Daily Archives: November 9, 2012

Thoughts and stats from Alabama’s Friday basketball opener

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South Dakota State guard Nate Wolters (3) and Alabama guard Trevor Releford (12) scramble for a loose ball Friday night. Wolters led his team with 30 points, while Releford paced the Crimson Tide with 18. (AP Photo/2K Sports)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Trevor Lacey nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Alabama over South Dakota State 70-67 in its season opener Friday night.

Playing in front of a crowd listed at 11,669 at Coleman Coliseum, Alabama got 18 points and three steals from Trevor Releford, 17 points from Rodney Cooper and 15 from Lacey. Also, Andrew Steele came off the bench to add 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.

Some thoughts from the game:

–Releford didn’t start for the second straight game, although he played 29 minutes. Alabama’s Anthony Grant said he didn’t start because of “coach’s decision.”

–This actually is a decent win for Alabama. South Dakota State had the bulk of its team back after winning 27 games last year before falling to Baylor by eight in the NCAA tournament.

–Freshman forward Devonta Pollard started and didn’t score in 14 minutes of action. He didn’t get a rebound and missed all four of his shots. Grant said this was a tough opponent for Pollard to make his regular-season debut. It did look like freshman jitters, and it’s clear he’s the type of athlete who can help Alabama a lot this year.

–Alabama has struggled with injuries. Three guys missed Tuesday’s exhibition win: Carl Engstrom (foot), Steele (groin) and backup point guard Retin Obasohan (stitches in his finger). Forward Nick Jacobs (ankle) didn’t practice this week but played Friday night.

–Steele gave Alabama a big lift off the bench, and I’m guessing he would be great in that role during the season.

–Alabama’s best lineup appeared to be Releford and some combination of Lacey, Rodney Cooper, Steele and Levi Randolph playing alongside one of the 7-footers in the middle, Engstrom or Moussa Gueye.

–Remember how Alabama couldn’t shoot all that well from behind the 3-point arc last season? That hasn’t changed much. The Tide made 6 of 21 on Friday, although Lacey has proven in high school and last year that when he finds his confidence, he’s good from anywhere.

–Alabama plays again Sunday at 4 p.m. against West Alabama at home.

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Derrick Henry closes in on national rushing record

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According to multiple online reports, Alabama commitment Derrick Henry rushed for 409 yards tonight, which leaves him 102 short of the national career rushing yards record.

Henry also scored six touchdowns in Yulee (Fla.) High’s 56-6 win over Hamilton County. He got his yards on only 21 carries. Yulee (7-3) will face Taylor County in the Florida Class 4A state playoffs next week.

Henry, who is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, has 3,266 yards this season in 10 games for Yulee. Different people are giving different figures, but we’ve tried to go with statistics published by the Florida Times-Union, which is based in Jacksonville, Fla., and is Yulee’s hometown newspaper. Henry’s yards broke the Florida season rushing record of 3,011 yards set in 1996 by Travis Henry, who played at Tennessee and in the NFL.

The all-time list
1, Ken Hall, Sugar Land (Texas), 1950-53, 11,232
2, Derrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.), 2009-12, 11,130
3, Mike Hart, Onondaga (Nedrow, N.Y.), 2000-03, 11,045
4, Kevin Parks Jr., West Roan (Mt. Ulla, N.C.), 2006-09, 10,895
5, Johnathan Gray, Aledo (Texas), 2008-11, 10,889
6, Traylon Shead, Cayuga (Texas), 2006-09, 10,298
7, Toney Baker, Ragsdale (Jamestown, N.C.), 2001-04, 10,241
8, Kevin Taylor, Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.), 2009-12, 10,115
9, Terrance Wilkes, Wadley (Ala.), 2003-06, 9,668
10, Toby Gerhart, Norco (Calif.), 2002-05, 9,662

The national record book counts only the ninth through 12th grades, so Taylor has more overall yards than Henry because he played varsity as an eighth grader. Taylor has 11,659, including his eighth-grade numbers, entering tonight’s action.

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Issue with subscriber emails

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Those of you who have signed up on The Daily Bama Blog for emails every time I update the blog, you might’ve noticed you’re getting old updates from 2008 and 2009, too.

WordPress maintains the software we use to support this blog, and I’ve made them aware of the issue. As usual, they’re trying to be careful and not create another problem while in the process of fixing this one. I’m hoping they’ll fix it quickly, however.

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More on Phillip Sims and AJ McCarron

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Earlier this week, he pointed you toward nice comments Phillips Sims made about former Alabama teammate AJ McCarron.

According to the Roanoke Times, Sims told reporters he still tries to catch Alabama games when he can and has enjoyed seeing McCarron have success.

“This is a guy who I feel should be in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy,” said Sims, who is now Virginia’s starting quarterback.

