Jumbo Package: Tide likely without Josh Primo, A-Day to be the only televised SEC spring game

Happy Thursday, everyone. The First Four play tonight starting at 4:10pm CT, and you only have two more days until the Tide take the court against Iona. As expected, they are heavily favored.

Unfortunately it sounds like Josh Primo will still be out for a while.

“He is not even really jogging or anything yet,” Oats said. “He’s getting better and feels better every day, but we’re not gonna rush him into anything. If there’s any way him playing could hurt him down the road, we’re not gonna do that for him. Unless there’s significant progress here over the next few days, I don’t know that he’ll be playing Saturday. But we’ll see.

“Clarke (Holter, Alabama’s athletic trainer for basketball) has got him in rehab all the time, getting stuff done. He was able to shoot a little bit. It’s more like form shooting in one spot. He’s not really running, jumping or anything yet.”

If he isn’t even jogging, it’s hard to believe that he would be ready for a game by Monday, assuming they advance. Hope for the best.

Jahvon Quinerly sent what out of context seemed to be a random tweet last night, but the hashtag explained it.

“The players and the NCPA are using the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty to underscore their concern that the NCAA too often treats college athletes like dollar signs rather than people. College basketball players from multiple teams protesting NCAA rules during the NCAA’s own March Madness Tournament is unprecedented and comes at a time when lawmakers and the US Supreme Court will be making decisions that will affect the freedoms and rights of generations of future athletes.

I don’t love the idea of sending this stuff out right before the tournament, but I can’t be mad at a player for speaking his mind. Still, not sure why they are protesting a NLI issue that the NCAA is actively discussing, with all momentum apparently headed toward something akin to the Olympic model.

In football news, SEC Network sent out its spring games schedule, and one stands out.

Oh, there are poors in the conference who have to stream their spring games? Can’t relate.

The running back position is going to be deep.

Keilan Robinson, a quick-twitch, home run threat, returns after essentially sitting out last season. Kyle Edwards redshirted as a freshman, but he’ll get some opportunities this spring too. Trey Sanders is still rehabbing from a nasty car accident that ended his 2020 season early, so it’s highly doubtful he participates in spring practice in anything other than conditioning drills.

None of this even accounts for five-star recruit Camar Wheaton, who will arrive this summer. Alabama is loaded at the position, and this spring is all about getting those on campus now a little more seasoning.

I have a good feeling about Keilan. Don’t sleep on him.

Last, Tua will have a former Alabama teammate to throw to this season, even if the Dolphins don’t score Smitty or Waddle.

Former Crimson Tide wide receiver Robert Foster is now a Miami Dolphin.

Foster last played for Alabama in 2017, Tagovailoa’s freshman season.

Since then, Foster spent the last three seasons in the NFL. He was originally undrafted in 2018, but spent 2018 and 2019 with the Buffalo Bills and the 2020 season with the Washington Football Team.

Best of luck to Robert with his new opportunity.

That’s about it for now. Have a great day.

Roll Tide.