For the first time in at least two years, I stepped into the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum to take in a University of Alabama basketball game, as my longtime friend Derek and I got together Tuesday to watch Anthony Grant's Crimson Tide team take on Maryland in the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament.
Of course you know the rest of the story, with Alabama's up and down season ending in a heartbreaking 58-57 NIT loss to the Terrapins. But actually being there live gave me an up close look at a contest which summed up the season in appropriate fashion for this year's edition of the Crimson Tide.
Before I discuss the actual team and program as a whole, allow me to sidestep a bit and share a few thoughts about Bama's home court.
Tuesday's game was the second Alabama game I have attended since Coleman Coliseum underwent a major renovation project, which included much work done to make the front of the building and the lobby area more aesthetically pleasing and also to bring fans a little closer to the action.
Several other additions have occurred since then, and all of the renovation work has translated into a much nicer venue overall for the UA program. Of course the venerable facility is still an older building with an older design and there is really only so much you can do with what you have in trying to create a more modern look, and an improved fan atmosphere. It will likely never be the most feared or loud arena in the SEC, but there was a time when it was consistently loud and electric, and a very hostile road experience for Tide opponents, and that was during the "Plaid and Parquet" days of Tide hoops when Wimp Sanderson was still stalking the sidelines as coach.
One wonders if that will ever occur for the Tide program under the direction of Grant.
As a UA grad, I personally have much respect for the Tide coach, as I think he has done an admirable job in trying to tighten some things that perhaps had gotten a bit lax under predecessor Mark Gottfried, and I definitely have much respect for the way he dealt with problem children such as Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green in the past. I have the sense that Grant cares deeply about his players, but I also feel that he has a deeper respect for the overall program, and wants to see it represented with true class on and off the court.
That being said, although he has brought some incredibly gifted athletes into the program, such as Trevor Releford and Levi Randolph, one has to examine and question whether any real and significant progress has occurred with Alabama hoops under his watch.
In four years at the Capstone, Grant has directed Alabama to one NCAA appearance and Alabama has also been basically a non-factor in the SEC Tournament during that same time.
Although he has seemingly gotten his Tide players to play with real effort a good portion of the time, that effort was hard to find in the second half of the game at Auburn this season when Alabama fell in embarrassing fashion 49-37, or during the first half of its road loss at Ole Miss. I guess the Bama players will also always have to live with whatever effort they may have shown in the embarrassing losses to Mercer, Tulane and Dayton which kept them from even being seriously considered as a candidate for the NCAA tournament.
The loss to Maryland was a microcosm of not only this season for the Tide, but of the overall tenure of Grant as Alabama's head coach in terms of maddening inconsistency.
It was obvious that the Terrapins were a very good team that perhaps should have been in the NCAA tourney, but the Tide at times payed on very even terms with the visitors from the ACC, only to be undermined time and time again by its very real and very frustrating flaws.
This includes a lack of depth, lack of any real significant inside game, its tendency to wallow into extended offensive lulls and even critical lapses on defense at times.
All of these were exposed once again before a very solid crowd probably in the 12,000 range and also those watching on ESPN. Alabama has attracted fairly good home crowds most of the season despite its uneven season, and once again Tuesday's crowd did its best to create a loud enviroment, but every time it appeared that crowd was on the verge of finally exploding, Bama would turn the ball over or allow an uncontested dunk or trey to stop the crowd's momentum. And, again, this is simply the story of Alabama basketball at the moment.
Alabama has talent, and I believe a good coach, but the talent on hand seems too inconsistent, limited and fragile to put forth any type of significant winning streak or contend for any type of championship just yet.
As good as perimeter threats such as Releford, Trevor Lacey and Levi Randolph are, it is very rare that any of these players put two great halves of performance together and Rodney Cooper is the same way. Alabama was ravaged inside Tuesday by Maryland's Alex Len, who tallied 15 points and collected 13 rebounds. An improving Nick Jacobs is the only player who gives the Tide any semblance of an inside threat, as Moussa Gueye, Devonta Pollard and even Carl Engstrom, before he was injured, have basically been non factors most of the season. Gueye is simply a foul waiting to happen and his offensive skills are elementary at best. Perhaps a bigger and improved Pollard, and the addition of Greensboro High standout big man Jimmie Taylor will help things in that particular area for the Crimson Tide next season.
Although we don't really have any access to how Grant is with his players behind closed doors in the locker room or at practice, sometimes I feel the Tide seemingly tends to reflect his personality during its games.
Although it may not be his nature, sometimes I wonder if a little emotion from the head coach during many of Bama's games might spur his team on at times and get it to play with a bit more passion, especially during those frequent stretches where it seems out of sorts or sluggish. What we usually see from the coach, however, is him sitting or standing with a stoic or perplexed look on his face.
I am no hoops expert by any means, but any casual observer can tell that many of the same things which plagued the Tide on the court during Grant's first season at the Capstone were still present during his fourth season.
I fully believe that Grant deserves a fifth season, just to see if a more seasoned roster, with more depth and perhaps an improved inside game, might pay dividends and get this program back into the "Big Dance" and actually start an extended NCAA tourney run for this program.
If things do not change dramatically next season, however, I think UA officials have to seriously question whether they need to continue down this road with the current coach that is in charge.
On a separate and personal note, the Crimson Tide athletic program has undergone a huge transition recently with an ailing Mal Moore stepping down as athletic director, and the very accomplished Bill Battle stepping in to lead the Crimson Tide program. I wish Battle nothing but the best as he seeks to ensure that smooth transition, and keep the Bama program a very strong one. But most importantly, I wish nothing but blessings for Moore as he continues to battle severe health problems, and apparently is now in need of a lung transplant. Moore is a Crimson Tide legend and has been an instrumental part of so many Crimson Tide championships and a legacy of greatness....Best of luck to you, and many prayers are with you Coach.
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