Roll 'Bama Roll - Stream: RBR's Coverage of Alabama BasketballThe Champagne of 'Bama Blogshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49427/RBRlogo-fv.png2019-04-08T18:56:58-05:00http://www.rollbamaroll.com/rss/stream/37481352019-04-08T18:56:58-05:002019-04-08T18:56:58-05:00Kira Lewis returns: ‘Bama’s star point guard is coming back
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament-Kentucky vs Alabama" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gY-heUy5Z7JwplvgcclIpzR8CSU=/0x348:1563x1390/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63375211/usa_today_12354134.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Out of the Quitter Hole and onto the court.</p> <p id="qxpblN">It’s been a great week for new coach Nate Oats’ recruiting at Alabama. </p>
<p id="ZYHWh0">Last week, the head man talked <span>John Petty</span> out of the transfer portal and back on to the roster. <span>Alex Reese</span>, <span>Tevin Mack</span> and <span>Herbert Jones</span> were committed to returning. Two exciting shooters, Jaylen Forbes and Jaden Shackelford, have been visibly excited about joining the Tide and have renewed their commitment. <a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2019/3/31/18289119/coach-oats-pulls-his-first-recruit-c-raymond-hawkins-commits-to-alabama">Oats landed big man Raymond Hawkins in Tuscaloosa</a> — despite Hawkins literally never stepping foot here. The Tide is in play for West Virginia transfer PG <span>James Bolden. </span>And it seems increasingly more probable that Trendon Watford is going to be a pickup for ‘Bama. </p>
<p id="J84hSi">Despite all of those solid pieces for a very nice foundation, the Crimson Tide was still lacking a trigger man for the offense...until today. </p>
<p id="gvBhXK">Freshman star point guard <span>Kira Lewis Jr.</span> is <a href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2019/04/kira-lewis-is-staying-at-alabama-after-flirting-with-transfer.html">returning to Tuscaloosa.</a></p>
<blockquote><p id="tMuVxN">Freshman point guard Kira Lewis tweeted at 5:55 p.m. that he would be staying at Alabama after entering the NCAA’s transfer portal.</p></blockquote>
<p id="Pep2y2">This is outstanding news. New coach Nate Oats has described the freshman as “the perfect player” for his offense. After a solid freshman outing, where Lewis averaged 13.5 points and 2.6 assists per game, he will have a lot more weapons in the arsenal to work with, and even more room to improve upon his first campaign. </p>
<p id="v1RIUi">Lewis had overtures from Duke, Auburn, and Indiana, among other programs. Combined with the other work he’s done on the recruiting trail the past 10 days, this a heady first step for Nate Oats and a Crimson Tide program that he has trending in a decidedly upward direction.</p>
<p id="ptq37t">Roll Tide</p>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2019/4/8/18301281/kira-lewis-returns-bamas-star-point-guard-is-coming-backErik Evans2019-04-02T08:45:00-05:002019-04-02T08:45:00-05:00Hey, Coach: This time, it was Oats doing the toasting — New basketball coach promises culture change
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<figcaption>Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>One day, we shall grow tired of Oats puns. Today is not that day.</p> <p id="ehMR5v">New basketball coach Nate Oats made an appearance on “Hey Coach” at Baumhower’s last night. <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Alabama-Basketball-players-gassed-worn-out-after-first-on-court-work-with-new-head-coach-Nate-Oats-130789825/">And, buddy, was the hyperkinetic head man spitting fire. </a></p>
<p id="nNwFyf">From demanding Bob’s staff tear down posters of <span>Avery Johnson</span>...</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Coach Oats telling the Baumhowers staff to take down a poster of Avery Johnson is peak Oats</p>— Jordañ Harper (@HarperNation24) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarperNation24/status/1112869838064705536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2019</a>
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<p id="DjyBcN">To knocking the team’s lack of conditioning and rudimentary skills level...</p>
