I'm obnoxious baby!
Dick "Nails on a Chalkboard" Vitale is giving Alabama basketball some high praise in the preseason.
He has Alabama ranked #9 in his preseason Top 40.
I really think the 2006-2007 team could be one of the strongest teams Alabama has ever put on the court. You've got some upperclassmen leadership with Ronald Steele and Jermareo Davidson and some young guns like Richard Hendrix and Alonzo Gee with a year of experience under their belts. We saw glimpses of brilliance last year (Marquette, Florida, LSU) though the team would go in the tank occasionally (NC State, Temple, Notre Dame.) We'll certainly miss Evan Brock and Jean Felix (especially on defense even though he had zero shot selection.) Still, four key guys come back and Brandon Hollinger got some good PT in last year too. JuCo transfer Mykal Riley should be able to step in and give some depth to a shallow bench.
In addition to the team ranking, he has Ronald Steele as a second team All-American and Jermareo Davidson as a sixth team All-American.
(HT: Bama Hoops)