re: tOfficial Alabama Basketball Thread | Now Accepting Transfers l #BuckleUp

Only a few lower bowl seats available

#BuckleUp indeed off to a fast start

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It's happened quietly, which is odd because Avery Johnson is anything but quiet.

It's taken place in remote locations from Orlando, Fla., to Hattiesburg, Miss., to Clemson, S.C.

It's been overshadowed by an SEC title, a College Football Playoff berth and a Heisman Trophy, but it's time to recognize what's developing eight games into Johnson's first season as the Crimson Tide basketball coach.

Alabama basketball has a pulse. A beating, competing, winning pulse.

With essentially the same roster as the one that witnessed Anthony Grant's ouster last spring, with a team picked to finish No. 13 in the 14-team SEC, Johnson has made the transition to college coaching as smoothly as he ran the break as an NBA point guard.

He and his Crimson Tide team aren't just winning games, though they are 6-2 after Sunday's 51-50 victory at Clemson. They're doing things the program hasn't done in ages.


They beat No. 20 Wichita State and No. 17 Notre Dame in consecutive games in the AdvoCare Classic in Orlando on Iron Bowl weekend. The last time Alabama beat ranked opponents in back-to-back games was 2006. That was the last Alabama team to win a game in the NCAA Tournament.

The Crimson Tide has followed that successful tournament run with two more road wins at Southern Miss and Clemson. The last time Alabama won four straight non-conference games away from home was 2002. That was the last Alabama team to win the SEC regular-season championship.

No one's suggesting this Alabama team will win the league, make the tournament or win a game there. But do you want to tell Johnson he can't?

The margin for error for this team started out thin and has only narrowed since talented freshman point guard Dazon Ingram suffered a broken foot in practice last week that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

The four straight wins have come by four points (Wichita State), one point (Notre Dame), three points (Southern Miss) and one point (Clemson).

That 3-0 record in one-possession games decided by three points or less is a tribute to Johnson. A year ago, Alabama was 3-5 in one-possession games.

Good but not quite good enough was the story of Grant's tenure.

The early returns on Johnson couldn't be much better. Against a quality schedule that looked like it might be too much to handle, Alabama has found a way to make plays when plays absolutely have to be made. Witness Shannon Hale's game-winning steal and dunk in the final minute Sunday.

Alabama also is squeezing a lot of production from a roster that no one would consider the most talented in the league. Stepping up in Ingram's absence, senior guard Retin Obasohan was named SEC player of the week Monday for the first time in his college career.

With four games left in the non-conference schedule, starting Wednesday night back at home for the first time in almost a month against Winthrop, this team has a chance to position itself for a run at a postseason tournament.

Johnson already has positioned himself for a run at SEC coach of the year.
So far, his #BuckleUp slogan has been more than good PR. It's been good advice. He and his first Alabama team are off to quite a ride

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Scarbinsky clearly knows nothing about Bama hoops if he thinks this is essentially the same team that Grant had last year.

Avery has a lot less to work with.

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Scarbinsky clearly knows nothing about hoops

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FIFY. His sole purpose is to troll Bama usually and make excuses for Auburn. He knows nothing about basketball either.

Women's team wins again.

Tale of the tape

Winthrop Eagles: 6-2 (0-0)
Conference: Big South
RPI Rank: 187
SOS Rank: 332
KenPom: 201
BPI: 210

W's: Hampton, Truett-McConnell, Jacksonville State, South Carolina Upstate, Charleston Southern, Presbyterian College

L's: North Carolina State, Georgia

Team Rankings

PPG: 83.4 (39th)
PA: 79.1 (301st)
RPG: 38.8 (113th)
APG: 10.9 (317th)

Team Leaders

Keon Johnson (5'7" 160) 18.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 47.6% 3P%
Jimmy Gavin (6'3" 190) 17.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 39.2 3P%
Xavier Cooks (6'8" 185) 13.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 BPG, 30.0 3P%
Duby Okeke (6'8" 230) 6.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.5 BPG, 60.6 FG%



Alabama Crimson Tide: 6-2 (0-0)
Conference: Southeastern
RPI Rank: 27
SOS Rank: 36
KenPom: 82
BPI: 107

W's: Kennesaw State, Louisiana Lafayette, Wichita State, Notre Dame, Southern Mississippi, Clemson

L's: Dayton, #10 Xavier

Team Rankings

PPG: 65.3 (315th)
PA: 67.4 (104th)
RPG: 33.9 (299th)
APG: 11.4 (303rd)

Team Leaders

Retin Obasohan (6'1" 208) 14.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 38.9 3P%
Shannon Hale (6'8" 226) 12.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 40.5 3P%
Arthur Edwards (6'6" 210) 8.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 44.1 3P%
Justin Coleman (5'10" 160) 6.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 17.1 3P%

RealTimeRPI.com projects us to finish 18-12 (8-10).

Take it with a grain of salt of course, but I thought it was interesting.

Winthrop 83-71 W
Oregon 81-75 W
Jacksonville St 87-63 W
Norfolk St 85-67 W
@ Ole Miss 72-83 L
Kentucky 80-81 L
South Carolina 86-82 W
@ Vanderbilt 71-86 L
@ Auburn 74-80 L
LSU 80-75 W
Tennessee 81-72 W
@ South Carolina 78-90 L
@ Mississippi State 75-77 L
Missouri 82-70 W
Texas A&M 80-76 W
@ Florida 70-82 L
@ LSU 72-83 L
Mississippi State 83-69 W
@ Kentucky 71-89 L
Auburn 82-72 W
Arkansas 87-78 W
@ Georgia 75-81 L


12-1 at home (with a 1 point loss to UK) and and 0-9 on the road for the remainder of our schedule.

Yeah, doesn't seem likely imo.


If it did though, would that get us into the NIT?

Yes IMO. I don't think we can afford to lose at Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU and Mississippi State. I think 3-2 or 4-1 would be acceptable, but nothing more if we don't beat USCe, UK, or Florida on the road.