<blockquote><p id="wgbqTW">“Things were definitely a lot different,” Oats said at Baumhower’s Victory Grille. “The pace of play is nothing like any of them had been accustomed to. They were a little gassed and worn out. We’re not doing any conditioning, just the drills we’re running (laughs) at a little bit of a different pace than they’re used to doing. We were third in the country in offensive pace of play at Buffalo, we were ... first in transition points per game. We’re going to run that system.</p></blockquote>
<p id="Pjkuaa">To their accustomed effort...</p>
<blockquote><p id="oYQISv">“We’ve athletes down here to run it, and we’ve just got to get the culture right to where they’re going hard every day in practice.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="ghP2S8">But, it wasn’t all tough love.</p>
<p id="6rrsRZ">Oats also singled out <span>Herbert Jones</span> as a player that they need to get downhill and to the rim; <span>John Petty</span> as a tremendous shooter who needs to get going off the dribble; and <span>Kira Lewis Jr.</span> as the “perfect” point guard for the offense.</p>
<p id="KpvkzX">Our own Roger Pat Myers met coach Oats and said that Oats met with Lewis on a few occasions, including yesterday morning at 7:00, before KLJ went to his first class. </p>
<p id="7oI3OC">The general consensus around here is tentatively that we believe Lewis winds up staying. He will participate in team drills today and get a chance to run the new offense. Perhaps the effusive praise, the crop of shooter recruits, Watford’s high praise, and the frenetic pace of the offense — with more ball movement and assist oportunities — will convince Lewis to stick around in Tuscaloosa for one more year. We’re cautiously thinking that he does. </p>
<p id="xJJdI4">It appears that Nate Oats is b<a href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2019/04/nate-oats-bringing-at-least-2-buffalo-staffers-to-alabama.html">ringing two of his staff with him from Buffalo:</a></p>
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<p id="zFAHDQ">At least two members of Nate Oats’ staff at Buffalo are coming with him to Alabama.</p>
<p id="dqcoWn">Oats is bringing Bryan Hodgson with him as an assistant coach and Mike Snowden with him as strength and conditioning coach, Oats said during an appearance on the Hey Coach radio show Monday night.</p>
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<p id="lwK47u"><a href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2019/04/alabama-players-take-part-in-first-nate-oats-workout.html">But, for now, Yasir Roseland and Antoine Pettway are still on staff, and perhaps may remain. </a>The pair are the team’s chief recruiters, and have been accompanying Oats on home visits to Watford and Lewis. There is no word on Assistant Head Coach John Pelphrey yet. Though Oats is evaluating all the remaining personnel. </p>
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<p id="0PJ4rL">Oats is still in the process of trying to decide whether to retain any of the three assistants from the previous Alabama staff.</p>
<p id="7mvBfJ">“They’ve got three really good assistants here (John Pelphrey, Antoine Pettway and Yasir Rosemond) that I’m getting to know pretty well,” Oats said. “I can’t keep them all. I’ll probably keep at least one just to keep some continuity. We’ll figure it out from there. The Final Four, there’s a lot of jobs going around. We’ll see what happens. I’m in the process of sorting through all that.</p>
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<p id="WiLrHr">There’s a lot of great stuff in the links above: recruiting, the Quitter Hole, pace of play, more comments from Oats on the offense, staffing and personnel. </p>
<p id="3gvlBM">You should read it, because Oats was...on a roll (not sorry.)</p>
<blockquote><p id="eXol4j">Ed Note: The JP will be along shortly, probably 9:45 or so Central. Hang tight.</p></blockquote>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2019/4/2/18291929/hey-coach-this-time-it-was-oats-doing-the-toasting-new-basketball-coach-promises-culture-changeErik Evans2018-08-22T11:33:02-05:002018-08-22T11:33:02-05:00BREAKING: NCAA ditches the despised RPI
