Bama Game Thread: The Bad, the Good, the Ugly - Bama vs. UGA...

[JayBama_in_PCOLA]

The Good Ha
The Bad - It was all bad
The Ugly - No toughness, no leadership, no coaching, looks like an NIT team at best, and Auburn athletics

 

[CoachJeff]

The good: Nate Oats is less likely to take another job and there’s nothing in the bad category
The bad:
The ugly: everything is awful about this team. I am done getting emotionally invested and spending money and time on this team this year.

 

[dayhiker]

Many of the most vocal on this thread are new names to me. A few of yall need to read the board rules before you get the boot.

 

[CajunCrimson]

We are all frustrated. But the issues are clear. Inside game is nil. Rojas is the only one playing with consistent fire, but has the least natural talent.

Q had a 6-8 game stretch last year like this. We just had Herb and Petty to cover it up. He eventually came out of it.

Nate needs to keep his offense, but for the love of God, change up the tendencies.

everyone is clogging the lane and covering the corners. Once the PG gets into no mans land inside their only open option is behind them. That’s a very hard pass to make.

drive more from the wings so there are more options. Quit putting Gary and Rojas in the corner. They aren’t sending their 5 out to guard them and the other team knows they likely will miss.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Nate needs to keep his offense, but for the love of God, change up the tendencies.

I agree. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the philosophy. To me, it starts with defense and we still don't have that defensive energy and intensity that we did last year. It was there early in the year.

But I agree we are too easy to defend nowadays. Herb is always mentioned on someone we are missing but you know we are missing Petty and Reese too. Yeah both were erratic, but both were vets who could spark a run.

I still hope we pull out of this funk. But we've really made the degree of difficulty as high as it could be at this point. And yeah it's draining as a fan. But I'm just a fan. Hopefully the players can figure it out for their own benefit.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

To think back to the highs this team, and us fans, were on in early December, . I was really hyped thinking another special season was incoming, like last year. The Memphis game crushed their spirits but, the Davidson game broke this team.

Bama hit 90+ points in 5 of the first 8 games of the year, through the Gonzaga game. Since, not once. I'm not saying 90 is some magic number, just that this team's scoring has disappeared. I'm still on the Oats bandwagon and I like this style of play but, it really does live and die with the 3.

I tried not to get my hopes up after the Gonzaga win but, I failed. I had visions of final fours to come. Even after Memphis I was telling myself that was just a fluke. Now it is like we have crossed into the mulitverse where we are unranked and Auburn is #1. Please, someone, help me get back to my early December reality!

 

[bamaslammer]

I feel like we are the Texas A&M football equivalent of basketball. We keep hiring these great coaches with track records of success, they come in and recruit ever higher ranked players, Yet the results are always the same, we are just a middle of the road team. I feel like we could bring the lakers in here and somehow they would all forget how to ring the basket.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Maybe there is some strange voodoo in Coleman, maybe we need a new arena instead of more touch-up paint. It worked for Auburn.

 

[dayhiker]

I feel like we are the Texas A&M football equivalent of basketball. We keep hiring these great coaches with track records of success, they come in and recruit ever higher ranked players, Yet the results are always the same, we are just a middle of the road team. I feel like we could bring the lakers in here and somehow they would all forget how to ring the basket.

When did that occur before CNO?

 

[TideEngineer08]

I feel like we are the Texas A&M football equivalent of basketball. We keep hiring these great coaches with track records of success, they come in and recruit ever higher ranked players, Yet the results are always the same, we are just a middle of the road team. I feel like we could bring the lakers in here and somehow they would all forget how to ring the basket.

I don't believe last year was a fluke. I do not know the word for it, but there is something... culture? aura? around programs. It's a real thing. Alabama football may ebb and wane from time to time, but it is going to gravitate to excellence most of the time. Yes, your example of Texas A&M football is accurate. They will shoot for the stars but will gravitate to mediocrity. It's like some unwritten cosmic law.

However, Alabama basketball does have a history of success. But there are barriers that anyone who is going to succeed here is going to have to break through. And Coach Oats is still doing that. I, for one, hopes he hangs in there and sees it through. I'm really down in the dumps over this season because I've been desperate for Alabama basketball to live up to its potential for 20+ years now. And I don't know how much I as a fan can hang in because if Alabama is not good, I just don't have the interest in general basketball like I do football.

Hopefully the recruiting continues to follow through. If it continues to go as it has so far, talent definitely will not be the issue going forward.

 

[Bazza]

Lot of basketball yet to play - you'll be fine.......

 

[TexasBama]

That's not what I don't understand. What I don't understand is they started out looking like the team on the right...

I think it really boils down to defense if it's just one thing. Our worst 3 point shooting game was against LSU, and we still won. Our best 3 point shooting game was vs. Miami, who we crushed. But we've been basically 30% or less since Memphis. And the breakeven point on 3s vs 2s is 33% (if 2 pointers are made at 50% rate).

Also note, we were without Gary again, one of our best defenders, we lost Miles in the second half, and lost Ellis for a while in the second half.

