Anthony Grant’s stern expression says it all: Alabama means business.
Grant enters the 2013-14 season in his fifth year at the helms of the men’s basketball team, with a core of returning players and a few new faces.
But nothing has changed for the Crimson Tide. The ultimate goal of this year’s team is to make it back to the NCAA Tournament in March.
“For us, our goals remain high. They’ll always be high in terms of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Grant said.
The Crimson Tide competed in the National Invitation Tournament last season but fell to Maryland at home in the quarterfinal round.
Still, Alabama has made three consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 2004-06. In the 2011-12 season, the Crimson Tide reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament only to fall to Creighton, 58-57.
But this season, there’s a sense of urgency around Coleman Coliseum.
“They need to be competitive this year,” USA Today college basketball writer Eric Prisbell said. “I think [the SEC] is a four- or five-bid league, and they’re in position to compete for one of those bids in the NCAA Tournament.”
And Alabama has been competitive in the last few seasons.
Not only has Alabama played its way into the postseason, but last year’s 23-13 overall record marked the Crimson Tide’s third straight 20-win season. The last time that happened was 1990-92 under Wimp Sanderson.
However, the Crimson Tide dropped its regular season opener against Oklahoma, 82-73, Friday in Dallas, Texas. Senior guard Trevor Releford played only 22 minutes and watched a lot of the game from the bench because of early fouls.
Alabama committed 14 turnovers and could not keep up with the Sooners in the second half. But Grant saw ways for the team to improve in its nearly weeklong break.
“If we can take the things that we learned from that game and our exhibition game and allow it to help us get better as a team, then it will be worth it [in the end],” Grant said.
Alabama now moves to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the team’s home opener Thursday in the first-ever game in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The Crimson Tide defeated Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, a season ago, 66-62. But former SEC coach Tubby Smith has taken over the reins for the Red Raiders this season.
Texas Tech is 1-6 all-time against Alabama, but Smith owns a 9-5 record when he faces the Crimson Tide.
Grant knows Alabama must return to its defensive-first mentality Friday in order to avoid starting the season 0-2.
“For us, it always starts on the defensive end,” Grant said. “The two games that we’ve played, we’ve had some difficulty in terms of rebounding, and this will be a big challenge with this team coming in. They’ve got great size and physicality.”
The Crimson Tide plays well at home, boasting a record of 48-7 (.873) when playing at Coleman Coliseum over the last three seasons.
Last season, Alabama ranked 31st in the country with an 11,159 average in attendance.
And this season should be no different.
“We’re excited about this season, and we’re looking forward to being competitive again in the SEC and during our nonconference slate,” Alabama Director of Athletics Bill Battle said. “Both on and off the court, coach Grant provides strong leadership for our men’s basketball program.
“I want our students and our fans in the community to show their support by making Coleman Coliseum a formidable venue for opponents to visit. They can be a key factor in our success.”
Alabama failed to obtain a quality win over Oklahoma last week but has plenty of opportunities ahead of it.
The Crimson Tide will face Texas Tech, Wichita State, South Florida, Xavier and UCLA before its slate of conference games. Alabama will also compete in the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament alongside host schools Rutgers, Arizona and Duke.
Wins over most of those teams would help add to Alabama’s resume and help get it to the NCAA tournament. But Prisbell said not to discredit this Alabama team if it isn’t a part of March Madness.
“I think it’s important,” Prisbell said. “But I wouldn’t jump ship or toss Anthony Grant aside if they don’t make the NCAA Tournament if they’re competitive and in the discussion.”
Grant and the Crimson Tide will approach the schedule one game at a time and work toward getting a bid into the big dance. But don’t count on Alabama keeping up with which teams are on the bubble each week.
The Crimson Tide is serious about winning this season.
“The only pressure our team faces is the one we put on ourselves and the expectations that we have internally,” Grant said.