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<img alt="<p zoompage-fontsize="15" style="">NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Second Round-Alabama vs Villanova" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yicml8uIvpq6glBXLwIpbYx8yEU=/0x0:4044x2696/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60982165/usa_today_10725565.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><p zoompage-fontsize="15" style="">Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</p></figcaption>
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<p>But, Alabama fans can be rightly conflicted about this move. </p> <p id="5kv7y9">Outside of the BCS, there have been few analytical tools in college sports that have generated as much intense passion, proponents, Jeremiads, and controversy as the RPI formula. </p>
<p id="0KZVmf">It shouldn’t be so despised, when taken at face value, right? The RPI seems at first blush a laudable — if not simplified — thumbnail of a team’s performance against its schedule. Per the ole’ Wiki:</p>
<blockquote><p id="fsa6W2">[The] index comprises a team’s winning percentage (25%), its opponents’ winning percentage (50%), and the winning percentage of those opponents’ opponents (25%). The opponents’ winning percentage and the winning percentage of those opponents’ opponents both comprise the strength of schedule (SOS). Thus, the SOS accounts for 75% of the RPI calculation and is 2/3 its opponents’ winning percentage and 1/3 its opponents’ opponents’ winning percentages. </p></blockquote>
<p id="ZbZXbR">Strength of schedule is undoubtedly a factor we’d like to know when trying to evaluate meritorious teams for post-season play. But, as you can see from the math, the results skew away from what a team does on the court and veer much more heavily into SOS. We are left with a bizarre formula where an opponent’s record-against-a-third-party-non-opponent counts as much as whether or not your team won its games. Who you play matters — but 75% of the formula? </p>
<p id="Ullzh0">This, at its heart, is the fundamental failing of the RPI and one of its longest-standing criticisms.</p>
<p id="6zIvOo">Today, the NCAA drove a stake into the heart of the Spreadsheet Nosferatu that has stalked college athletics since 1981. It shall be replaced with the “NET”:</p>
<blockquote><p id="fLKjMS">The NCAA Evaluation Tool, which will be known as the NET, relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. To make sense of team performance data, late-season games (including from the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2018-ncaa-tournament">NCAA tournament</a>) were used as test sets to develop a ranking model leveraging machine learning techniques. The model, which used team performance data to predict the outcome of games in test sets, was optimized until it was as accurate as possible. The resulting model is the one that will be used as the NET going forward.</p></blockquote>
<p id="rUZD4U">The move towards a more facile data analysis is undoubtedly a good thing if determining the best 68 is the goal. As you will note in the NET factors, they are very similar to the numbers already crunched by the far superior KenPom rankings. But, like the BCS, be sure to expect the Luddites and “leave computers out of it, nerds” crowd to cry foul.</p>
<p id="uYgsPD">For Alabama fans, you are rightly forgiven if you want to lament the passing of the RPI. The Tide’s last two tourney appearances and seedings have very much been a credit to who it plays — and who they played-played. The NET system, which analyzes late season wins and offensive efficiency may have very well led to a far different seeding, if not outcome, in Alabama’s most recent NCAA appearance. </p>
<p id="hxJtD0">You can already foresee some unintended consequences naturally— the margin of victory factor, for instance, is going to lead to a lot more cases where teams run it up on their hapless foes (although, it is capped at 10 points — daresay teams won’t be holding the ball in the last 90 seconds to shorten the game.) Likewise, unless your name is Villanova, ball movement and a sweet layup is going to be far more efficient than wide-open perimeter shooting, the direction in which college basketball has moved towards.</p>
