Alabama: 2021-2022 Season - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

[CajunCrimson]

I was going to say McDyess... I never got to see Sprewell and Horry at Alabama. But yeah, in another era, Sexton plays 2 or 3 years and probably leaves no doubt. I would have loved to see Sexton play for Oats.

Yep. Sexton and Donta Hall would have been a blast to watch.

 

[JDCrimson]

A rash of soft tissue injuries at the beginning of the season may indicate not enough individual evaluation of each player's fitness for the sport. Meaning you throw the kids into a workout regime that is more intense than anything they have ever done you are increasing the risk to a player suffering injury. For example, Some of these kids may never ran more than a couple of miles at one time. You are asking for trouble if ask them to go on a 5 mile run at the beginning of camp.

 

[imauafan]

A couple of points:

1) A 4 star in basketball isn’t nearly the same as a 4 star in football. Most of the time the lower level 4 stars are just exceptional athletes that need their overall games polished. Alot of times, yes they are projects. Darius Myles was a guy that wasn’t supposed to contribute until next year. But because of Primo (unexpectedly) leaving, and Namari getting injured, he was thrust into a much larger role. KAH, and Tchikou were absolutely projects. The staff thought they could turn KAH into a dominant PNR rim runner because of his athleticism. That just hasn’t happened. KAH was also brought in to help get fellow Canadians, Primo and Bediako. So, yes 4 stars can be projects. This isn’t football. We have too many on this basketball board that view basketball through a football lens.

2) I can give you plenty of examples of 4 stars that took time to develop. Most recently, Herb Jones, Alex Reese, Levi Randolph. They were all 4 year guys. John Petty was a 5 star guy and he was here for 4 years. Guess who developed Herb, Reese, and Petty. That’s right Nate Oats.

3) Also, some of these guys were taken because our number 1 guy went elsewhere. The best example is us missing out on 5 star big Isaiah Jackson. He was ours for a while and then UK swooped in the last week.

I’ve rambled enough. But these are a few examples. This is FREAKING year 3 and he has taken us to back to back NCAAT for the first time since 05/06, won the SEC reg season and Tourney titles for the first time since 2002 (reg season) & I think 92 (tournament). On top of that, we have a top 3 class coming in that 100% fits his playing style. We are in GREAT HANDS.

Mike, I like CNO and I agree that up to this point he has been the best coach we've had since Wimp but we can't look at everything through crimson-colored glasses. I hope he rights the ship and takes us places that we've never been in basketball. I hoped the same for Hobbs (although I never was a fan of Hobbs), Gottfried, Grant, and Johnson. I've been a big Bama basketball fan since the early-to-mid 80's so I'm not a Johnny-come-lately.

Yes, I completely understand about 4 star rankings but throwing the rankings out and looking strictly at the players with our own eyes, we signed a bunch of kids that just seemingly aren't good fit for CNO's system and that concerns me about his ability to evaluate talent. With a few exceptions every player is a project coming out of high school and every coach misses on some kids and I think any reasonable person understands that. But CNO has got to start getting some of these projects right and not having so many misses or he will not be successful here. You can't have a roster full of misses and be successful, it really is that simple. Hopefully the incoming class will be the turning point. Plus, IMHO, we need to do a better job of using the transfer portal than we have in the past. Roster management will be the key to CNO's success as it is with just about every coach.

About your point #3, If I had a nickel for every guy that we just missed out on but went somewhere else over the years I would be rich. I remember being torn up over losing Alonzo Johnson to UT back in the early 90's. Around the same time period I was on cloud 9 about signing Cedric Moore. Both guys were highly rated recruits and neither of them did much in college. We signed another kid, Roy Rogers, who looked like he couldn't play for Shelton State but worked his rear-end off to improve himself and he wound up being one of my top 2-3 all-time favorite Bama players. Every year we're always hyped up over a kid or two that we think we're going to get and they wind up signing somewhere else.

 

[CajunCrimson]

When Nate arrived he spoke little about defense. He said for his offense he needed 4 shooters on the floor at all times. Preferably times where he had 5. He spoke about the need to find bigs who could shoot it.

