Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball

It took Bob Hoffman only a season to turn the program around, and for his efforts, comes national recognition.

The men’s basketball team had struggled the past few seasons, but Hoffman managed to guide the Bears to a 17-15 (11-9 A-Sun) record in his first season at the helm, en route to being named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year by CollegeInsider.com.

It started with a perfect 3-0 start to the season, the first for the program since 1984. Then came the upset wins over Alabama and Auburn. Mercer almost knocked off their third big conference opponent in the same week when they narrowly lost to Georgia Tech at home during homecoming.

In fact, Mercer was featured in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll for two straight weeks after the victories, climbing to as high as 10th, the highest basketball ranking in school history.

Hoffman gave the program a much needed jumpstart, encouraging support from the Middle-Georgia surrounding communities and students. In turn, he was rewarded for his effort, coaching his team in front of record-setting crowds in the University Center for much of the year.

The day before big games, Hoffman could be spotted around campus in a golf cart handing out free pizzas to students and encouraging them to come to the next home game.

“I’m a firm believer that individual awards really reflect team accomplishments,” said the head coach. “We didn’t finish exactly how we wanted to at the end of the year, but we had a great start to the season,” Hoffman added.

Despite Mercer’s shortcomings near the end of the season, Hoffman was able to guide his squad to a 89-83 victory over A-Sun foe Belmont in late February, the team’s first in the last 10 games with the Bruins.

Who could forget the team’s nail-biter win against Jacksonville on Feb. 7? For the first time in several years, Mercer was actually winning the close games at the end of regulation.

“It’s an honor to be mentioned as the coach of the year, especially with the great coaches that are in this league,” said the Oklahoma City native. He later added, “This award really just reflects the accomplishments and hard work of this team on the floor this season.”

Mercer director of athletics, Bobby Pope, was especially pleased with his first year coach, commenting on the school’s athletics Web site, “Bob is most deserving of this recognition. In just one year on the job, he has brought our men’s basketball program to a level of competitiveness, and I think even better days are ahead. He has energized the basketball team as well as the campus and community.”

The proof is in the statistics. A 58 percent increase in attendance, six more wins than the year before, and top 100 rankings in the NCAA in scoring offense, free throw percentage, and three-point field goals per game show just a small picture of the turnaround at Mercer.

For those who know Hoffman, the accolade isn’t really anything new. Hoffman was named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1989, and after coaching at Texas-Pan America for several years and now at Mercer, Hoffman ranks in the top 20 for active coaches in winning percentage.

After last season, expectations will be just a bit higher come basketball season in Macon. Following the regular season, the university will host the 2010 and 2011 General Shale Brick Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in the UC for the first time in Mercer’s history.

For starters, I am not some crazed Bama homer, as the title of this article might suggest.

An SEC homer, yes.  Alabama, however, is not a team I ever root for. 

But they just made an excellent hire in Anthony Grant, the 42-year-old former head coach of VCU and long-time assistant to Billy Donovan. 

I’m so impressed with this hire, I’m handing out trophies a year ahead of time.

While the rest of the nation would like to believe the SEC is dead, the fact is there is some great talent among both players and coaches in the conference.  Talent that will rise quickly and make the SEC a force in hoops very soon. 

And Anthony Grant’s hiring is yet another step in bringing the SEC back to prominence. 

For starters, the guy can flat-out coach.

In 101 games at Virginia Commonwealth, Grant’s teams went 76-25, dominating the Colonial Athletic Association by winning three regular season titles and two conference tournament championships.  

The Rams never won fewer than 24 games in each of Grant’s three seasons, including a school record of 28 in 2006-07.

Before VCU, however, Grant became known for hauling in top-notch talent, such as Al Horford, but also for identifying and developing kids with raw skills but not as much fanfare, such as Joakim Noah.

It’s no secret that Florida’s frontcourt, made up of Horford, Noah, and Chris Richard, is what made the Gators so dominating during their back-to-back national championship run.

Grant continued the trend of developing big men at VCU, nabbing the uber raw Larry Sanders, who didn’t even begin playing basketball until the 10th grade.  While Sanders’ height and athleticism certainly played a part in his success, his progress blossomed in fast-forward under Grant.

