Happy Friday, everyone. The Gym Tide take on Auburn tonight in the Power of Pink meet. Your details:
Date: Feb. 21
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Venue: Coleman Coliseum
Promotion: Power of Pink
It will be televised on SEC Network.
Women’s basketball lost a competitive one in Knoxville last night.
The No. 18/20 Alabama women’s basketball team fell to No. 15/13 Tennessee, 88-80 in Knoxville, Tenn., Thursday night. The Crimson Tide moved to 21-6 overall and 8-5 in the Southeastern Conference ahead of Sunday afternoon’s matchup versus Auburn in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye recorded milestones during the game as Barker surpassed 1,500 career points and Nye tied the program record for most three-pointers made with 272.
Barker led the Crimson Tide (21-6, 8-5 SEC), scoring 22 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing five assists. Aaliyah Nye (13 points), Essence Cody (13 points, seven rebounds), Zaay Green (16 points, 5 rebounds) and Karly Weathers (11 points, four steals) all scored in double figures, as Alabama had all five starters score in double digits for the first time in conference play this season.
They’re obviously still in great shape, currently a 5 seed according to ESPN bracketology.
Kalen DeBoer is saying all the right things headed into year two.
Kalen DeBoer didn’t make known a preference for how many teams he wants in future College Football Playoff fields. He’s not worrying himself with that decision. Instead, the Alabama football coach is focusing on what it will take to get his team there.
DeBoer joined “The Will Cain Show” on FOX News on Wednesday and was asked for his thoughts on expanding the playoff again.
“I understand they’re meeting,” DeBoer said. “From my vantage point, there’s not much I’m in control of when it comes to that. I’m just disappointed we didn’t do what we needed to do to get in this last year. That’s what we’re focused on taking care of here in this offseason, is to make sure we do what we’re supposed to do to get in no matter how many teams are in it.”
He seems particularly happy to have Ryan Grubb and Nick Sheridan working together again.
DeBoer smiled as he was asked about Sheridan’s role in all this — taking a step back from play-calling duties but continuing to coach quarterbacks. It remains to be seen whether Sheridan will have a co-offensive coordinator title.
“He’s a stud in every way, simply put,” DeBoer said of Sheridan. “I mean, he’s extremely smart. He’s a brilliant football mind. But most importantly, he is just a man of humility. And this is what I knew about him from the time I met him, and I’ll always think of that that way. And again, a very unique situation, the only one that would have led me to do something like this.
“And he has just done nothing but been a team player in all of this. You know, he and Grubb’s relationship, I think, continues to grow because of the respect they have for each other. And I’m excited to see how that evolves even between the two of them. But he’s a champion. He’s recruited the best player in the country, the No. 1 player in the country [five-star quarterback Keelon Russell]. And the respect that our whole staff has for him, I think respect the players have for him, and especially in this moment, it only shows out even more.”
Kalen may not have been particularly thrilled with Roq Montgomery’s suggestion that players were slacking off last year.
“The rules haven’t changed. The consequences haven’t changed,” DeBoer said. “I think our discipline, our focus on the right things is extremely high, and it continues to go up.”
Alabama’s Fourth Quarter Program, while similar to a lot of offseason workouts, is no joke and was a fixture on the Crimson Tide’s calendar throughout the Nick Saban era. From eye-opening moments – or even doubt – for freshmen to a bloody nose for quarterback Mac Jones, those in, around and outside the program knew how challenging but necessary it was.
It was one of the traditions last year’s team leaders campaigned for DeBoer to keep around. Led by Alabama director of sports performance David Ballou, the training sessions include various conditioning drills with players participating in short and long sprints, pushing sleds across the turf of the indoor practice facility and even tug-of-war between teammates.
The workouts have remained the same, or very similar, the last two decades, and so have the rules – shirts must be tucked in, no earrings or necklaces and, of course, punctuality.
Last, Chase Goodbread looks at some key position battles. Quarterback will get all the headlines, but the trenches need some answers as well.
5) Left guard
The most obvious choice to replace Tyler Booker is experienced veteran Geno VanDeMark, but don’t assume the job is his. Texas A&M transfer Kam Dewberry, Olaus Alinen, former Brookwood OL William Sanders and incoming freshman Michael Carroll, a consensus five-star recruit who has enrolled for the spring, aren’t to be forgotten.
6) Defensive tackle
“James Smith … paging James Smith …” The time has come for Alabama’s gifted third-year sophomore to become the All-SEC player he’s capable of being. His ReliaQuest Bowl performance was one of Alabama’s few bright spots in Tampa, and if it signaled his future performance curve, UA could have its most dynamic interior-DL playmaker since Christian Barmore.
That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.
Roll Tide.
