re: 2017-18 Alabama Basketball Season Thread: 20-16 (10-11)

Imo, establishing a point guard is priority #1. Also, I'd make DAMN sure that our kids got work everyday on their shooting, especially their mid-range jump shots. Teams that drive and slash to the rim need to be able to pull up and hit the 12-15 foot quick jumper. Sexton finally figured it out lately and it's been $$$ for him. Finally, I'd double up in the weight room on every front court player I had (especially Hall)....I'll be damned if I would get pushed around like we've been this year.

I'm not even ready to start thinking about expectations for next year.

Thoughts for today:
We have to pound the ball down low. We did a good job of that yesterday early.
I would like to see us invert the game a little and post our guards up on their much smaller guys. Sexton should have a huge advantage on their #1.
If we do post with our bigs, we need to empty the backside to limit their help. With the way they like to front the post, we should be able to throw over them if we pull the weakside up.
This is a little unconventional but I would like to see us press them. Just another way of making them expend energy and try to wear them down.
If they go zone, don't try to over-dribble to penetrate. That's where we had problems last game with them.

Last and most importantly, can we show Gene the door for the day? Please?

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Last and most importantly, can we show Gene the door for the day? Please?

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Don't worry, I'm out

I'm not talking the game today with ya'll

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we're only 1 game into our 6 game winning streak

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We did a nice job against the zone yesterday. I don't think that'll be nearly the problem it was in the 2nd game against Auburn.

Doesn't mean we'll make shots, but we ran stuff that penetrated the zone against Aggie pretty well outside of the 7-8 minute stretch in the 2nd half.

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SOG, as you warned me earlier, don't get too emotionally invested today.

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I'm past the point of no return.

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Hall and Smith did a really good job flashing to the free throw line in the center of the zone, then looking to dish. Hall especially. He was quick and assertive to the spot.

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Yup - combine that with Ingram and Sexton doing a nice job of slashing and causing them to collapse and we had a nice plan.

Going to need more of the slash and dish today. Really need guys to make good quick decisions when defenders flash to help, get Donta/Giddens/Smith the ball down low and those guys need to quickly go up. They have the advantage and have to finish around the basket.

You are right. Don't know if we have anyone quick enough to guard Harper. He did what he wanted to do. Over and over and over. He blew by our guards, passed to the corner, then they made 2 quick short passes, and ended up with a wide open 3.Over and over. If we cant contain Harper, it will be a long day. And our big men just got humiliated. They might was well just stay in the locker room, if they cant play any harder than they did last game against da barn. Giddens is too slow to play against Auburn. If Petty tries to dribble the ball they will take it away from him. We might just be scared of Auburn. We looked and played scared. But, our biggest problem was containing Harper. Our guards could not stop the penetration.

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Let’s say chalk holds today and we lose and then despite all the pundits chatter, we get left out of the Dance. Does that change your stance on Avery returning in 2018-19?

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No, that would be stupid imo. I can’t even understand the logic tbh.

Feel one way if we are the last team in and feel differently if we are the first team out?

Look, we are what we are. We’re not an elite team and we’re not a shitty team. We are somewhere in between that, along with 90% of the other 350+ teams in the country.

Everyone thought Anthony Grant was going to be the guy to take us to the next level, but he failed and he was replaced.

Avery got hired and after we were surprised with the hire and didn’t really know what to expect, we all convinced ourselves that he’s going to be the guy that gets us there. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t - but I still don’t think we actually know the answer to that when this season is over and that’s ok.

That means at least we aren’t sure that he’s definitely not the guy to do it like when we kept Gottfried longer than we should have.

Avery has done literally everything we hoped he would do except win a few extra games. He’s rejuvenated the fan base, he’s publicized the hell out of the program, he’s recruited well, and he’s gotten on the cusp of a NCAAT berth that we’ve all been desperate for.

The cool thing to do is bash Avery and want him to be fired when we have no guarantee who our next coach is and if that guy would even be any better. I’d rather stick with Avery and allow him to become a better coach as he gains collegegiate experience. If that puts me on an island by myself then so be it, but hiring and firing a coach every 3-4 years until we get lucky and hire the immediate perfect fit could take two decades.