Now Grant will attempt to do the same at Alabama, with incoming freshman big man Shawn Kemp, Jr.  Yes, that name should look familiar, as he is indeed the son of former NBA star Shawn Kemp.  Known as more of a rebounder and hard worker, Kemp should benefit greatly under the tutelage of Grant.     

All of this brings us to Anthony Grant’s first season at Alabama.   

Alabama’s former head coach, Mark Gottfried, didn’t get to five NCAA Tournaments and an Elite Eight appearance by picking up scrubs.  The man could recruit, he just couldn’t consistently get that talent to either improve or play together. 

Kind of like, say, John Brady and Dave Odom. 

Brady’s LSU squad ended last year near the cellar of the West.  Fast forward one year, and Trent Johnson wins the SEC regular season (at 13-3) with nearly the same group of players.

At South Carolina, Odom could only get nine conference wins out of his team over his last two seasons.  Enter Darrin Horn, who takes that same squad and wins 10 conference games and a portion of the East crown in his first year. 

Look for Anthony Grant to pull off a similar feat in 2010.  

Aside from the fact that LSU loses a ton of players, including the SEC Player of the Year Marcus Thornton, the SEC West is so wide open it’s ridiculous. 

Then take a look at Alabama’s athletic roster, which is nearly tailor-made for Grant’s up-tempo style. 

It all starts inside with the athletic JaMychal Green, one of only two unanimous All-Freshmen SEC members. Expect even more polish to Green’s game—and an increase in his point and rebound production.  

Mikhail Torrance and Senario Hillman are both athletic guards who can run the floor, defend, and rebound well.  Neither shot a good percentage from three this past season, and that must be remedied by next year. 

Speaking of shooting, Anthony Brock, really the only pure shooter on the roster, should get more minutes next season, which could signal trouble for opponents, considering Brock shot 45 percent from three on the season. 

Pair Brock with incoming freshman Cully Payne and junior college transfer Charvez Young, both known for their three-point range, and the Tide’s outside shooting should drastically improve in 2010. 

From there, the rest of the Tide roster is serviceable, and Grant should be able to go 10-deep, as his style typically dictates. 

Put it all together, and you get a much-improved Alabama team and a well-deserved SEC Coach of the Year for Anthony Grant.

By Terry Pellman

Sunday night, at 6PM CST, University of Alabama's Athletic Director is scheduled to formally announce the new basketball coach for the Crimson Tide, Anthony Grant.

The last few days have been an interesting ride, albeit a quick one.

A question may have been answered when it comes to those that follow the athletic programs. We either have a fan base that has become lackadaisical over the last few years expressing their feelings and support of Alabama basketball.

Or, and I'll admit I'm tempted to lean this direction, we have a fan base that is prone to find things to complain about and do so under the guise of "being a fan of a particular sport."

The lack of those expressing their opinions about the search wasn't to be found this past week. The lack of fans that looked at the situation with our coaching search logically was found—and found in abundance.

For now, I'll choose to quietly dismiss the inane grumblings all the time knowing they'll resurface eventually.

For now, as we await Sunday evenings press conference it seems like an opportune time to look past the hiring process and look at the man who was hired.

Who is Anthony Grant?

Looking around the SEC at the reactions of rival fans has been an interesting past time the last 12 hours.

Commonly seen is, "Well, I'm glad they didn't get Mike Anderson." I find that reaction entertaining at its best.

On the flip side of that coin, if Alabama were to have pursued and landed Anderson, I'm sure I would have read two things.

One, the phrase, "I'm glad they didn't get Anthony Grant." And two, perhaps most importantly because it would have a bearing on how this search was conducted, would be the statement, "Good luck to the Tide in graduating players."

It's a new hire that isn't as publicly spoken of as Nick Saban's hire in January of 2007, but it is a hire that rivals around the SEC can't ignore despite their expressions that it hasn't created an interest on their part.

After all, this is the same coach that was considered the replacement to Billy Donovan when he flirted with the NBA's Orlando Magic two years ago. That, after all and according to their opinions then, was a solid replacement.

Hey, let's not forget this is the same coach that both LSU and South Carolina pursued one year ago only to be told no in the end. This was also the same coach said to the the "apparent leader for the Georgia job" as well.

Perhaps, one of the many coincidences this hire has with Nick Saban's, is it's another coach that the state media told Alabama fans, "you'll never hire him."