In the first 2 classes how many shooters did we get?

And listen. Love me some Oats. But to establish something long term, we have to nail recruiting.

He won with Avery’s kids. Now he has to prove he can recruit kids that can play.

Q, Keon, and Primo were his three best recruits. Q may have been the most inconsistent player ever. Keon a close second. Primo was buried in the roster.

 

[BamaMike05]

When Nate arrived he spoke little about defense. He said for his offense he needed 4 shooters on the floor at all times. Preferably times where he had 5. He spoke about the need to find bigs who could shoot it.

In the first 2 classes how many shooters did we get?

And listen. Love me some Oats. But to establish something long term, we have to nail recruiting.

He won with Avery’s kids. Now he has to prove he can recruit kids that can play.

Q, Keon, and Primo were his three best recruits. Q may have been the most inconsistent player ever. Keon a close second. Primo was buried in the roster.

Agree with everything, except, Primo was actually a starter.

 

[dayhiker]

Mike, I like CNO and I agree that up to this point he has been the best coach we've had since Wimp but we can't look at everything through crimson-colored glasses. I hope he rights the ship and takes us places that we've never been in basketball. I hoped the same for Hobbs (although I never was a fan of Hobbs), Gottfried, Grant, and Johnson. I've been a big Bama basketball fan since the early-to-mid 80's so I'm not a Johnny-come-lately.

Yes, I completely understand about 4 star rankings but throwing the rankings out and looking strictly at the players with our own eyes, we signed a bunch of kids that just seemingly aren't good fit for CNO's system and that concerns me about his ability to evaluate talent. With a few exceptions every player is a project coming out of high school and every coach misses on some kids and I think any reasonable person understands that. But CNO has got to start getting some of these projects right and not having so many misses or he will not be successful here. You can't have a roster full of misses and be successful, it really is that simple. Hopefully the incoming class will be the turning point. Plus, IMHO, we need to do a better job of using the transfer portal than we have in the past. Roster management will be the key to CNO's success as it is with just about every coach.

About your point #3, If I had a nickel for every guy that we just missed out on but went somewhere else over the years I would be rich. I remember being torn up over losing Alonzo Johnson to UT back in the early 90's. Around the same time period I was on cloud 9 about signing Cedric Moore. Both guys were highly rated recruits and neither of them did much in college. We signed another kid, Roy Rogers, who looked like he couldn't play for Shelton State but worked his rear-end off to improve himself and he wound up being one of my top 2-3 all-time favorite Bama players. Every year we're always hyped up over a kid or two that we think we're going to get and they wind up signing somewhere else.

And it wasn't until his senior year that he took off. If we were having this same conversation about year 2 Roy Rogers, like we are about Miles and others, yall would be saying he was a miss.

 

[dayhiker]

When Nate arrived he spoke little about defense. He said for his offense he needed 4 shooters on the floor at all times. Preferably times where he had 5. He spoke about the need to find bigs who could shoot it.

In the first 2 classes how many shooters did we get?

And listen. Love me some Oats. But to establish something long term, we have to nail recruiting.

He won with Avery’s kids. Now he has to prove he can recruit kids that can play.

Q, Keon, and Primo were his three best recruits. Q may have been the most inconsistent player ever. Keon a close second. Primo was buried in the roster.

You're right, I'd forgotten about only talking about O on the front end.

 

[BamaMike05]

Mike, I like CNO and I agree that up to this point he has been the best coach we've had since Wimp but we can't look at everything through crimson-colored glasses. I hope he rights the ship and takes us places that we've never been in basketball. I hoped the same for Hobbs (although I never was a fan of Hobbs), Gottfried, Grant, and Johnson. I've been a big Bama basketball fan since the early-to-mid 80's so I'm not a Johnny-come-lately.

