half, the coach adjusts (there's THAT WORD again) his offense to run every play through his 7-foot center and his kids never stop attacking . . . Suddenly, we had a great ballgame.
With Ronald back we will be so much better . . . but we will still be so very so-so.
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We did have a terrible year record wise, and as poorly as we played defense at times and the awful free throwing shooting, we actually were a lot closer than people think. In the regular season, we lost 11 conference game. In SEVEN of those losses, we were ahead or tied at halftime in five of those and down by ONE in two games at half. We had leads of eight and seven that were blown, vs. UF and LSU. Out of those seven games, you can conservatively figure we could have won five. That would've made our conference record 10-6, with a 21-10 overall record before the SEC tourney. The committee would have had to look hard at us for a spot. We only got blown out of one game and that was Clemson. All four non-conference losses were to NCAA tourney bound teams (Georgetown, Texas A&M, Clemson and Belmont). Granted, we should've won vs. Florida, at LSU, at Auburn, at Kentucky, without Richard, and vs. South Carolina. We had a shot vs. UT (tied at half) but I figured that was one of the games we should have lost.
Next year's Maui Classic is a very tough field and will give us an early look at how good we will be as Chaminade, Bama, Notre Dame, Oregon, St. Joe's, North Carolina, Texas and Indiana make up a field worthy of a regional final.
Next year's Maui Classic is a very tough field and will give us an early look at how good we will be as Chaminade, Bama, Notre Dame, Oregon, St. Joe's, North Carolina, Texas and Indiana make up a field worthy of a regional final.
You're absolutely right: We were in most of the games we played. But almost without exception, our kids (with or without our coaches' help) took every step imaginable to lose. That's the thing about bad teams -- they always find a way.
We will be much better with Ronald. How good? The Hawaii trip will set the early bar.
I heard the "we were so close" crap from Shula for four years. I'm surprised it even gets brought up. "Leaners" only count in horse shoes. We'll definitely be better if RH stays - be hard not to be. Another argument I'm tiring of is "we're a FB school." Too many other FB schools are much more competitive than we, year in and year out. If we're only a FB school, it will be because our AD leadership wills it to be so. It's possible to be both. I could name a bunch, but just look as close as Florida. There is only one reason CMG is coming back next year and that is economics...
This post has raised me like Lazarus from my flu-induced stupor. Thanks, Earle for the shot of B (as in Basketball )12. This 'football school' nonsense is spouted by well-meaning folks who don't have a grasp of their school's stellar basketball tradition.
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I think your flu took over that last sentence. 
Tough time of the year to be sick. Birds, bees and flowers are all awake and renewed and you can hardly lift your head off the pillow. Been there; done that...
Tough time of the year to be sick. Birds, bees and flowers are all awake and renewed and you can hardly lift your head off the pillow. Been there; done that...Earle, you're giving Tidetwin too much credit. Trust me, he's hardly literate under the best of circumstances. 
In this case, both of y'all have nailed an important point. There is no reason for us not to have a first-class basketball program. We've done it before. We sustained it for almost 15 years. The talent still exists across Alabama and the Southeast to get us back to where we ought to be.
If we can honestly look at the state of our team and say 'it's good enough,' it will never get better. We took the tough but appropriate steps to finally, repeat, finally fix football. It scalds me to think our university can't muster the interest or money to do the same with hoops.
RDT
In this case, both of y'all have nailed an important point. There is no reason for us not to have a first-class basketball program. We've done it before. We sustained it for almost 15 years. The talent still exists across Alabama and the Southeast to get us back to where we ought to be.
If we can honestly look at the state of our team and say 'it's good enough,' it will never get better. We took the tough but appropriate steps to finally, repeat, finally fix football. It scalds me to think our university can't muster the interest or money to do the same with hoops.
RDT
Earle is right, this whole "close" junk is just a bunch of verbal garbage. Shula showed us that, among others, and you can add Gottfried to that group.
When you say we were so close, in real terms you are saying this: We were not so ungodly and absolutely horrific that we were annihilated most of the times we took the floor. Basically you are just saying that we didn't consistently lose by 20+ points and -- shock! -- we actually managed to keep it fairly close for at least part of the game.
