The Future of Alabama Basketball and Anthony Grant

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Another way of looking at it, unfortunately, is this: neither of them were good enough to carry those roles from high school to college.

Lacey was a scorer at Butler but not a great shooter. From the start at Alabama, his relative lack of athleticism limited what he could do in the open court or in a set offense.

Levi has been hindered by our absence of rebounding big men and his absence of any semblance of an offensive game. I would have thought he would become a better finisher -- your analogy of a deer is a good one -- but neither Levi or Coop have ever grown into that role. Besides, when we do run, Releford and Obasahan are almost always going to the rim.

I'll add something else here too: I watched Levi Randolfph and Trevor Lacy play high school basketball in Huntsville.

While Lacy is gone now, he could generates points and we miss that.

Levi was never a great shooter, but he is a great athlete and he's the type of player that needs to take the ball to the rim AND/OR run the fast break and be a finisher.

Problem is, in both cases with Levi and Trevor L., they both were not used the way they needed to be used. Lacy needed to shoot alot...it's what he did in high school and he needed a lot of touches and, frankly, considering the talent around him, deserved them IMO.

Levi has never been used the way he needs to be used IMO. He's a deer that needs to run and jump and we've got him playing a half court, pure shooters role, which he is not.

 

[day-day]

Many high school scorers get away with constantly taking the ball to the rim because of the level of competition. They cannot get away with this in college ball and must learn others ways to score. There are times when going to the rim is the right thing to do; when there is an opening. Bama players (I can think of at least 4) get stuck in this mode even when big defensive players are stacked in front of the goal; the plays often result in highly contested shots, blocked shots, or charging fouls. Gerald Wallace as a freshman was a perfect example of someone with true physical size and ability who got jambed up a lot at the rim.

Cooper and even more so Randolph have occasionally pulled up on drives and hit successful jump shots or floaters but they will go through long lapses of forgetting about this option.

Regarding Coach Grant, I hate the posts full of logic because I have such a hard time giving up on him after all the excitement with his hiring. Even now, when Bama plays a decent 2nd half like they did against USC I keep thinking they have finally turned the corner; I admit this makes me sound like an idiot.

I will be okay if Grant is fired if Battle has a promising replacement but right now I am looking forward to next year's addition of players under Grant.

 

[RTR91]

I'll add something else here too: I watched Levi Randolfph and Trevor Lacy play high school basketball in Huntsville.

While Lacy is gone now, he could generates points and we miss that.

Levi was never a great shooter, but he is a great athlete and he's the type of player that needs to take the ball to the rim AND/OR run the fast break and be a finisher.

Problem is, in both cases with Levi and Trevor L., they both were not used the way they needed to be used. Lacy needed to shoot alot...it's what he did in high school and he needed a lot of touches and, frankly, considering the talent around him, deserved them IMO.

Levi has never been used the way he needs to be used IMO. He's a deer that needs to run and jump and we've got him playing a half court, pure shooters role, which he is not.

Trevor shot 39% last year. He averaged 12 points a game, but that FG % isn't what a coach wants out of his starting SG.

Levi does better when Bama runs the press and gets transition points. If Levi has never been a shooter, he needs to hit the gym more to improve his shot. He gets too many open shots to only go to the rim and take a wild shot. If he would work on his jumper, he would be a much better player.

Regarding Coach Grant, I hate the posts full of logic because I have such a hard time giving up on him after all the excitement with his hiring. Even now, when Bama plays a decent 2nd half like they did against USC I keep thinking they have finally turned the corner; I admit this makes me sound like an idiot.

I will be okay if Grant is fired if Battle has a promising replacement but right now I am looking forward to next year's addition of players under Grant.

This times 1,000. I was excited about Grant's hiring in 2009. I've held out hope for so long because I wanted him to do well. I've taken every positive sign and used it to get me through the next depressing performance.

CAG's teams haven't even really been consistent at being inconsistent.

 

[RTR91]

Anyone have thoughts on Tony Bennett at Virginia as a replacement? He was hired in 2009, too.

His records at UVA:
15-16 (5-11)
16-15(7-9)
22-10 (9-7)
23-12 (11-7)
20-5 (11-1)

He won 26 games in his first two seasons at Wazzu before winning 17 in his final year prior to going to UVA.

 

[Ldlane]

Can he sing?

Anyone have thoughts on Tony Bennett at Virginia as a replacement? He was hired in 2009, too.

His records at UVA:
15-16 (5-11)
16-15(7-9)
22-10 (9-7)
23-12 (11-7)
20-5 (11-1)

He won 26 games in his first two seasons at Wazzu before winning 17 in his final year prior to going to UVA.

 

[RTR91]

Can he sing?

He can sing while CNS does the electric slide.

 

[bama579]

Anyone have thoughts on Tony Bennett at Virginia as a replacement? He was hired in 2009, too.

His records at UVA:
15-16 (5-11)
16-15(7-9)
22-10 (9-7)
23-12 (11-7)
20-5 (11-1)


Why leave Virginia? In a league that cares about hoops; geographical region full of players; a 14k seat arena less than 10 years old; etc. Why come to Alabama where little of the preceding applies?

If/when the time comes for Grant to exit, we will probably be shopping in the less-premium coaching aisles.

 

[Ldlane]

I don't see us getting a top tier coach either if a change were to happen this year.