<p id="GcC6pm"><a href="https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2018-08-22/division-i-mens-basketball-committee-adopts-new-ranking">The complete press release, details on the NET, and more are here.</a> So, what do we think of this? It’s not a question that really lends itself to a poll, so feel free to set forth your epistles below. </p>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/8/22/17769164/breaking-ncaa-ditches-the-despised-rpiErik Evans2018-05-03T07:47:43-05:002018-05-03T07:47:43-05:00Points in the Paint: 2018 lineup adds a scorer Alabama needs in Tevin Mack
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<img alt="<p zoompage-fontsize="15">NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Virginia Tech vs Alabama" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wcdo94d97Az3f57xtIxC2tWJwXU=/0x0:4651x3101/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59613607/usa_today_10709169.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><p zoompage-fontsize="15">75% of these guys return next season | <p zoompage-fontsize="15">Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</p></figcaption>
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<p>Shooters shoot, and the Texas transfer can light it up consistently</p> <p id="OfVJYF">Alabama held its end-of-season awards dinner on Monday night, where <span>Collin Sexton</span> unsurprisingly racked up the hardware. But, note, three other players — all returning— were also honored. And that’s an encouraging note for 2018.</p>
<p id="6Jqj9i"><a href="https://rolltide.com/news/2018/4/30/alabama-mens-basketball-honors-2017-18-team-with-annual-postseason-banquet.aspx">Alabama Men’s Basketball Honors 2017-18 Team with Annual Postseason Banquet - Alabama Athletics</a></p>
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<p id="y4TySi">The Alabama freshmen class highlighted the honorees on Monday evening. Freshman <a href="https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3993">Collin Sexton</a> was named the Outstanding Offensive Player and shared the Outstanding Freshman Award with guard <a href="https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3991">John Petty</a>. Sexton led the Tide with 19.2 points and 3.6 assists per game, while Petty averaged 10.2 points and topped the team in threes made (90) and attempted (242). Both rookies captured new school records by a freshman, with Sexton setting the bar in total points (632) and Petty in three-pointers made.</p>
<p id="pymWTK">Freshman <a href="https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3990">Herbert Jones</a> and junior <a href="https://rolltide.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3984">Donta Hall</a> shared the Outstanding Defensive Player award. Jones topped Alabama in steals (44), while his 23 charges taken set a new school record. Hall led the Tide with 68 blocked shots on the year, ranking among the conference leaders in the category.</p>
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<p id="mGwC2J">—</p>
<p id="y51HEU">While the All-American is gone, the core of the roster returns next season. Alabama loses reserve Ar’mond Davis, who was never able to get off the bench, and <span>Braxton Key</span>, who was never the same after his early-season injury. But, three other starters and a top reserve do come back a year older and wiser.</p>
<p id="xJqQnb">To Dazon Ingram, John Petty, Herbert Jones, and <a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/4/11/17219192/recruiting-news-basketball-nsd-for-the-alabama-crimson-tide-national-signing-day-avery-johnson">a decent-but-small class</a>, <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Bolt/Alabama-Crimson-Tide-Basketball-Avery-Johnson-updates-2018-19-roster-status-after-transfer-medical-redshirt-117862882">the team returns</a> Senior Riley Norris and adds the eligibility of <span>Tevin Mack</span>. Coach Johnson thinks this team will be underestimated, but still should be good, since it will no longer be as young or have as many new faces to integrate into system.</p>
<p id="thNyQI"><a href="https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/index.ssf/2018/05/why_alabama_basketball_feels_i.html#incart_river_index">Why Alabama basketball thinks people ‘underestimate’ next team | AL.com</a></p>
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<p id="se7oXV">Coach <span>Avery Johnson</span> expressed relief in the fact it’s a smaller class to integrate into the program.</p>
