Tide Talk with TR and Charlie

BamaOnLine.com staff members Travis Reier and Charlie Potter talk UA hoops and football among other things.

Travis Reier: Instead of the 2-0 week it needed, the Alabama men's basketball team dropped games against Arkansas and Georgia, essentially removing itself from consideration for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid in the process. Offensively, it's reached a point where getting over the hump in games seems nearly impossible.

And when a team gets hammered on the defensive backboard like they did in Athens, second-chance points become a problem. In a game that Georgia won by seven, it held a 13-3 edge in second chance points.

While it was good to see Shannon Hale come to life offensively, he had zero rebounds in 25 minutes of action. As productive as he was scoring the basketball, it didn't exactly time out with Retin Obasohan being at his best on that end of the floor.

Obasohan found it a little bit late in the game, knocking down a couple of 3s. Still, there were some missed free throws and, once again, not enough from guys like Justin Coleman, Arthur Edwards and Riley Norris. Together, the latter three combined for just 14 points in the game.

Charlie Potter: t was about the worst week Alabama could ask for. The only thing I can think of that would have made it worse is an injury. Luckily, Edwards was only experiencing cramps in Stegeman Coliseum. But a home loss to Arkansas on Senior Night when the Hogs didn't convert their usual number of three-point shots was a lost opportunity for the Crimson Tide.

And as you mentioned, being completely dominated on the glass and scoring droughts ended the week with some negative icing on the cake for UA. Now, it will need at least three wins in this week's SEC Tournament to crack the field of 68 in the NCAA Tournament, and even that might not be enough.

Alabama drew a tough slate to begin its time in Nashville with a second-round game against Ole Miss on Thursday with a potential third-round matchup with Kentucky the following day if it gets past the Rebels. And to think, a win over the Razorbacks on Saturday would have helped its postseason chances and earned it a better draw in the conference tournament.

TR: I don't think this has been a case of a team running out of gas late in the season as much as it's been a harsh return to reality. The same team that won five straight games in the middle of the conference schedule was pretty much the same team that started SEC play. UA lost some games it could have won during the rough start and won some games it could have lost during the winning streak.

The what "could have been"aspect for this team involved Dazon Ingram's injured foot. We'll never know for sure, but have to think the freshman would have only gotten better as the season went along and really helped take the load off Obasohan and others in more than one way.

As it is, UA heads to Nashville needing a Music City miracle. Think the Titans already used that one, though, so a realistic goal would be to beat an Ole Miss team that took out Alabama back in early January.

Beyond that, Kentucky was absolutely the worst team UA could draw in game two. Go 1-1 in Nashville and secure a decent seed in the NIT and I think the fan base would be pretty pleased with Avery Johnson's debut season at the helm.

CP: It certainly isn't a place I or many thought Alabama would be at this point in Johnson's tenure, especially after Ingram's injury. The fact that before the loss at Georgia, this team was still being mentioned in some projected brackets speaks volumes to the job Johnson has done with a roster that was predicted to finish 13th in the league.

The 2015-16 team overachieved, winning four games over top-25 opponents and playing gritty basketball ball in the wake of Obasohan's All-SEC caliber season. It just couldn't contain its momentum down the stretch and a string of wins this week doesn't seem possible, setting up a letdown finish in terms of the excitement Johnson and the players pumped into Tuscaloosa.

TR: So, who do you have as your SEC Player and Coach of the Year picks?

CP: Going with the point guard combo of Kentucky's Tyler Ulis and Alabama's Avery Johnson. The coach of the year candidate is a tough one to call because I think Texas A&M's Billy Kennedy and South Carolina's Frank Martin are very deserving, but the job Johnson has done reviving the Crimson Tide program is equally or more deserving. And I think some forget this is his first year coaching college hoops. He's seen some bumps along the way, but overall, as we've already said, I think it was a commendable season for UA fans. As for player of the year, it comes down to Ulis and LSU's Ben Simmons for me, and the final nod goes to the Wildcat leader.

TR: I'm with you on Ulis. The guy is the straw that stirs the drink for the best team in the league. As talented as UK is, if the Wildcats lose Ulis, they've got no chance of going deeper than the 16.

Simmons was a walking double-double the minute he stepped on campus in Baton Rouge, so it was more about how far his team went. Unless CBS gets a wildcard pick, I don't see the Tigers in the tournament, which isn't as much of an indictment of Simmons as it probably is of his coach.

As for the coach of the year, I think Martin will likely get the nod for SEC honors. As you said, Johnson has been great this season and I think if UA had gotten even just one more league win, he'd be a very good bet to take award. Even at 8-10 in the league, he still might.

For the first time in a few months, we'll have football and basketball in the same week. Alabama will host its annual Pro Day on Wednesday before cranking up spring practice on Friday.