Yes, I completely understand about 4 star rankings but throwing the rankings out and looking strictly at the players with our own eyes, we signed a bunch of kids that just seemingly aren't good fit for CNO's system and that concerns me about his ability to evaluate talent. With a few exceptions every player is a project coming out of high school and every coach misses on some kids and I think any reasonable person understands that. But CNO has got to start getting some of these projects right and not having so many misses or he will not be successful here. You can't have a roster full of misses and be successful, it really is that simple. Hopefully the incoming class will be the turning point. Plus, IMHO, we need to do a better job of using the transfer portal than we have in the past. Roster management will be the key to CNO's success as it is with just about every coach.

About your point #3, If I had a nickel for every guy that we just missed out on but went somewhere else over the years I would be rich. I remember being torn up over losing Alonzo Johnson to UT back in the early 90's. Around the same time period I was on cloud 9 about signing Cedric Moore. Both guys were highly rated recruits and neither of them did much in college. We signed another kid, Roy Rogers, who looked like he couldn't play for Shelton State but worked his rear-end off to improve himself and he wound up being one of my top 2-3 all-time favorite Bama players. Every year we're always hyped up over a kid or two that we think we're going to get and they wind up signing somewhere else.

I don't disagree at all with what you are saying. But I probably didn't do a very good job of getting my point across. My point was Primo was being counted on to be a part of this years team, as well as , Namari. If you have those two players, this team probably has 4-5 more wins at least. Miles would still be getting developmental time rather than having to be thrust into action. MIles was always a guy that the staff thought would contribute his 3rd year. Keon Ambrose was also a guy that we thought would contribute as a post player off of the bench in his 3rd maybe 4th year, but he was more important in getting the Canadian pipeline going. Getting him was very instrumental in us landing Primo and Bediako. Those three were teammates on the Canadian national U19 team.

 

[dayhiker]

My Facebook memories has this post from me in 2016: The team that blew out UAB in the NIT is beating the team that blew out UA in the NIT.

We've actually come a long way.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I don't disagree at all with what you are saying. But I probably didn't do a very good job of getting my point across. My point was Primo was being counted on to be a part of this years team, as well as , Namari. If you have those two players, this team probably has 4-5 more wins at least. Miles would still be getting developmental time rather than having to be thrust into action. MIles was always a guy that the staff thought would contribute his 3rd year. Keon Ambrose was also a guy that we thought would contribute as a post player off of the bench in his 3rd maybe 4th year, but he was more important in getting the Canadian pipeline going. Getting him was very instrumental in us landing Primo and Bediako. Those three were teammates on the Canadian national U19 team.

I think surely Primo = 5 more wins. At least. Especially if his return would have solidified us mentally. That is the tough thing about basketball, when guys leave too early (it wasn't too early for Primo himself, just too early for the Alabama program, if you get what I mean).

This happens in football too but its made easier to deal with because of 85 man rosters and the fact that early departures are usually Juniors.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I think surely Primo = 5 more wins. At least. Especially if his return would have solidified us mentally. That is the tough thing about basketball, when guys leave too early (it wasn't too early for Primo himself, just too early for the Alabama program, if you get what I mean).

This happens in football too but its made easier to deal with because of 85 man rosters and the fact that early departures are usually Juniors.

But coming in people thought Primo was a one and done. We all assumed he was coming back because he had limited minutes and was buried on the depth chart

I never got the feeling he was going to be a two or three year player at the beginning. Like most, I really thought he would come back after only getting limited minutes in his freshman year.

Just like I really don’t think JD would come back. That’s part of the stress of recruiting five stars. The only ones that come back or does that underperform greatly

See Emoni Bates - horrible season yet will likely be a lottery pick in 23. .

 

[dayhiker]

But coming in people thought Primo was a one and done. We all assumed he was coming back because he had limited minutes and was buried on the depth chart

I never got the feeling he was going to be a two or three year player at the beginning. Like most, I really thought he would come back after only getting limited minutes in his freshman year.

Just like I really don’t think JD would come back. That’s part of the stress of recruiting five stars. The only ones that come back or does that underperform greatly

See Emoni Bates - horrible season yet will likely be a lottery pick in 23. .