<p id="84Qst5">”We think not being the fourth-youngest team in the country next year, that’s going to be helpful for us,” Johnson said. “With a lot of these guys that made the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2018-ncaa-tournament">NCAA tournament</a>, I know they’re hungry because they like the feeling of the excitement that surrounded that opportunity.”</p>
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<p id="7OHWGM">No word on who’s going to run the point for 34 minutes a game or make the clutch shots that Alabama came to rely upon this season. </p>
<p id="MYTrE4">—</p>
<p id="XCmRVM">The latter question may be answered though in the form of Tevin Mack. The supremely talented Texas transfer sure would have been nice to have in ‘Bama’s tourney run. </p>
<p id="2LCPI8">In fact, he was the best Tide player in practice many times this season:</p>
<p id="ZTkYsj"><a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Avery-Johnson-said-Tevin-Mack-was-Alabama-Crimson-Tide-Basketballs-best-player-in-a-lot-of-practices-117867290">Avery Johnson said Tevin Mack was Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball’s ‘best player in a lot of practices’</a></p>
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<p id="q9FgUz">“He was our best player in a lot of our practices,” Alabama head coach <a href="https://247Sports.com/coach/Avery-Johnson-3661"><strong>Avery Johnson</strong></a> said of Mack at Monday’s team banquet. “We want to see if that can translate to the game.”</p>
<p id="c4hFK1">* * *</p>
<p id="IhdkiU">The Columbia, S.C., native played in 48 games, making 10 starts, in his two seasons in Austin. As a sophomore, Mack led the Longhorns in scoring average (14.8 ppg) and 3-point percentage (.391) during the 2016-17 season despite playing in just 15 games. He shot 45.9 percent from the floor and led the team in minutes throughout the first 15 games (31.3).</p>
<p id="EDZ8D2">He finished with double-digit points 16 times, including three games of 20 or more points, and reached double-figure scoring totals during 11 of his final 15 games with the Longhorns.</p>
<p id="JfMhED">Johnson said UA needs “shooters that can shoot,” and Mack clearly fits that criteria.</p>
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<p id="bqHXf9">—</p>
<p id="wUA54V"><a href="https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2018CCBReportFinal_web.pdf">Finally, if you’ve not read the findings of the select Commission on College Basketball, you should.</a> The Committees’ report, chaired by Condoleeza Rice, is only 60 pages. But, it reveals a system we already know to exist: a one-and-done mechanism that fails players and institutions, a transfer system where only 34% of transferees graduate, coaching malfeasance and cheating in a win-at-all-costs environment, and lax enforcement by the NCAA. </p>
<p id="6Ajr3S">Shocking, I’ll tell ya’.</p>
<p id="G2vvKJ">But, if you want to just read a synopsis of foregone conclusions, then the Kansas City Star’s reporting isn’t a bad place to start.</p>
<p id="4PSf1R"><a href="http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/article209776329.html">NCAA Commission on College Basketball report recommendations | The Kansas City Star</a></p>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/5/3/17314350/points-in-the-paint-2018-lineup-adds-a-scorer-alabama-needs-in-tevin-mackErik Evans2018-04-10T07:45:01-05:002018-04-10T07:45:01-05:00WATCH: Collin Sexton says goodbye to ‘Bama fans
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Second Round-Alabama vs Villanova" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sv9Y0nKbuLplumKS2Km1v9y5IcQ=/0x0:3059x2039/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59332821/usa_today_10725914.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A heartfelt thanks to Alabama fans from one of the best ever to wear Crimson and White</p> <p id="eFbfPF">I don’t think that it has been said enough that job that <span>Avery Johnson</span> did in managing Sexton this season, both the fiery temperament on the court and getting him to buy-in to a team concept, was excellent and understated.</p>