But, since I've used Nick Saban's hire a few times as small examples already, I thought it would be prudent to follow that train of thought and see where it takes us.

Often criticized by those on the outside, sometimes by those from our own inner circle, Saban's personality is "all about football." It's a very business-like approach, serious, with little room for frivolity.

Grant seems to be of the same mold. About the only jokes that come from the practice courts are those told after players have moved on to their post-collegiate careers.

“Guys used to joke that they didn’t want to be at Coach Grant’s end of the court for individual workouts,” said San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, who played at Florida from 1999 to 2003.

In fact, the serious approach Grant takes in life isn't just limited to his professional life - it hasn't just seeped over to his personal life, it's a staple there. So prevalent, it was something his wife Christina mentions as a trait that attracted her to him early on.

“The no-nonsense personality he shows when he coaches carries through when he’s at home with our kids,” Grant’s wife of 11 years, Christina, said with a chuckle, acknowledging that Anthony’s serious demeanor attracted her to him.

Coach Saban often talks about things that are "beyond their control" when it comes to off-the field distractions. He's one whose focus is on the task at hand—never wanting to be the story or even part of the story.

That attitude is one of the things that attracted Virginia Commonwealth to Anthony Grant—his seemingly single minded approach.

While he has the right to be proud of his time at Florida and being part of their national championship run, you don't see him sporting the ring awarded to him for his contributions to that team.

Rather, he's a coach that you'll see standing quietly in what could be described as a pensive mood—never wanting to be a part of something that distracts him or his team from the task at hand.In fact, his commands and instructions are often concise: very short and very much on point.

Florida coach Billy Donovan's remarks mirrored what many have observed.

“I think because Anthony doesn’t get into the politics of coaching, because he’s not a self-promoter, a lot of schools didn’t do their homework on him a little bit earlier,” Donovan said in a telephone interview. “I think a lot of people missed out when they could have had him when he was very, very young.

Brett Nelson, who was a guard on Florida's 2000 Final Four team and then served as Grant's Director of Basketball Operations at VCU described Grant's first few days with the VCU program,

“A lot of times guys are hesitant to listen when they have a new coach, but he’s had their focus and commanded their respect since Day One."

That didn't happen from day one with Saban, but it did eventually.

Alabama fans can hope, with reason to do so, that the basketball team will do as the football team and learn just who their head coach truly is.

So much for my grand theory.

Looks like Donovan's decision is believed by at least former Virginia Commonwealth University coach Anthony Grant. He decided to take the Alabama job, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Grant's official word came around 7:30 Friday night, just hours after the Kentucky decision. It could have resulted in Billy Donovan's departure, and the opening of the Florida job that Grant clearly covets.

However, what's done is done, and now we are left to see where that leaves the coaching carousel.

Alabama should be happy—they have a solid coach, but more importantly, they have a good guy.

Grant is a personable and charismatic figure.  The players at VCU truly fought hard for him, and he was able to maximize his success while there. 

Three regular season titles in three years will go a long way in helping your stock.

Many inside the VCU organization loved how much Grant embraced the community and represented the school in such a professional, but also personal level.

Alabama fans may be concerned about hiring a man with only three years of experience, but this is a calculated risk that will pay off. 

Grant knows the SEC after being a long-time assistant there with Florida. He was able to bring in quality recruits to the CAA like sophomore forward Larry Sanders.

Imagine how good the recruiting classes can be in the SEC.

Most importantly, the SEC is wide open at the moment. 

The cream of the crop, LSU, has five graduating seniors, and perhaps one more loss due to NBA entry.

Kentucky is in the middle of a coaching search, with one of their top names apparently off the board.

Tennessee and Florida are good, but certainly not in dominant positions for the near future.

Grant has a pretty good roster to work with, and if the fans give him a chance, he will be able to do great things with the Crimson Tide.

The real question is, where does this leave VCU?

The Rams have had some really good success this decade, thanks to the hard work of Grant and current Oklahoma Sooner coach Jeff Capel.

Grant's defection, coupled with the loss of all-time leading scorer and point guard extraordinaire Eric Maynor, is a very demoralizing one-two punch for the community.

Still, the Rams have struck gold before.  Their search committees have been able to find more than a few diamonds in the rough. 

Capel, after all, was the youngest coach in the NCAA when he was hired by VCU.  He had never even recruited before.

