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Tide freshman LB to undergo knee surgery
The since-deleted Tweet garnered a lot of reaction as earlier this spring it was revealed that Wilson would be undergoing shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, a surgery that was expected to sideline the Montgomery (Ala.) Carver product for 3-4 months. The typical recovery period for meniscus tears take less time, however, with his surgery-packed spring and summer, it wouldn't be farfetched to imagine Wilson redshirting his freshman year with the Crimson Tide.
To Mack Wilson's torn labrum, add a torn meniscus. Take a year to learn the playbook, let some folks graduate, and let's try this again in 2017: I don't see a way that Wilson rehabs and contributes meaningfully this season. A redshirt is almost certain.
The IMG 7v7 National Championship typically brings top college football prospects from coast-to-coast to Florida and the 2016 version was no different. Northern Florida-based club Pro Impact, featuring a bevy of blue chips talents, made a major run during the weekend event. The offense was led by Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles four-star quarterback Mac Jones, a recent verbal commitment to Alabama and he flashed big-play potential all weekend long with patience, precision, confidence and a certain trust in his targets.
The other Baby Mac is having a considerably better offseason. Along with Tua, the incoming QB class of 2017 is tremendous to watch and has exceptional potential. Jones, BTW, has said his recruitment is over and no OVs are scheduled elsewhere.
Phil Savage scouts Cooper Bateman at Manning Passing Academy
Senior Bowl executive director and former NFL GM Phil Savage has certainly seen plenty of Alabama’s Cooper Bateman. But he had another chance to scout the Alabama quarterback at the Manning Passing Academy, and he told Jox Radio’s The Roundtable about the experience.
“With Cooper, I think it’s pretty obvious that he’s an athletic player,” Savage said. “He of course, dabbled at wide receiver for a spell at Alabama. The short-to-intermediate stuff he seems to be pretty good at. Anything beyond 25 yards though, the ball seems to come apart on him for whatever reason. I don’t know technically why that would happen, I’ve never worked closely enough with him to know."
That's not the most encouraging thing you'll ever read about the guy who looks to be at least the starter when the Tide meet USC at the Jerry Dome. A West Coast offense doesn't require a huge arm, but it requires hitting open receivers on Lane's favorite play to stretch the field: Sluggo. If Batemen doesn't win or keep the QB job the only thing stopping him are his physical limitations -- which every DC in the SEC is well aware of.
Could Alabama's backups beat an average FBS team? It sure looks like it! - SBNation.com
That's made the Crimson Tide both as talented in its starting lineup and as terrifyingly deep as any program in history, and certainly head-and-shoulders above most teams it plays in at least one of those two categories. It's why Alabama has been able to win without ever having a true star at quarterback, churn out the only Heisman winners in program history around a No. 3 draft pick at the same position, and reload a fearsome defensive line seemingly every fall. It got us wondering: Could Alabama's backups beat an average FBS team?
AJ McCarron (and his ridiculous stats and hardware) would disagree about that whole "true star at QB" thing. But, I see what the general gist is: Alabama has won with quarterbacks as compliments to the team, not as necessarily the impetus of the offense. The premise is interesting: Take the talent and midrange F/+ of a median FBS team (here, NIU) and line them up 1-22 to see where it shakes it out. I'd take Alabama's backups, to be sure. But, it's hard to softsell experience and the fact that its not depth that wins games, it's elite depth. NIU may win on experience, but Alabama's third-teamers are still more talented than a MAC team.
Alabama baseball loses another in-state commitment | AL.com
James Clemens 2017 center fielder Jordan Anderson tweeted Sunday night that he has decommitted from Alabama. He became the second Huntsville-area player to recently decommit from the Crimson Tide, following Decatur pitcher/shortstop Tanner Burns' flip to Auburn on June 17. Anderson had pledged to Alabama last June.
The Greg Goff era could have gotten off to a hotter start, eh?
Quit laughing! SEC basketball is no joke, league leaders say | Lexington Herald-Leader
Build on the positive momentum created by those NBA Draft picks and the message sent by the hiring of Tranghese and Leibovitz. One theme cut through the salesmanship and marketing: Schedule eye-catching non-conference opponents and beat them. Then win NCAA Tournament games, and the SEC can only go up after having just three teams get bids in three of the last four NCAA tournaments. “We have to win those non-conference games,” Leibovitz said. “There’s no mystery.”
In what should have been a bigger story, the SEC has hired former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese as a consultant for its flagging, but sometimes improving, hoops programs. Meanwhile, Dan Leibovitz comes in as the new Basketball Czar for the SEC. As he says, there is no mystery: schedule non-cons and then win them. The new mandate requires that the SEC have no schedule that lags below 175th RPI in the country, so feasting off bottom-feeders is no longer going to create illusory 20-win schedules. Do better, seems to be the message from the top.
Johnson talks about Obasohan, upcoming season and new coach | TuscaloosaNews.com
"We are pretty much at the finish line with the schedule," Johnson said. He noted that a new SEC requirement that league teams play an average RPI rating of no worse than 175th nationally. "That's no problem," Johnson said. "We had a very competitive non-conference schedule last year. We played Oregon, who was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. We played Notre Dame, Xavier, Dayton. We will have a similar schedule this year. The people who work on scheduling for us are crystal clear about what I want."
Give Johnson credit for a mansome first year schedule. Alabama's schedule should be finalized in a few weeks, and we get to see what non-cons he's lined up that are equivalent to last year's rugged slate. Fortunately, the Tide should be better positioned to win a few of those games this season, with a deeper, more athletic roster -- The Tide stunned ND and almost got Oregon last year with a lot fewer rounds in the chamber.
Tide's Obasohan, Randolph sign to play in NBA summer league | Sports | annistonstar.com
Alabama head basketball coach Avery Johnson knew that even if senior Retin Obasohan wasn’t drafted Thursday, he’d get an NBA opportunity. Obasohan now has that chance, as he recently signed a summer league contract with the Sacramento Kings. The 6-foot-3 point guard will complete with the Kings in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League, a showcase featuring 24 teams and 67 games from July 8-18. In Las Vegas, Obasohan will join former Crimson Tide great Levi Randolph, who signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. Randolph, who played last season in the NBA's development league, also signed to play for the Philadelphia 76ers summer team to play in the NBA Summer League in Salt Lake City, from July 4-7.
Think of the summer league as a 10-day combine for the undrafted free agents. From there, who knows where Randolph and Obasohan will go -- either to the D-League or to Europe to hone their chops. For now, we get to see the last two Alabama scoring leaders for a week-and-a-half in July, and that's good enough.