<p id="rm5L5K">Sexton (rightly) could have gone the <span>Ben Simmons</span> route, but the fact that he took so seriously his obligations to his teammates, his schooling, and his own self-development, is but one of the many reasons we’re going to miss this guy:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Collin Sexton has a special message for Bama Nation‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RollTide?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RollTide</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BuckleUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BuckleUp</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MotivationMonday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MotivationMonday</a> <a href="https://t.co/9B2TJvJoYV">pic.twitter.com/9B2TJvJoYV</a></p>— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlabamaMBB/status/983358713636499456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2018</a>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/4/10/17218518/watch-collin-sexton-says-farewell-and-thank-you-to-bama-fansErik Evans2018-04-06T10:07:20-05:002018-04-06T10:07:20-05:00Soft defenders beware: Collin Sexton is moving on to the NBA
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/acq9bMYz1xNndIW1pGedF1bUvKA=/1x0:2956x1970/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59293201/933059298.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><p zoompage-fontsize="15">Coming to an arena near you, Young Bull.</figcaption>
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<p>The decision is not a surprise, but we did fall in love with him in just 35 games.</p> <p id="ng5LXF"><a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/4/5/17202004/jumbo-package-collin-sextons-decision-looms-tomorrow-but-hes-probably-gone">Despite the good reasons to stay</a> at the Capstone, Freshman All-American PG and SEC Newcomer of the Year, <span>Collin Sexton</span>, has decided to take his talents to the NBA, ahead of the April 22 filing deadline for the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a>.</p>
<p id="je1YxM">Sexton has still been attending classes, leading some to the faint hope that our one year with the superstar could manifest into two in order to take advantage of poor 2019 Draft class. That was not to be. </p>
<p id="tUbab0">Sexton is reportedly not returning, even if he is not drafted (pfffft, like that’s going to happen.) However, should he change his mind or have a bad Combine showing and decide that he’s not going to settle for a poorer-than-expected draft grade, <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2018/04/02/kentucky-basketball-nba-draft-decision-deadline-combine/477226002/">there are some options available to him:</a></p>
<blockquote><p id="5J2zuW">Players have to apply to the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee for feedback about their draft stock by April 13 and must decide whether to enter the draft by April 22. The NBA’s deadline to withdrawal from the draft is June 11, but the NCAA requires athletes to submit a written statement announcing their decision to remove their name from the draft by 11:59 p.m. on May 30 (10 days after the end of the combine) in order to maintain their collegiate eligibility. </p></blockquote>
<p id="EmaaI5"><em><strong>Ed. Note:</strong></em><em> The Combine begins on May 16 and concludes on May 20.</em></p>
<p id="dDltjc">That option may be foreclosed, however, if Sexton does in fact hire an agent, as he announced was his intention this morning. </p>
<p id="NjKxYD">Thank you for all you’ve done to help rebuild Alabama Basketball, Young Bull. Go crush the combine and then represent Alabama well. We wish you all the best. </p>
<p id="1vDtrI">Have a great career and have a great life. </p>
<p id="8ek93k">Roll Tide.</p>
<p id="FcQ8lV">—</p>
<p id="m6lwru">Need some Gumping and Collin Sexton highlights in your life? <a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/3/29/17175814/collin-sexton-appreciation">May we recommend “Collin Sexton Appreciation Day?”</a></p>
https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/4/6/17206226/soft-defenders-beware-collin-sexton-is-moving-on-to-the-nbaErik Evans2018-04-04T09:35:20-05:002018-04-04T09:35:20-05:00EDITORIAL: Coleman Mausoleum — renovate or replace?