 

[BigA]

Anyone have thoughts on Tony Bennett at Virginia as a replacement? He was hired in 2009, too.

His records at UVA:
15-16 (5-11)
16-15(7-9)
22-10 (9-7)
23-12 (11-7)
20-5 (11-1)


Why leave Virginia? In a league that cares about hoops; geographical region full of players; a 14k seat arena less than 10 years old; etc. Why come to Alabama where little of the preceding applies?

If/when the time comes for Grant to exit, we will probably be shopping in the less-premium coaching aisles.

Honestly, I think we are dreaming if we think we can lure a successful head coach from a major conference and from a school that is committed to basketball. I think we would more than likely have to go the mid-major route or a past head coach currently out of a job.

 

[cjhadley]

Honestly, I think we are dreaming if we think we can lure a successful head coach from a major conference and from a school that is committed to basketball. I think we would more than likely have to go the mid-major route or a past head coach currently out of a job.

I wouldn't mind hiring Wichita State's coach.

 

[derek4tide]

I wouldn't mind hiring Wichita State's coach.

No way Gregg Marshall leaves Wichita. He's got it made there. Small conference, easy in to the Dance, the school gives him anything he wants (their gym is better than ours), and he's the top dog/money maker for WSU.

 

[BamaMoon]

Unless Battle pulls a big surprise, as stated earlier, CAG will probably get another year.

I agree we can forget getting an elite coach from a great Bball conference, unless there's one out there who is underpaid and who is looking to make more in the range of Grant's 2 mil a year, assuming we'd pay that again.

 

[Ldlane]

This qualifies as a "I don't live on this planet" posts!

I wouldn't mind hiring Wichita State's coach.

 

[TheAccountant]

Gottfried had final four talent and couldn't win a road game in the SEC. Grant doesn't have that luxury, but it looks to be coming in. Hopefully.
I'm not arguing that Grant has done a great or even a good job, but Gottfried absolutely blew it.
If Gottfried's kids had of played with the same effort that Grant's kids do, they would have been something special. They didn't.
That simple.
sip

So, Gottfried was a coach who could recruit but couldn't coach and Grant is a coach who can't recruit and can't coach?

 

[day-day]

Can he sing?

Can we get a mod to delete this post? :smile:

 

[cjhadley]

This qualifies as a "I don't live on this planet" posts!

I can dream, can't I?

 

[Marg]

I don't see us getting a top tier coach either if a change were to happen this year.

at this point, i don't see us getting a top tier coach regardless of the year. too many apathetic basketball fans for a top coach to want to put up with it. the only ways i can think something like that may happen: if someone in the athletic's dept has a very strong relationship with a top coach and it plays a more than significant role in getting them to ttown or if the university puts together an extremely lucrative deal to lure them here (figuring to make back on the investment once fans and wins start coming). with those in mind.... throwing money at a problem rarely works and if somebody had an "in" with a major coach, they should have already spoken up.

 

[cjhadley]

I think that if Alabama had a good basketball program the fans would come to the game. I live about 3 to 4 hours from Tuscaloosa and I would not drive that for knowing that the team is most likely not going to win the game and I think that most fans feel that way. I realize that Alabama is not a Basketball school but I think that if the school got serious about the basketball program and hired a proven coach and invested in the team, Alabama could do what Florida is doing. I might be more optimistic about the potential of the team than a lot of fans, I just think that it has the potential to be very successful.

 

[BamaMoon]

So I'll just start off saying I don't know a whole lot about basketball. I follow it like I follow most sports other than football. I watch the games. I cheer for the teams. I get upset when we look terrible. But from my uneducated point of view, Coleman Colosseum has always seemed like a negative to me. It's not intimate. There's no good place for the students to sit (last time it seemed like the really committed ones were in a small roped off area underneath the baskets). We almost never fill it, and even when we does it's not that loud. Am I crazy? Obviously, we got bigger problems than that, but in the same way that I think the new BDS helps us with recruiting and national prowess, a quality gym would have benefits. Thoughts?

I could be a jerk and say "see the Barn's new arena."

Sadly, I agree with your perspective about Coleman. I've been going there since the early 80's and it always seemed dark and uninspiring to me too!

I know a bunch a money was spent on renovations a few years ago, but I was one who just wished we might have put the money toward a new, brighter, more fan friendly arena that seats 10,000ish. Do what Duke does and put the students on the side near the court and then have season ticket holders up a few rows but still with quality seats.

But I'll go ahead and admit that a new arena wouldn't help without a change in what's happening now.

I also think fans would come to Coleman in bigger numbers if we would win more consistently. And if we ever turn the proverbial corner and get to the point Florida is we might actually see a new arena one day, but right now don't start holding your breath.

 

[Rama Jama]

Our attendance is not dismal like the barns. Even when we are not good as we are are now, fans have made a respectable showing. I'd guess the worst crowd we've had has been around 5000 which takes at least 2 games for the barn to achieve. The program needs someone who can and will promote the sport like the Womens coach has so far. That is one reason Wimp was so successful. His personality made it fun to go to games.

I agree , we have the worst basketball arena in the state with by far the biggest following, but basketball was an afterthought by the PTB in athletics prior to Bill Battle. The law school is the issue. They won't give up the parking lot or allow it to be moved. Basketball is in a malaise with no end in sight unless there are changes in the staff as well as the arena.