Alabama (MSG), Sat., Nov. 8, 12 Noon, FS-1/ 1050 AM

Rick and Matt traded defense for offense with this roster build and that was very evident in this game. Rick has a looooooong way to go to get this team to where it needs to be on the defensive end but I think they'll be noticeable improvement there over the next few months. How much improvement is the big question.

Definitely concerning to lose at home like that but I'm far from the ledge. This Alabama team has far more defined roles than we do right now and know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Alabama played a very good game and we were right there with them until the last spurt. Rebounding and toughness is my biggest concern coming out of this game.

There's a ton of room for this team to get better especially on defense. There are still some definite holes that are going to be a problem all year that might limit our true upside.

I figured the defense would struggle early in the season. Today's game doesn't change my outlook for the season at all pretty much. Still think we're a top 10-15ish second weekend caliber team with limited upside beyond that.
 
MugCostanza said:
Rick and Matt traded defense for offense with this roster build and that was very evident in this game. Rick has a looooooong way to go to get this team to where it needs to be on the defensive end but I think they'll be noticeable improvement there over the next few months. How much improvement is the big question.

Definitely concerning to lose at home like that but I'm far from the ledge. This Alabama team has far more defined roles than we do right now and know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Alabama played a very good game and we were right there with them until the last spurt. Rebounding and toughness is my biggest concern coming out of this game.

There's a ton of room for this team to get better especially on defense. There are still some definite holes that are going to be a problem all year that might limit our true upside.

I figured the defense would struggle early in the season. Today's game doesn't change my outlook for the season at all pretty much. Still think we're a top 10-15ish second weekend caliber team with limited upside beyond that.
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Very fair Mug.
 
Bana has better guards and better depth and they are a better team.....FULL STOP!
WE WILL NOT BE RANKED 5 NEXT WEEK.
EAkadima15 said:
Hard to watch this team fold down the stretch like this. Glad they scheduled this though, good to have an early wakeup call from all the hype.
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You should see Bama's preseason schedule! Nate Oates prepares his teams for March early in NOVEMBER! Our team will need all season and hope we find our outside shooting by the BE tournament.
 
Now I see why the computers have us outside the top 10. Lot of work to do. Guard play will determine the rest of our season. Sky is not the limit anymore. It will still be a fun season!
 
This team needed a real pg plain and simple. Sellers was brought in as a sharpshooter and he looks so uncomfortable out there shooting. Defense will get fixed i believe. Offensive rhythm with the squad as is will be challenging
 
Marillac2 said:
Because the refs handed us 40 free throws! It would have been more if we didn’t miss the front ends of one and ones. We may not get that kind of whistle for the rest of the season.

Every good team will learn to foul less as the season progresses. We can’t learn to be longer/more athletic or some how get a structured offense for the first time in 3 years.

This roster sucks for the money that was spent on it. We could have just kept our returnees and bought Philon or Pettiford and been better off.
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All true. But we are integrating so many new parts.
Alabama had Philon, Holloway, Mallette, Sherril, Wrightsell in the program last year. Lot of continuity.

A lot not to like today. But there are reasons to think we will improve on both sides of the ball (more so than other teams do).
 
paultzman said:
Bigger question is as early is it is. do we have good enough guard play at both ends to make hay in the Dance?
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At time point we DO NOT and Sellers and Jackson better spend more time shooting in the gym a la Chris Mullin. ALL our guards need to improve defensively or they will be exploited all season. It's the hardest part of the game and Sanon and Jackson are way way behind the learning curve.
 
Poor guard play, we got out rebounded, foul shooting remains a problem, most important, our three point shooting, which was supposed to be addressed this season, remains poor. It is easy to say “it is early,” but it is early for Alabama too. Hats off to Ejiofor, Hopkins, Jackson.
 
I don't know that we will see a trio of guards / wings this good again, especially in the big east. I'm more worried about the rebounding. Out elite front court was manhandled on the defensive boards. And on the other side, did anyone other than Zuby give us an offensive boards. If that was Bama's weakness, well it sure didn't look like one.

Well, it is time to drink away my sorrows I assume.
 
I would have liked to have seen Darling play in this game but he didn’t. I felt we didn’t execute in the key parts of the game and we lost. A lot of season to play but we need to put the Final Four on hold and enjoy the games.
 
Not too surprised. Our D has a ways to go but I think we will get much better but not close to last year. Our offense will get better also. I think we look sloppy through December but hit a big groove and look well oiled by February. Our guards need controlled drives with a sense of purpose vs head down and out of control (Jackson). We will be able to run with the SEC in March.
 
MugCostanza said:
Alabama's offense was mostly one-on-one too. They are just far better at it.
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There is no comparison whatsoever to their execution. We weren’t even screening man. We can’t move the ball at all.

We had no spacing and they had us spread out so bad that we never got help in the lane. There is simply no comparison to one of our guys charging recklessly into a packed lane and one of their guys taking it to a wide open lane with ball reversal and screening.
 
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