re: UA Basketball (16-15, 8-10)

My only concern with Nate’s recruiting so far is the area he is choosing to target. Even Nick didn’t start out recruiting Hawaii and California. His critical 2008 class was mostly from within a few hundred miles of Tuscaloosa. My advice to Nate would be to stop looking at Canada and California right now. He needs to recruit Mississippi, Atlanta, Tennessee, the Florida panhandle, especially the panhandle Jucos, and stay in the Southeast until you establish some credibility and can expand nationally. You gotta crawl before you walk and Alabama has historically done quite well recruiting within the Southeast. This ain’t Buffalo. Recruiting a kid from Canada is asking him to move 1000 or more miles from home. I’m hoping that is due to relationships and will change with time. I don’t think it’s a long term formula for success until he has some success.

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This is all fine ONLY if Oats can recruit like Saban. Which is yet to be determined

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I'm on board with giving Oats time to see what he can build. I like him and his style of play but, yes, it remains to be seen if he can recruit to the level it will take to have a consistent Sweet 16 threat.

It's 100% fair to look at all the injuries this year but I'm also acutely aware of how the narrative has changed from "finally someone who can coach up this pretty talented roster" to "let's get rid of this roster".


That we just fired Avery mainly due to Jeckyl and Hyde performances to fall off the bubble in February and finish 17-14 is a bit of a hard pill to swallow when losing to Vandy and A&M at home trumps any of those recent February chokes.

I don’t care who ltransfers or whatever.

The bigs on this team are awful. I won’t call Galin lazy, because I believe he tries, but he just doesn’t have talent. Davis doesn’t have enough pride to play hard every game and Reese is so soft. The small guys are more physical than he is. I’d rather put a walk-in out there than have to watch Reese anymore

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My only concern with Nate’s recruiting so far is the area he is choosing to target. Even Nick didn’t start out recruiting Hawaii and California. His critical 2008 class was mostly from within a few hundred miles of Tuscaloosa. My advice to Nate would be to stop looking at Canada and California right now. He needs to recruit Mississippi, Atlanta, Tennessee, the Florida panhandle, especially the panhandle Jucos, and stay in the Southeast until you establish some credibility and can expand nationally. You gotta crawl before you walk and Alabama has historically done quite well recruiting within the Southeast. This ain’t Buffalo. Recruiting a kid from Canada is asking him to move 1000 or more miles from home. I’m hoping that is due to relationships and will change with time. I don’t think it’s a long term formula for success until he has some success.

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Our basketball program isn’t our football program. We have always had a major pull in the southeast in football which is where football reigns supreme. We don’t really have that pull in the southeast outside of the in-state prospects which are horrible. I don’t think Oats is against recruiting the area, he’s just takin what he can get wherever he can get it. I kind of like that he hasn’t reached for the in-state recruits. I also like how he pivoted his attention to Canada. We struck out on our major targets this year, so what does Oats do? He shifts his attention to Canada where players get less local attention and are forced to be open to a new location because there practically are no schools in the area. If we land Primo to go with Keon, that’s an impressive haul considering those were your Plan B guys.

I’m not 100% sure Oats will work out here (although I am very confident), but I don’t think recruiting is going to be the problem. I also don’t think that because Oats is a great recruiter. I say that because his system will sell itself. No way will you have a hard struggle with recruiting when your system allows the players this much freedom in an uptempo playing style. I can understand the doubt behind Oats and his system working out here, but I definitely don’t see recruiting (at least from a not being able to land 4-stars perspective) as being his downfall.

Well, I'm still 100% onboard the Oats Boat. I do think there's some talent on this team, but it's all around the perimeter and/or injured. Given the circumstances, Nate has done a great job this year, in my opinion. We could have won some of those close games, but we could have lost several more as well. This may be the first year where we've been in every game with a chance to win (excluding a couple of those early season disasters). The results have been a little disappointing, but, realistically, Oats has had some terrible luck in year one, but still managed to be very competitive. I think all we need is a few less injuries, a few more players, and a little time.

I’m not even concerned with the wins and losses. I’m sick of the players who half arse it, the shite turnovers, and sloppy play. I didn’t expect much this season, I just wanted effort every night

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Reese is so soft. The small guys are more physical than he is. I’d rather put a walk-in out there than have to watch Reese anymore

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The problem with Reese is he has the Jabari Parker syndrome. Everything he does (good or bad) is based on how he’s doing offensively. If he’s struggling, he doesn’t care on defense and doesn’t fight for boards. There was that stretch in the middle of the season where he did awesome offensively and was very solid on defense and showed passion while he did it. Then he struggled shooting the ball mightily since the start of February and that coincided with him sucking arse on defense and looking like he didn’t care what was happening.

Did anyone else notice we put Herb on Saben Lee in the 2nd half and he got nothing until Herb picked up his 4th foul with 6 minutes left and couldn’t guard him anymore? Then Lee went off

Yea, Galin got stuck on him and he drained a 3. He could have done anything he wanted

I agree , it's not the system.

The injury situation has been awful, it's as if this team was jinxed before the first jump ball.

This is the weakest line up of bigs in many many years..

As far as Reese goes..hes pissed he us having to play Center.. He's pissed he can't loaf on the perimeter and shot 3's.. In Coach's words, "he's soft as shite and doesn't care about anyone but himself".

Secondly, I love Kira..hes had a great year offensively. But he's not ready for the NBA.. His defense is suspect, he still turns it over..and like his teammates, I'm not sure how big his heart is..

I'm sure I'll get downvoted for that, but it's true. In the season opener he goes blank blank to win the game from the line.. He's missed countless shots in the clutch that to be great you just can't miss.

Imo Kira needs to stay 1 more year.. Petty needs to stay as well.

Shack is a diamond, Davis just needs to get quicker and Herb Jones is the man, but he needs to finish at the Rim more consistently.

Reese, Smith need to go. Smith plays hard, but he's just not good enough.

Oats is a really good coach.. He's just got to change the culture.. I believe he will.