However, the administration clearly saw something in the former Duke point guard and son of the former Old Dominion University coach, Jeff Capel II.

I hope VCU can find a good replacement. Their fanbase has experienced a spike in the past few years after their big first round victory over Duke in 2007.

At a school without a football program, basketball was their opportunity to come together and cheer until their lungs gave out.

There is no joy in Richmond tonight, but there will be in Tuscaloosa.

Book it.

With the NCAA tournament ending its second week, the focus of Alabama basketball fans has begun to intensify when looking at who will replace the recently-released Mark Gottfried.

The names offered up range from young coaches who have very little experience, to some with a few years under their belts in mid-major conferences, all the way up to names on the lips of every basketball fan across the country.

Those in the Alabama Athletic Department who are responsible for this search have maintained it's something they are going to do quietly.  That's definitely been the case, as evidenced by nothing more than educated guesswork by the national and state media.

In fact, it's so secretive that some writers have resorted to using phrases like "breaking news" when making a guess that Alabama might contact a coach about the open position. 

Other media outlets have gone as far as to publish the "list is final" without any basis other than opinions offered by fans around the Internet and water cooler.

Tom Izzo and John Calipari are names that would be the "big splash" Tide fans would like to see.  Realism meets a mirage is more than likely the case with either candidate.

A segment of fans seem to be in a full court press to push the name Mike Anderson to the top of the list.  While that's not the topic of this editorial, one does have to address that notion, albeit briefly.

I would support someone like Mike Anderson in the position.  But I also feel there are more qualified candidates that would be willing to listen if Alabama approached them.

Personally, all I want is for the university to explore all the options available.  What I question are those locked into hiring a guy because he is from the state and has worked at a school in the state.

Sure, Anderson has made an impressive run this year at Missouri, but I also look at a guy like Sean Miller and see consecutive runs that demonstrate to me an option just as viable, if not more so.

The name most frequently associated with the position so far has been Virginia Commonwealth's Anthony Grant.

Grant's name became prominent in the basketball circles of the NCAA first as an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida. 

At Florida, he was one of the assistant coaches credited with some of the high profile recruits they signed that eventually led to the Gators National Championship run (that point is somewhat debatable, with some pointing to Donald Jones as the main recruiter).

He was again at the forefront of conversation with Florida when Donovan explored his job options in the NBA, only to remain in Gainesville.

Grant's resume is impressive if you put it in terms of where he is coaching and what they've accomplished.  Since 2006, he's led the VCU program to two postseason appearances in the NCAA tournament, though never past the second round. 

In the one year he didn't make the NCAA field, the VCU program received an invitation to the NIT, only to fall out in the first round. The program also won the regular season title but lost in the conference tournament.

With three conference titles to his credit, his current record stands at a winning percentage of .760 (76-24).

However, with this track record of success he's enjoyed, is he the right guy for the Alabama position?  Is the record at VCU reflective of his ability as a head coach or a by-product of the system Jeff Capel put in place before taking the head coaching job at Oklahoma?

A question that is even more important, would Grant be an improvement over the Gottfried years, or is Alabama setting themselves up to repeat those years under a different coach?

The similarities in the two coaches, Gottfried and Grant, seem to be enough to make any Bama fan pause, if only for a second.

In the past three years, Grant's record sits at 76-24. Gottfried was hired after leading Murray State to a record of 68-24.

Grant's teams have been to the NCAA tournament twice, the NIT once. Gottfried's team at Murry State? The same.

Conference titles? Both coaches won them while spending a few years at a mid-major program.

Working with a successful coach and on a National Championship team? Again, the same story with both men.

So, what separates the two men? More importantly, what would make Grant the right choice for Alabama?

Article Written by rtr2006 of http://www.bamanation.net

Mal Moore has been publicly criticized for some of his hires in the past.  Some of the best years of Alabama athletics have occurred while Moore has been athletic director.  He's been a part of seven national championships, and he's been coached by none other than Bear Bryant. 

But some of the worst times in Alabama athletics have occurred while Moore was overseeing day-to-day operations.  The Albert Means debacle, the Mike Dubose scandal, and the Mike Shula firing, all happened while Moore was steering our ship.