Just in case any of you thought Sims simply was making comments that were politically correct but insincere, consider his Twitter conversation with McCarron after Sims’ interview was published. A friend pointed out the story to McCarron on Twitter, and McCarron responded by complimenting Sims, resulting in the following conversation.

 

 

 

 

 

Sims went through spring practice with Alabama before transferring. He received a waiver from the NCAA, which allows him to play this season for Virginia rather than sit out a season.

He has started four games for the Cavaliers, who are 3-6. In Saturday’s 33-6 win over North Carolina State, he split time with Michael Rocco and completed 8 of 10 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also ran a yard for a touchdown.

Sims has thrown for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns while tossing only four interceptions.

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The Crimson Tide and Twitter

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That demand comes from Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker. Here are some other Twitter posts of interest this week from Alabama personnel:

Kenny Bell after stealing the phone of AJ McCarron (@10AJMcCarron) and send a tweet under McCarron’s account: “..hi my name Kenny bell and I’m n class with AJ”

AJ McCarron (@10AJMcCarron) after taking his phone back: “@TheKennyBell7 decided to grab my phone in class and tweet ab himself! See the fool I gotta put up with all day”

Nick Perry (@NIckPerry_27) a day after the LSU game: “So now everybody thinks they’re Lee Corso!! Just be happy we won.. Can’t dominate every game”

Robert Lester (@RobertLester_37): “Much respect to LSU fans for being both competitive and respectful! #SEC”

Big news for C.J. Mosley (‏@TreyDeuce32RTR): “Finally season 2 of #TheWalkingDead is on #netflix!! Lol”

Anthony Steen (‏@bamasteen61): “Love watching the replay of the game on CSS and seeing all the LSU fans so happy an acting crazy knowing that we are going to win in the end”

Carson Tinker (@carsontink) on the election: “In all seriousness, I wonder what percentage of Alabama wrote in “Nick Saban” on the ballot… I’m saying at least 1%”

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SEC coaches honor Alabama’s Releford

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Alabama’s Trevor Releford (12) against Stillman on Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of Kent Gidley of the University of Alabama)

The Southeastern Conference coaches have voted Alabama junior guard Trevor Releford to the all-league preseason first team.

Releford was a second-team selection last season for both preseason and postseason. He averaged 12.0 points and 2.0 steals a game a year ago. His 124 career steals rank ninth in school history.

The coaches’ preseason All-SEC first and second teams consist of a minimum of eight players on each squad. No ties were broken and no predicted order of finish was made.

You can catch Releford tonight when Alabama opens its season at home at 8 against South Dakota State. ESPNU will televise the game.

FIRST TEAM, Pos, Ht, Wt, Cl, Hometown
Trevor Releford, Alabama, G, 6-0, 195, Jr., Kansas City, Mo.
BJ Young, Arkansas, G, 6-3, 180, Soph., St. Louis, Mo.
Kenny Boynton, Florida, G, 6-2, 190, Sr., Pompano Beach, Fla.
Patric Young, Florida, C, 6-9, 249, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Georgia, G, 6-5, 205, Soph., Greenville, Ga.
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky, F, 6-10, 228, Fr., Everett, Mass.
Phil Pressey, Missouri, G, 5-11, 175, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Jeronne Maymon, Tennessee, F, 6-7, 260, Sr., Madison, Wis.

SECOND TEAM, Pos, Ht, Wt, Cl, Hometown
Marshawn Powell, Arkansas, F, 6-7, 240, Jr., Newport News, Va.
Alex Poythress, Kentucky, F, 6-7, 239, Fr., Clarksville, Tenn.
Johnny O’Bryant III, LSU, F, 6-9, 256, Soph., Cleveland, Miss.
Reginald Buckner, Mississippi, F, 6-9, 225, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
Murphy Holloway, Mississippi, F, 6-7, 240, Sr., Irmo, S.C.
Trae Golden, Tennessee, G, 6-1, 205, Jr., Powder Springs, Ga.
Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee, F, 6-8, 270, Soph., Memphis, Tenn.
Elston Turner, Texas A&M, G, 6-5, 212, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.

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Julio Jones sticks up for Alabama on Dan Patrick Show

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The Atlanta Falcons’ Julio Jones (11) runs past the grasp of the Dallas Cowboys’ Gerald Sensabaugh (43) on Nov. 4. (AP photo by Rich Addicks)

Dan Patrick interviews athletes about as well as any radio or television show host around. He’s especially good at getting them to drop their guard and engage in a little fun give-and-take.

He did that with former Alabama All-America reciever Julio Jones recently, as Jones came on the show joking with Patrick, “I got a problem with you.”

The problem: Patrick has no Alabama helmet on the set of “The Dan Patrick Show,” in which plenty of sports memorabilia is placed in the background, including some college football helmets.