I really thought that MCL sprain he had in the SECT would give us another year with him. It's something how he'll start for the Spurs, then be back in the G League, then last player off the bench with the Spurs, but still gets 20 minutes, etc.

 

[BamaMike05]

But coming in people thought Primo was a one and done. We all assumed he was coming back because he had limited minutes and was buried on the depth chart

I never got the feeling he was going to be a two or three year player at the beginning. Like most, I really thought he would come back after only getting limited minutes in his freshman year.

Just like I really don’t think JD would come back. That’s part of the stress of recruiting five stars. The only ones that come back or does that underperform greatly

See Emoni Bates - horrible season yet will likely be a lottery pick.

If you remember, Primo reclassified to enroll early. Most everyone that I talked to around the program, anticipated him being a two year guy because of his age. But, I think you are remembering wrong on Primo having limited minutes. He was a starter for almost the entire season, up until he got injured in the SEC Tournament. Then he came off of the bench in the NCAAT, after his injury.

The thing about the NBA, is it is a totally different game than CBB. The lane is more wide open, teams can't clog the paint because of the defensive 3 seconds rule. That is one reason why some guys thrive more in the NBA than they do in college. Look at what Herb is doing offensively now.

Primo just happened to tear up the NBA combine. That is why he got drafted so high. 6'6 guys who are sniper's from outside and can play lockdown perimeter D aren't always easy to come by.

 

[dayhiker]

If you remember, Primo reclassified to enroll early. Most everyone that I talked to around the program, anticipated him being a two year guy because of his age. But, I think you are remembering wrong on Primo having limited minutes. He was a starter for almost the entire season, up until he got injured in the SEC Tournament. Then he came off of the bench in the NCAAT, after his injury.

The thing about the NBA, is it is a totally different game than CBB. The lane is more wide open, teams can't clog the paint because of the defensive 3 seconds rule. That is one reason why some guys thrive more in the NBA than they do in college. Look at what Herb is doing offensively now.

Primo just happened to tear up the NBA combine. That is why he got drafted so high. 6'6 guys who are sniper's from outside and can't play lockdown perimeter D aren't always easy to come by.

Typo?

 

[BamaMike05]

Typo?

Yes, my bad, I have a PE degree ya know lol

 

[TideEngineer08]

But coming in people thought Primo was a one and done. We all assumed he was coming back because he had limited minutes and was buried on the depth chart

I never got the feeling he was going to be a two or three year player at the beginning. Like most, I really thought he would come back after only getting limited minutes in his freshman year.

Just like I really don’t think JD would come back. That’s part of the stress of recruiting five stars. The only ones that come back or does that underperform greatly

See Emoni Bates - horrible season yet will likely be a lottery pick in 23. .

Oh I agree. I'm just bemoaning the nature of college basketball roster turnover.

 

[dayhiker]

Yes, my bad, I have a PE degree ya know lol

I'm an engineer. My typos aren't typos, they're me not being able to spell.

 

[TiderJack]

I was going to say McDyess... I never got to see Sprewell and Horry at Alabama. But yeah, in another era, Sexton plays 2 or 3 years and probably leaves no doubt. I would have loved to see Sexton play for Oats.

I agree with you on McDyess, our only Olympian. A name not being said so far is Derrick McKey who had a great career and was SEC POY.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

I'm an engineer. My typos aren't typos, they're me not being able to spell.

Architects and engineers cannot spell at all. We can spell things wrong on a set of drawings and not one person will catch it.

 

[bama1992#1]

Horry at Bama wasn’t what he turned into in the NBA. What do you think Sexton would have turned into at Bama if he would have been there as long as the guys you named. Y’all say the same thing about Wimp. I love Wimp. But Wimp had a ton of years where they were an 8 or 9 seed in the tourney and he figured out how to win 2 games. Again, I love Wimp, but he never made it past the S16. Bama hoops fans act like he’s Coach K.

I really believe if Wimp Sanderson had been coach another five to 10 years and we would have been in the final four. His team's knew how to play basketball. The year we had Sprewell, Robinson ,Horry and Caffey . That was a fun team to watch.