Jumbo Package: Early Gump Day

With National Signing Day taking up our coverage tomorrow, I’m officially starting Gump Day one day early this week to get you in the proper mood. Enjoy.

Alabama facing ‘shortage’ of early enrollees compared to recent seasons

While the program pushes for as many early enrollees as it can, especially at thin positions where building depth is required, the decisions are sometimes out of its control. South said seven of Alabama’s signees attend private high schools, which customarily do not allow students to graduate early.

“Jalyn Armour-Davis, Emil Ekiyor, Xavier Williams, those guys can’t graduate early,” SEC Country recruiting reporter Chris Kirschner said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to continue in the future — I don’t think it’s going to be a trend, I should say — just because the guys Alabama got in this 2018 class early, a lot of them just have different circumstances.”

Four-star defensive end Jordan Davis was slated to enroll early, the three analysts said, but he stayed back in Memphis, in part, to help his mother after she was involved in a car accident.

“It’s always a plus to have early enrollees and, if they can get them on campus, they certainly want to, and if the kid has the ability to, they’re certainly going to try to,” South said. “But it’s not always in their control.”

After Nick Saban brought in nearly the entire recruiting class (16 players) early last year, it’s easy to see the 4 this year as a bit of a let down. Sometimes it’s just the way things be.

There’s also the Spring II period that could factor in to get some of the recruits in “somewhat early.” We’ll just have to watch and see what happens there.

Alabama basketball injury update: Collin Sexton will have to deal with injury through rest of season

University of Alabama freshman guard Collin Sexton will likely have to deal with his abdominal injury for the rest of the basketball season, or until he has a chance to significantly rest.

As a potential one-and-done player, that could mean the rest of his collegiate career.

The good news for Crimson Tide fans is that the injury doesn’t seem to be affecting his performance on the court too much.

“I think it’s going to be something that he’ll be managing all year,” Coach Avery Johnson said Monday afternoon. “When you’re talking about an abdominal injury I don’t think it actually gets to a point in which it’s 100 percent until you’re able to rest it for maybe a four-to-six week period.”

Well, it kind of sucks that we probably don’t see 100% Collin for the entire second half of his one season in Tuscaloosa. Sounds like a muscle pull. I’ve never managed to pull an ab before, so I have no clue how that one affects you.

On the bright side, Donta Hall says he’s up to about 90% recovered on his wrist after his surgery in January.

Alabama freshman guard Collin Sexton named to John Wooden Award late season list

Alabama men’s basketball freshman guard Collin Sexton was named to the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 list on Monday night.

The Wooden Award is given annually to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball player, and is the equivalent to college football’s Heisman Trophy.

Alabama has never had a player win the award.

Speaking of Sexton, he’s in the running to win some major hardware. He’s got a lot of tough competition, but here’s to hoping he absolutely explodes through the final stretch of the season to bring that trophy home (and hopefully some other trophies that have to do with winning tournaments).

Alabama softball using disappointing end to last season as motivation

“We just have to realize this is the SEC and it’s the best conference in the country right now,” Dykes said. “Just being an upperclassman, you have to get that in the freshman’s mindset, that you have to come out and compete everyday. Nothing is given to you.”

Murphy likes the depth of the team and believes the team is two-deep at every position. Ordering the roster based on talent from 1-19 is a difficult task for him.

“I don’t even know who would be the last person, if we did that,” he said. “I think everyone sees the talent of the group and it’s exciting to see it. There is a lot of really good depth.”

Alabama’s offense struggled at time last season, but the defense helped carry the team. Murphy expects more of that this season.

“The team defense from what I’ve seen could be really, really good,” Murphy said. “I think the team defense could be the best it has ever been.”

The softball squad is itching to get back into the swing of things (ha, see what I did there?) and lay waste on some folks in revenge for being knocked out by Florida in the Super Regional.

This article from the CW has a lot of quotes from the team and coaches, if you want to give it a click.

Q&A: Brad Bohannon looking forward to finally coaching first game with Alabama baseball

What are Crimson Tide fans going to see from this team?

“I hope you see a really competitive group that enjoys playing and I think they like each other. We like them, they like us. We pushed them really hard and once Feb. 16th gets here it’s going to be time to play. Hopefully they’ll just have fun, play aggressively and play free.”

We’re just hitting all the different sports in one place today. This is a link to a Q&A with Alabama’s new baseball coach, Brad Bohannon. He seems like he’s enjoying his job so far, and has a lot of optimism. The bar was set low last year, so here’s to hoping he exceeds that even in his first year.

Finally, for your enjoyment, here’s a video of Anthony Averett doing lots of awesome things.