Patrick said he has Notre Dame, Georgia and Kansas State and would put up an Alabama helmet if he had one. Jones said he could make that happen for Patrick.

Here’s the whole segment. It’s 7:25 long. Patrick and Jones talk about Alabama for about the first four minutes. Then it’s on to discussion of Jones’ current team, the Atlanta Falcons. In the last 30 seconds or so, it’s back to Alabama and Patrick wanting Jones to get him a Tide helmet:

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Fluker leaves no doubt he likes to ‘get your mind right’

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This is my story for today’s print editions:

—

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker has a favorite song, and he probably likes it so much because he wrote it.

Well, fellow lineman Chance Warmack and Tide strength coach Scott Cochran can share a writing credit, too, but Fluker contributed what seems to be the only lyric: “Get your mind right.”

From what Fluker demonstrated for reporters this week, the song pretty much goes like this: “Get your mind right” (clap) “get your mind right” (clap) “get your mind right” and on and on.

It likely won’t make the top 40 anytime soon, but it seems to make Fluker’s teammates smile and adds to his stature as the emotional leader of Alabama’s offense. If you really do need to “get your mind right,” the 6-foot-6, 335-pound friendly giant is always willing to help.

“Yeah, D.J. is big on kind of firing up people, and getting fired up,” Alabama center Barrett Jones said, as he began smiling the moment he began talking about Fluker. “I’m kind of less of an emotional person, but that’s kind of how D.J. plays, on emotion, and he does enjoy getting his mind right.”

When Alabama trailed LSU in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 21-17 win, it was Fluker on the sidelines going from player to player, shouting something between motivation and encouragement.

“I told them they got to believe,” Fluker said. “You can’t base it off, ‘They scored, OK.’ You can’t just hang your head and be like, ‘OK, we lost the game.’ I was like, ‘I’ve got to believe, keep on driving.’ ”

But if you ask Fluker if he’s the emotional driving force of the offensive line, he will laugh.

“I can’t just take all the credit for that,” he said. “That’s Barrett Jones, Chance — Chance talks, too — and (Anthony) Steen. We all talk to each other. The best thing about it is that when anybody says, ‘Hey, let’s pick it up,’ and everybody picks it up.

“Kind of like being a little catfish, you know?”

Warmack, the starting left guard, has developed into Fluker’s best friend on the team, and he said Fluker really is the emotional leader, no matter what the big tackle might say. According to Warmack, Fluker is no “little catfish.”

“He brings the energy to everybody: defense, offense, special teams,” Warmack said. “If it’s a sluggish practice, he’s going to be the one yelling and keeping everyone upbeat. … He’s always focused, he’s always looking at motivational movies to get him right. He’s a true leader.”

As a fourth-year junior and third-year starter, Fluker has gained popularity on campus, too. You might say he’s a bit of an emotional leader there as well.

At 6-6, he’s hard to miss, but while other students used to pass him regularly without speaking, that’s changed. He said he likes it when people say something.

“It’s pretty neat that people walk by, ‘Hey, Fluke, how you doing?’ I speak back,” he said. “I do it because people love it.”

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Hoops tonight: South Dakota State (0-0) at Alabama (0-0)

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Alabama freshman Devonta Pollard will make his regular-season debut tonight against South Dakota State. (Photo courtesy of Kent Gidley of the University of Alabama)

When: 8 p.m. today

Where: Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa

On the air: ESPNU

Alabama lineup (Statistics from 2011-12 season): G Trevor Releford, 6-0, Jr., 12.0 ppg., 2.8 assists; G Levi Randolph, 6-5, So., 6.5 ppg., 3.9 rpg.; G Trevor Lacey, 7.3 ppg., 3.0 rpg.; C Moussa Gueye, 7-0, Jr., 1.5 ppg., 1.8 rpg.; F Devonta Pollard, 6-8, Fr., no stats.

South Dakota State lineup (Statistics from 2011-12 season): G Chad White, 6-6, Jr., 9.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg.; G Brayden Carlson, 6-4, Jr., 7.3 ppg., 3.1 rpg.; G Nate Wolters, 6-4, Sr., 21.2 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 5.9 assists; F Tony Fiegen, 6-7, Jr., 7.0 ppg., 3.9 rpg.; F Jordan Dykstra, 6-7, Sr., 11.3 ppg., 4.9 rpg.

Noteworthy: Alabama never has faced the Jackrabbits, who play in the Summitt League. … This is part of the 2K Sports Classic, which includes Alabama’s home game against West Alabama on Sunday at 4 p.m. … South Dakota State is a former Division II power that moved to Division I four years ago. … The Jackrabbits won 27 games last year and made the NCAA tournament, losing to Baylor in their opener. … Pollard had 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals in Tuesday’s 76-68 exhibition win over Stillman, while Gueye had 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks.

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