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<img alt="Coleman gymnastics" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ezFZHI2mSXPF56xVsJBxFrLhWWM=/71x0:590x346/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59265377/GYM_2016_Coleman.0.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption><p zoompage-fontsize="15">I love gym as much as the next Gump, but we don’t need 15,000 seats for it.</figcaption>
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<p>Don’t blame us for the nickname.</p> <p id="PISKmd">A few years back, some fans of the school across the state began lovingly referring to Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum as “Coleman Mausoleum.” And, while you want to shake your fists in their general direction, they are on to something. Our general annoyance likely comes from the fact that they’re right, more than the fact that it’s just Barner agitprop.</p>
<p id="LarZ7o">The SEC has its share of big gyms: Rupp seats over 23,000; Thompson-Boling in Knoxville nears 22,000; South Carolina’s new multipurpose facility is close to 18,000; and 19,000 hoops-crazed Hogs fans can pack into Bud Walton; while the perennial “wait till basketball season” <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/">Missouri Tigers</a> take the hardwood in a gym that seats close to 15,000. </p>
<p id="XjRHSe">Meanwhile, some of the conference’s tougher gymnasiums are smaller: The Tad Pad (and now the Pavillion) both seat under 10,000. Auburn’s Beard-Eaves and Auburn Arenas are about the same size. 12,000 jorts from across Florida can squeeze into the O-Dome on a good day and provided no one has hit the buffet. LSU’s venerable Maravich Assembly Center, the multipurpose civic center in the capital of Louisiana, only nears 13,000 — and with each renovation, fewer sears have been available, not more.</p>
<p id="gDqSRG">And then there’s Alabama’s Coleman Coliseum. This cavernous, dark 15,368-seat warehouse from 1968 occupies some of the best real estate on campus. And, next to the other capital improvements, including its freshly-built neighbor at the New Joe, it is a study in contrasts: contrasts made all the starker by Coleman’s gloomy interior, institutionalized exterior, vending and concessions from the Civil Rights era, pre-ADA compliant entrances that are a chore for anyone over 200 pounds much less the disabled, acoustics more suited for wind tunnel testing than a basketball game, sight lines that would appeal to Hellen Kellen, gatekeeping ushers who were were curmudgeons in the Eisenhower administration, rafters with great views of structural steel, one of the worst PA men in the country, scoreboards cobbled together from retired Gameboys, a seating scheme designed to punish students, and a Tide Pride ticketing scheme that encourages empty seats in what should be some of the most raucous parts of the building. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/3ManFront?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@3ManFront</a> Coleman is an airport hangar that is dark with no fan engagement or excitement among the students. Keep it as is forever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WarEagle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WarEagle</a></p>— Football, Basketball, & Baseball school supporter (@JoshuaBBlack) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBBlack/status/981210290078601216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a>
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<p id="nLwKZW">But, hey, at least attendance sucks. </p>
<p id="sBfncr">In the best year for Alabama basketball in over a decade, the Tide punched about 11,000 paid tickets per game. Of those, the actual scanned, honest-to-god butts-in-seats attendance has been estimated less than 7,000 per game — and that includes the 1100-1200 students per game. All of those scattered empty seats and the squeaking of sneakers echoing in a third-full gym is a terrible look for the school, a terrible environment in which to play or watch a game, and at the end of the day is terrible for taking this program where we want it to be (and where many of you believe it should already be).</p>
<p id="sUmOLb">Baby, it’s not me...It really is you. </p>
<p id="5pXkNG">Like Michigan’s Big House, rarely has so much building had so little an impact on proceedings. It is a testament to the generations of Alabama players and coaches that the Tide has still managed to win over 80% of its games at home. It is a further testament to those same coaching staffs that convinced Hometown Hero and Mr. Basketball to make this their home for four years. And, while a lot of blame can be directed at milquetoast season ticket holders, fickle students, spotty coaching and bad seasons, more than a little blame can be placed at footsteps of the facility itself. It’s not a fan-friendly venue, and basketball has simply been neglected far too long by university and athletic administrators whose eyes rarely veer away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. </p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="EntjY5"><q>What features are on your wish list in a new basketball facility?</q></aside></div>
<p id="oxOV7D">So, it was with <em>great </em>excitement last week that we heard rumors of serious planning underway to either completely gut this mausoleum or replace it <em>in toto.</em> As is our want, we did not report on this. We’re commentators, not journalists. <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Bolt/Alabama-Crimson-Tide-Basketball-hires-firm-to-weigh-building-new-arena-or-renovating-Coleman-Coliseum-116940685">But, yesterday, BamaOnline <em>did </em>report on the architectural firm that is weighing which option is better to replace the dinosaur on Bryant Denny Drive. </a></p>
<p id="3C2U5T">There can be few people as happy as Coach Avery Johnson: since Day One, he has made it a priority to give this program a gym it deserves and one which will grow the program. </p>
<p id="4cFnCi">It couldn’t happen at a better time; it is unlikely Alabama will ever be this flush with cash again. And it couldn’t happen a day sooner. </p>
<p id="cxTTjt">Buckle Up (and grab a sledgehammer.) Feel free to sound off on Coleman below too. </p>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/4/4/17197290/editorial-coleman-mausoleum-renovate-or-replaceErik Evans2018-03-12T08:32:06-05:002018-03-12T08:32:06-05:00Play Roll ‘Bama Roll’s 2018 NCAA Tournament Pick ‘Em!