Right before Mike Shula was fired, Moore's approval rating couldn't have been higher than President Bush's before he left the White House.  With the Nick Saban hiring, Moore has salvaged, and put an exclamation point, on his legacy at the University of Alabama. 

But there's one move left that Moore must make.  I know that Moore handed over day-to-day operations to Dave Hart in February, but I don't believe that Mal Moore isn't having his say, and way, in the hiring of the new basketball coach.

This hire will most likely be the last of Moore's career, and here are three things I think Mal Moore should keep in mind when making this hire:


1) We have to stay out of trouble with the NCAA

After the NCAA threw us the penalty of five years probation, 21 scholarships lost, and a two-year postseason ban for the football scandal, they also made it real clear that we need to stay out of trouble. 

Another serious offense by any Alabama sports program could prove to be disastrous, not just for football, but for the entire athletics department.  Don't hire a coach who has even had questionable recruiting techniques.  It's not worth it.

I know that basketball is an important complement to football, but you must remember that football pays for basketball in every way, and without football, there'll be no basketball.  Be smart; hire a candidate who's as clean as Mr. Clean.


2) It doesn't matter who you hire, basketball will still be second fiddle.

Mal Moore should remember that football is king at Alabama and always will be.  If you're really going to spend $2 million dollars a year on a coach, don't think that we're going to be bringing in millions and millions of dollars a year through the basketball program. 

It takes too many years to bring a program that kind of elite status.  Forbe's 2008 most valuable college basketball program was North Carolina.  They brought in $16.4 million dollars last year in operating income.

That's the University of North Carolina, four-time NCAA Champion, and home to one of the best programs in all of college basketball, bringing in slightly less than $17 million.  Meanwhile, Alabama's football program is closing in on $50 million dollars a year. 

In a lot of cases, you have to spend money to make money, but this isn't one of them.  Be smart with your hire; you can get a high quality coach for less than $2 million a year.  And remember, when you tell people what you're willing to spend, it's hard to get them to settle on anything less.  You've already played your card, nice one.


3) Don't prolong this process.

Our players and our fans deserve to have the coach you select for us to have.  Please don't start some huge search where we ask Coach X if he wants to come, and he turns us down, so we move on.  It's embarrassing. 

The same thing happened before we hired Mike Shula.  Our program was down, and coach after coach said he didn't want to come to Alabama.

So do your best to keep the coaching search on the low-low, and if a coach turns us down, move on.  We don't need an extremely prolonged coaching search; it's just not worth it.


You've been a great ambassador for the University of Alabama, but this is your last move; make it a good one.

Article Written by rtr2006 of http://www.bamanation.net

Despite a 10-point lead at halftime the Alabama Crimson Tide (16-13, 6-9 SEC) fell to the Auburn Tigers (20-10, 9-6 SEC) 77-73 Tuesday evening at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.

While the Tide lead for the majority of the game, a second half run by Auburn and poor execution by Alabama at the charity stripe would put the Tigers up for good around the 6:30 mark in the second half.

A three-point basket by Andrew Steele pulled the game to a 73-73 tie with 1:10 left in the game,  however the Tigers would pull away with two lay-ups by Korvotney Barber and Frankie Sullivan while the Tide failed to score in the final minute.

With the victory in Tuscaloosa, Auburn clinches the No. 2 SEC West seed in the SEC tournament next week in Tampa. The Tigers also take a step closer to securing a NCAA tournament bid. A win over No. 12 ranked LSU this Saturday could seal the deal for the Tigers making a rare NCAA tournament appearance.

While many criticize Auburn's week out of conference schedule, including a home loss to Mercer, their performance in their last 10 games and 10 conference wins make Auburn a strong candidate for the Big Dance.

While Alabama was not on the NCAA radar, they were looking to make an impression for a possible bid in the NIT. The Crimson Tide also still had hopes of grabbing the No. 2 SEC West seed, which would have given the Tide a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. Alabama still has a chance at the No. 3 SEC West seed if Mississippi State drops their last two games and Alabama is able to upset Tennessee in Knoxville Saturday morning.

Both teams will finish out their regular season Saturday. Auburn will take on LSU at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum down on the plains, while Alabama will face off against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

The Alabama-Tennessee game will be another nationally televised game on CBS, tip off scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CST.

Doctor, we've got no pulse. 

Bring in the crash cart!!