	FG %	3 Pt %
LaTch	50​	39.4​
SDS	48.8​	32.5​
USA	44.3​	25.9​
Oak	43.3​	27.8​
Iona	44.6​	29.4​	L
Drake	54.4​	26.3​
Mia	53.6​	53.3​
Gon	44.8​	39.1​
UH	52​	38.9​
Memp	46.2​	30.3​	L
JSt	41.1​	26.7​
Dav	44.8​	33.3​	L
TN	43.3​	22.6​
FL	40.3​	28.1​
MO	49.3​	37.5​	L
AUB	34.8​	22.6​	L
MSU	39.3​	27.6​	L
LSU	34.4​	20.6​
MO	43.8​	33.3​
GA	43.5​	26.5​	L

 

[jjv0004]

Oats can clearly recruit but I am not convinced he is that great of a coach. This team is such a huge letdown.

 

[TexasBama]

When did that occur before CNO?

Avery had been a successful talking head for several years before he was hired.

 

[bama1992#1]

I agree. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the philosophy. To me, it starts with defense and we still don't have that defensive energy and intensity that we did last year. It was there early in the year.

But I agree we are too easy to defend nowadays. Herb is always mentioned on someone we are missing but you know we are missing Petty and Reese too. Yeah both were erratic, but both were vets who could spark a run.

I still hope we pull out of this funk. But we've really made the degree of difficulty as high as it could be at this point. And yeah it's draining as a fan. But I'm just a fan. Hopefully the players can figure it out for their own benefit.

I think the reason most people talk about Herb is because he was the leader. And that is lacking.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I think the reason most people talk about Herb is because he was the leader. And that is lacking.

Oh yes and I think he was THE leader. I just think Petty and Reese were too. We were a very veteran team last year.

 

[CB4]

I don't believe last year was a fluke. I do not know the word for it, but there is something... culture? aura? around programs. It's a real thing. Alabama football may ebb and wane from time to time, but it is going to gravitate to excellence most of the time. Yes, your example of Texas A&M football is accurate. They will shoot for the stars but will gravitate to mediocrity. It's like some unwritten cosmic law.

However, Alabama basketball does have a history of success. But there are barriers that anyone who is going to succeed here is going to have to break through. And Coach Oats is still doing that. I, for one, hopes he hangs in there and sees it through. I'm really down in the dumps over this season because I've been desperate for Alabama basketball to live up to its potential for 20+ years now. And I don't know how much I as a fan can hang in because if Alabama is not good, I just don't have the interest in general basketball like I do football.

Hopefully the recruiting continues to follow through. If it continues to go as it has so far, talent definitely will not be the issue going forward.

Okay I'm going to hop into "Mr. Peabody's Way Back Machine" for a moment. Yeah I realize the game has changed over the years but IMO the things every team must have is toughness, mentally and physically, and leadership.

I think back to all those teams under Wimp that were not the "most talented" but achieved success because they were just plain damn gritty. Gary Waites playing on "one and half legs" most his career. Terry Coner and Michael Ansley saying "we won't go down without a fight". You have to have an "alpha". And that guy doesn't have to be your best player, your best shooter, or your "five star' guy. He is the guy that fights you tooth and nail, opening tip to final whistle. They understood what the coaches wanted and what the team needed and they took the fight people.

We simply do not have that.

 

[BamaNation]

Didn't get a chance to post while game was on but I think we've reverted back to a stand around and can't shoot (or make a layup) team from the prior two regimes. This team definitely has talent, but having it actually exhibited appears to be a hard task. I would rather see 5 Johnsons on the floor than what I saw last night. At least I know effort is being given even if the talent level drops way off. If we're gonna lose to the worst team in the SEC that hadn't won an SEC game in more than a year then I want to see guys who give it their all, every play, every day.

 

[bamadwain]

Okay I'm going to hop into "Mr. Peabody's Way Back Machine" for a moment. Yeah I realize the game has changed over the years but IMO the things every team must have is toughness, mentally and physically, and leadership.

I think back to all those teams under Wimp that were not the "most talented" but achieved success because they were just plain damn gritty. Gary Waites playing on "one and half legs" most his career. Terry Coner and Michael Ansley saying "we won't go down without a fight". You have to have an "alpha". And that guy doesn't have to be your best player, your best shooter, or your "five star' guy. He is the guy that fights you tooth and nail, opening tip to final whistle. They understood what the coaches wanted and what the team needed and they took the fight people.

We simply do not have that.

Wimps teams were like that as you said but those type teams are far and few or already gone, on their show this morning Barry said that he thought and I believe Wimp agreed that they had some internal issues going on and Coach Oates kept them in the locker room hour after the game should tell you something

 

[bvandegraff]

Maybe there is some strange voodoo in Coleman, maybe we need a new arena instead of more touch-up paint. It worked for Auburn.

I know it's blue font, but we do have to acknowledge that Coleman is a venue with the opposite of home cooking. At least put the student section courtside - it might energize the players more and just maybe help a few more calls go our way. Granted it's not a central issue for what's ailing this team at the moment, but no stone unturned and all that.