That is all that "we were close" means in reality. It is a statement completely devoid of any positive meaning whatsoever. So what we were leading in several of those games, and we could have won more than we did? The exact same thing goes for every other team in the conference. LSU had Villanova beat, and the same goes for Tennessee and others. Auburn was "this close" against Arkansas, Alabama, LSU, Kentucky, etc. South Carolina was "this close" against Florida, Vanderbilt, etc. As said earlier, though we were "this close," that means absolutely nothing, so was every other equally bad team in the conference.
For you to not be good even to get into a lot of close games with a bunch of generally mediocre-at-best teams, you have be so terrible it is almost unfathomable to even comprehend. "We were close" is by no means a defense of Gottfried or anyone else for that matter, and the decision makers know that. Had that argument contained legitimate merit, we would still be talking about our future under Coach Shula.
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I've said before that in recent history, uf raised the stakes.....you CAN win championships in basketball and football in the football crazed SEC. ut took the steps to follow suit. I realize that CMG's return is due to economics, but what about CJW's return? What about the new women's bball hiring? I get the feeling that this 'football school' stuff doesn't stop with the fans....I think it goes higher up. Hey, "as long as we aren't embarrassing" seems to be the mantra...........
I realize I'm probably wrong, but it seems that way. Unless Mike Kzef&si#jd$ofski leaves duke, or Joe Torre leaves the Dodgers, I'm not sure our admin would know who to hire in other sports.
There ya go....
MEDIOCRITY at its finest....
....As long as our fans have the same outlook as you do, we will continue to keep it up.
Florida wasn't a basketball school either! :mad2: Now they are because of SOLID COACHING!!!!!
I agree with everything that has been posted.
If I were guessing, I would say that we dont have a very well built talented AD executive staff (minus coaches). Let's be reasonable here, yes it was a bold and shrewd move on Mal's part to go after CNS but I think there was more desperation in it than anything. We were just lucky that CNS was desperate to return to college football. Given the timing of the search and the lack of other quality jobs being open, I doubt we would have faired so well if we were in a competitive situation in terms of attracting a top-tier coach.
In essence, I dont think our ADept is very adept at identifying a quality candidates and marketing our program effectively during the process. In those searches that dont involve boat loads of cash and total control, how well have we done?
Look at Western Kentucky or any other mid-major school, they are damned if they do damned if they dont in identifying and retaining coaches. Got to the NCAA tournament = Lose to coach to bigger school. Our AD is not as adept at identifying coaching talent as these schools.
I think we are lazy at the top (except with football) when it comes to running our ADept. It reminds me of high school, we walk down the hall asking someone if they are interested in coaching the women's basketball team this year.
My guess is if the AD actually made there minds they wanted a quality basketball program and went after a quality coach the BB program would generate more than enough revenue return to service the investment in the coach.
If I were guessing, I would say that we dont have a very well built talented AD executive staff (minus coaches). Let's be reasonable here, yes it was a bold and shrewd move on Mal's part to go after CNS but I think there was more desperation in it than anything. We were just lucky that CNS was desperate to return to college football. Given the timing of the search and the lack of other quality jobs being open, I doubt we would have faired so well if we were in a competitive situation in terms of attracting a top-tier coach.
In essence, I dont think our ADept is very adept at identifying a quality candidates and marketing our program effectively during the process. In those searches that dont involve boat loads of cash and total control, how well have we done?
Look at Western Kentucky or any other mid-major school, they are damned if they do damned if they dont in identifying and retaining coaches. Got to the NCAA tournament = Lose to coach to bigger school. Our AD is not as adept at identifying coaching talent as these schools.
I think we are lazy at the top (except with football) when it comes to running our ADept. It reminds me of high school, we walk down the hall asking someone if they are interested in coaching the women's basketball team this year.
My guess is if the AD actually made there minds they wanted a quality basketball program and went after a quality coach the BB program would generate more than enough revenue return to service the investment in the coach.
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