CLEAR!

Nothing, hit him again!

CLEAR!

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Miss., the corpse formally known as Alabama's basketball program was shocked back to life, demoralizing Ole Miss with a 90-69 victory.

The win was Alabama's first on the road in the SEC in their last 19 tries.

The win also marked Alabama's third straight conference victory, a season high.

The game was significant for several reasons.

In a year when most of the Alabama faithful had given up long ago, interim head coach Phillip Pearson did what ousted coach Mark Gottfried had not been able to do in over two years: win an SEC game on the road. 

Somehow, unbelievably, Alabama is still alive to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Western Division and secure a first-round bye in the SEC tournament. 

While I am not shouting that Alabama is now a contender to run off the streak of wins it would take to garner the automatic NCAA tourney bid for winning the SEC tournament, I will promise you this: Alabama has now become a team that nobody wants to play in a "one and done" situation.

With absolutely nothing to lose, Alabama has found a way to put together its best stretch of basketball this season.

The win sets up an interesting matchup with a surprising Auburn team this Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa.  The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.  

Alabama will have a chance to win its fourth conference game in a row, a feat not matched in four years.  As icing on the cake, those of us in crimson will get to enjoy Auburn's SGA President handing back over the ODK trophy at halftime, a result of the football team's 36-0 pounding of the Tigers back in November.

If nothing else, this stretch has given some much needed enjoyment to the die-hards, who have suffered through the misery of this season. 

And, for those close to the program, we feel great that Phillip Pearson has been able to enjoy a bit of success as head coach.  Pearson was given the thankless job of captaining this seemingly sinking ship. 

At year's end, he will be forced to walk the plank, as he will most likely not be included in the search for the new head coach. 

Pearson has done what no one thought he would be able to do.  He has injected at least a little bit of excitement into a program that was forgotten by most.

The man deserves a lot of credit.  No one would have batted an eye if Alabama had continued to spiral into oblivion. 

He suffered through some tough losses, but managed to keep the players playing hard, and he ended what was a very embarrassing road losing streak. 

If he and the Tide can manage to defeat Auburn on Tuesday, regardless of what happens after, Pearson earns an "A" in my gradebook. 

I've heard that the Auburn game is going to be a sellout.  I, for one, did not foresee a game for the remainder of this season that would generate much interest.

However, I'll be making the trek to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday, with the hope that I'll get one more chance to see Alabama come up with a big win.

The fact that I am excited again to go watch my basketball team play is more than I could have hoped for a month ago.  Congratulations, Coach Pearson.  Well done. 

Coming off two consecutive wins, the Alabama Crimson Tide (15-12, 5-8 SEC) could be putting themselves in a position to make it back to postseason play after missing out on the NCAA and the NIT tournaments in 2007.

With the leadership of Senior Alonzo Gee, the Tide have put a much improved product on the floor their last two times out—something definitely reflected in the results. A thrilling double overtime victory over rival Mississippi State and a dominating 21-point win over Arkansas showed the Tide at their best.

The Tide looked as impressive as a Top 10 team during the first half of the Arkansas game, putting up 49 points while holding the Hogs to just 23 points. Alabama would go on to win 88-67, with the Tide leading by 30 for most of the second half.

This new and improved Alabama squad, led by interim head coach Philip Pearson, heads to Oxford, Mississippi on Saturday to try to collect their third straight win and first conference road win in nearly two years when they take on Ole Miss (15-12, 6-7 SEC).

If history is any indication though, a win at the "Tad Pad" will not come easily for the Tide. Alabama was 1-9 under Mark Gottfried at the Tad Smith Coliseum in Oxford.

However, if the Tide can pull out a rare win in Oxford, finishing the season with a .500 SEC record would become much more realistic.

After the trip to Oxford, Alabama finishes the season with two nationally televised games. The Tide faces Auburn in Tuscaloosa next Tuesday on ESPN and then travels to Knoxville to play Tennessee on CBS a week from Saturday.

If the Crimson Tide can win their final three games, they will be a prime candidate for the NIT. For those Bama fans that started dreaming about the NCAA tournament during the Tide's dismantling of Arkansas, the only real chance Alabama has of making the big dance is winning the SEC Tournament in Tampa.

While the Tide has been through a lot of adversity this season, if they continue their improved play, they will make some noise in these last few weeks.