Given that the guys who attended the Combine took part in pretty much everything in Indianapolis, might not be a lot of suspense. I mean, if you're Reggie Ragland, Ryan Kelly, Derrick Henry, A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed, you're probably sitting tight with your numbers from the Combine. Other than maybe position drills, Wednesday could be more about the guys who didn't go to the Senior Bowl and/or Combine, I guess.

CP: Yeah, and one player I think a lot of eyes will be on is quarterback Jake Coker. It was a bit surprising that the senior quarterback of the national championship-winning team didn't receive an invite to Indianapolis, especially with his prototypical measurements. If teams are looking for a backup quarterback in the middle to late rounds, Coker can definitely be that guy. And on Wednesday, he and guys like Dillon Lee, Geno Smith, Richard Mullaney and others will have a chance to impress the plethora of NFL personnel that will be in Tuscaloosa.

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TR: As for Friday, the opening day of spring drills has kind of become what the opening day of fall camp used to be: an opportunity to get a first glimpse at some of the true freshmen. We'll also see some new staff members out there, too. What will you be looking for first and foremost?

CP: Obviously the midyear enrollees that weren't on campus before the team left for Arizona and the Alabama natives that have joined Nick Saban's coaching staff in Jeremy Pruitt, Derrick Ansley and Brent Key. But there are several position battles that I'll be keeping an eye on, too. Quarterback, running back, center, right tackle, inside linebacker and cornerback are some of the ones that I'll be paying attention to Friday afternoon and after spring break.

TR: All good ones. I'll be looking to see which returning player have made noticeable changes in the strength and conditioning program. Specifically, that means younger players like Adonis Thomas, Damien Harris, Mekhi Brown and Kendall Sheffield, but also some others who've been around for a few years, like Josh Frazier and Da'Shawn Hand. And then, just like that, they'll be gone for a week of spring break.

One team that will be sticking around for the weekend will be Mitch Gaspard's club, which is coming off another productive week after posting a road win over Troy before going 3-1 against Notre Dame, Niagara, North Carolina State (lone loss of the week) and Brown in Cary, NC. One thing we know for sure about this team is that it can pitch.

At 10-2 on the young season, UA has a team earned run average of 1.33. That's nuts. As for hitting, well, that's a different story. Still some things to figure out for a club that is batting just .253 and has scored four or fewer runs in half its games to date. With a single game against Oregon (Thursday) followed by a three-game series with Houston over the weekend, the competition won't be getting any easier.

CP: No, this week won't be an easy one for the Tide baseball team. But its pitching staff has proven it can stand toe-to-toe with some of the country's best pitchers during this young season.

As you said, the only question is can the bats stay as hot as the arms to continue this strong start to 2016? Keith Holcombe has essentially fixated himself at the top of the lineup and freshmen Chandler Taylor and Cobie Vance have shown why they were Day 1 starters. But Gaspard will need more than them, specifically his veteran players, to literally step up to the plate and start producing.

TR: Mitch has tried a number of different lineups and the mixing and matching likely won't stop anytime soon. There are some spots that will likely be determined by whomever has the hottest bat at the time. Catcher definitely comes to mind to from that standpoint. The newcomers you mentioned are legit, but there's a reason why they're hitting in the top half of the lineup so early in their careers.

Similar to the baseball team, the Alabama softball team is coming off a one-loss week. That said, it's also staring a daunting weekend in the face. In going to LSU to take on a top five club, Patrick Murphy's team won't have the luxury of playing at home. It will have the luxury of hitters like Hayley McCleney (11 for 15), Demi Turner (10 for 16) and Reagan Dykes(three home runs) coming off great weeks at the plate, not to mention ace Alexis Osorio posting a career-high, 16-strikeouts in a shutout of Louisiana-Monroe yesterday.

Saturday's 2-1 loss to North Dakota State was a bit of a surprise, but I took that as more of an aberration for a team that had scored 10 or more runs in its previous four games. Those things happen from time to time in both baseball and softball.

CP: Looks like it'll be a challenging week for a lot of crimson-clad teams this weekend. Whether it's facing tough opponents on the hardwood or diamond, trying to impress NFL scouts, coaches and GMs or knocking the two-month rust off with an initial spring practice, Alabama student-athletes and alumni will have to bring their A games over the next several days.

TR: Plenty going on for sure. Have you decided if you're going to run for the scouts Wednesday or are you going to sit with your 40 time from your playing days at Boaz High School?

CP: With my coaches' trigger happy thumbs, I could jump into the first round with my high school 40 time. And after trying to take advantage of the recent nice weather, I know 17-year-old Charlie was in much better shape than the 24-year-old version. So I'm just going to do the on-field workout Wednesday.

TR: Good deal. I'll keep the left wing loosened up just in case you need someone to throw passes to you. Well, for that and to capture it all on video.