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<img alt="Oklahoma v Alabama" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lLOezI8KEhLlVtOTy_T2TDIPU3Q=/0x444:1824x1660/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58990315/911125746.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>It’s that time again...</p> <p id="G8vDIP">It’s that time again; time to gird your mental loins and deftly maneuver through 63 games and 63 picks <em>en route </em>to a legacy that shall last a lifetime. </p>
<p id="nbQ3We">Become a pick ‘em legend, nay, a pick’em god. </p>
<p id="6TFsb1">Or, you know, get your butt whipped and lose half of your Final Four on the first weekend — isn’t that usually how this goes?</p>
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<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="The NCAA tournament is a loser machine | Chart Party|36946" data-volume-uuid="d7554df3d" data-volume-id="36946" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" data-volume-autoplay="false" id="volume-placement-37" class="volume-video" data-volume-player-choice="youtube"></div>
<div class="caption"><p zoompage-fontsize="15" style="">Jon Bois’ Chart Party is one video property SBN does very well.</p></div>
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<h3 id="7HjDnA"><strong>RULES:</strong></h3>
<p id="QjKj1u">We’ve had two sponsors hose us in the last two contests, so there’s no <em>formal </em>prize, per se. But, I’ll probably buy a tee-shirt or shoot some cash or something to the winner. Value: $25. </p>
<p id="z2mLqa">Sound good?</p>
<p id="RJiwLM">Anyway, everyone is eligible to enter and win. If you were a member of last year’s pick’em, you probably already have an email invite. If you don’t, here are the pertinents:</p>
<p id="83ioTB"><strong>Group Name:</strong> Roll ‘Bama Roll ‘18</p>
<p id="n7nQ7L"><strong>Invite Link: </strong><a href="https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/74371/invitation?key=4272b6c0244f1489&soc_trk=lnk">Here</a> (for AOL members, copy and paste the following URL: <a href="https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/74371/invitation?key=4272b6c0244f1489&soc_trk=lnk">https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/74371/invitation?key=4272b6c0244f1489&soc_trk=lnk</a>)</p>
<p id="QazASQ"><strong>Password: </strong>buckleup </p>
<h3 id="tLhWYq"><strong>SCORING: </strong></h3>
<p id="5A8D3a">We’re rolling with the Progressive Scoring system, which only slightly weights the later rounds, rather than Yahoo’s default scoring, which can knock you out very early in the game: this should keep you most of you competitive even if you have a bad round or lose a Final Four member the first weekend. Think of it as restrictor plate racing...but for pick ‘em.</p>
<p id="m0Ii5q">There’s also an upset bonus: Call the upset, and get one bonus point per upset.</p>
<div id="aFPOfb"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8tkbqTiy9p0?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<h3 id="NNFjmK"><strong>Best of luck to you all, and Roll Tide</strong></h3>
<h3 id="0P6wTM"><strong>#BURT</strong></h3>
<p id="mIXCyz"><strong>—</strong></p>
<p id="sKoKkx">P.S. And, if you want to thank Parker and Brent for all their hard work during the basketball season, <a href="https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/3/11/17107514/rbr-hoops-swag-get-buckled-for-march-madness">might I recommend picking up some RBR March Madness swag.</a></p>
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https://www.rollbamaroll.com/2018/3/12/17107976/play-roll-bama-rolls-2018-ncaa-tournament-pick-emErik Evans