We have had time to digest the recent rumors that Bob Knight could return to coaching and he has been linked to the Georgia Bulldogs, but could it be another team that Knight has his eye on?

Could it be that the General is stalking another school? Is it possible that we may see him prowling the sidelines in a red sweater somewhere else?

How about the Alabama Crimson Tide?

Sports columnist Paul Finebaum has published an article on al.com stating that not only are there rumors about Knight coaching at Alabama, but that Knight himself has taken an active interest in the job.

Is there any truth to these rumors? Well, quite frankly, no. The article states that Knight has a lot of friends in high places in Alabama, and it is apparently well known that Bobby likes to hunt in Alabama, but there is no concrete evidence.

The article quotes a source described as a “friend” and someone that “talked directly” to Bob. Jeez, haven’t we all heard that one before?

Rumors are just rumors, but they are plenty of fun and sports fans like to speculate, so why not have some fun with it?

Mr. Knight has said himself, “I have never said that I wouldn't coach again. I've simply said in the past, if the right situation came along, I would be interested."

Knight’s statement has swirled around the sports news and talk scene for the past week. If the Alabama job isn’t the right situation, then I wonder if there will ever be a more suitable situation for him.

Bob would be able to coach in the prestigious SEC Conference for a school that has a decent basketball tradition, access to fertile recruiting ground and he would get to wear the famed red sweater again. 

More importantly, he would get the chance to coach alongside another coaching legend and chase the almighty 1,000th win. These reasons could prove irresistible to Mr. Knight. 

Knight is 68 years old, but with other coaching legends Joe Paterno and another famous Bobby—Bobby Bowden—marching on well into their 70s, there is no reason not to believe that Knight couldn’t reach this incredible milestone.

Wait up. Hold on just one second. Nick Saban is king of Alabama sports right now.  How could these two strong-minded and no-nonsense coaches coexist together? 

I think Knight would relish the opportunity. He would face less pressure because everyone knows that basketball will never overtake football in priority at the school. Both men could even gain a recruiting advantage from it and enjoy each other as coaching peers.

Alabama would get one of the greatest coaches in history, the winningest coach, and one who will run a spotless and trouble-free program with no worries of NCAA infractions.

This is a match made in heaven, right?

Think again. 

The problem is Knight, the man with 902 wins, is a liability. Any athletic director that dreams of hiring him will have to take this into consideration. Along with his wins and great graduation rates comes his temper and penchant for misbehaving. 

Google Bobby Knight’s name and you will find his incredible coaching record and the 902 wins, but right along with that information are the numerous and prominently displayed links to his many outbursts. 

His tantrums and public misgivings are admittedly funny and provide great entertainment value, but I doubt it is something that many schools want to subject themselves to.  

Any athletic director that thinks the General will be easy to get along with can watch this hunting-related video, featuring Bobby arguing with his neighbor after he had asked him to move away from his property. 

These incidents and foul-mouthed tirades will also hurt him in recruiting. Some recruits will relish the chance to play for a coaching legend, but will the blue-chip athletes want to play for Knight?  Some recruits may realize that getting chewed out by Knight will be about as fun and as dangerous as getting mauled by a giant grizzly bear.

Bobby’s public transgressions have given us lots of laughs and highlight-reel material, but we cannot forget that he has actually laid his hands on his players on more than one occasion. The well-documented choking incident of Neil Reid in 1997 proves how volatile and violent Bobby Knight can be.  

I grew up in Indiana and was a student at Indiana University when the famous choking incident occurred. I lived in a small Indiana town near Bloomington called Ellettsville, when Bobby was accused of punching a local man at a Mexican restaurant.

I was still a student at IU and witnessed the chaos that ensued when he was fired.

I am not a Knight hater. I loved some the things he accomplished and what he stood for, but I know all to well the giant shadow that he casts over a program. 

Will Bob Knight ever coach again?  Who knows? It’s all just speculation at the moment.  Currently, Knight is an ESPN analyst and he is great at doing that as well. He seems to be comfortable and having fun but will the lure of 1,000 wins draw him back to coaching at Alabama or some other school?

Only time will tell. As I watch and listen to the rumors that will continue to swirl around his coaching status, I am reminded of a statement he once made during an infamous interview,

“Just relax and enjoy it.”