The Madness of March Goes Way Beyond Basketball at Alabama: All Things CW

The Crimson Tide has to learn how to act like a No. 1 team, final reflections from the SEC-title clinching win against Auburn, and has Alabama already locked down being the top seed in an NCAA regional?

Christopher Walsh | Mar 4, 2023

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This is this week's combined version of the All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh, which appears in five parts with the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Take 1 (Monday)

Let's call it what it was under the circumstances: A boneheaded gesture.

In case you missed it, prior to the start of Saturday's Alabama basketball game at Coleman Coliseum, probably the second-to-last of his career, freshman forward Brandon Miller did what he's always done during pregame introductions, and went through a quick pat down from a teammate before taking the court.

When the idea was dreamed up, almost certainly to either imply that Miller himself was a weapon in his sport, or mimic the pre-fight MMA routine before going into the Octagon, no one could have imagined the outcry it would someday cause. But then no one could have imagined what happened on Jan. 15, either, when a woman was killed just off campus, with former basketball player Darius Miles and another man subsequently charged with capital murder.

They're still being held without bond. It was during last week's hearing to determine that status when Miller's name came up, followed by Nate Oats' poor comments in a press conference without realizing what had been disclosed. It led to some extreme public backlash, especially from those who were quick to react and criticize Miller's status roughly five weeks after the shooting.

It's also been compounded by some bad reporting, inaccurate headlines and a blatant disregard for finding out the details and truth of what happened involving the tragic death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris.

Even now we still don't know everything.

But for Miller, who apparently had the murder weapon in the back seat of his car and says he didn't know it, the district attorney's office is on the record as declaring there's nothing to charge him with. The police say he's not a suspect, and has cooperated.

When issuing a release to tell his client's side of things, attorney Jim Standridge of Crownover & Standridge, LLC, said all of the events were on video and backed up Miller's claims that he didn't get out of the car (which subsequently had two bullets strike the windshield), didn't touch the gun, and "never knew that illegal activity involving the gun would occur."

Standridge has a strong reputation in the local legal community. If anyone's disputed any part of his statement, we're not aware of it.

The timely release did it's purpose, and started to deflect the outcry and massive amount of mudslinging being leveled from coast to coast.

As the realization started to sink in that the university may have handled Miller's situation as well as possible by following the facts as it knew them, a second incident that brought to mind a lot more than a Homer Simpson-like "D'oh!" had the masses shaking their heads again in disbelief for being, at minimum, insensitive.

The pat down.

He had been doing it all along and no one said anything?

As for the Oats press conference, I was at it. My thinking at the time was that I felt like I knew what he was trying to say with "wrong spot at the wrong time," only it didn't come out right. It was like watching someone at The Masters see his putt keep rolling until it went off the green.

Do I think Oats would have said what he did knowing what had happened at the bond hearing? No. He had been at practice.

Still, both things happened, reflecting a lack of needed maturity and necessary foresight.

If this team is somehow able to keep its focus on basketball and the upcoming postseason one of the many lessons it has to quickly learn (and nowhere near the top of the list) is that while it's one thing to play like a top team in the nation the Crimson Tide has yet to learn how to act like one.

Granted, this would be a lot for any team to handle. Miller is 20 years old and one of four scholarship freshmen on the roster.

When you're considered the team to beat, everything draws attention. Everything gets noticed. Everything is scrutinized.

But now no team is being watched by everyone like this one.

What Alabama Fans Need to Know About the 2023 NFL Combine

Take 2 (Tuesday)

A total of 319 prospects were invited to attend this year's NFL combine, including 13 former Alabama Crimson Tide players who hope to hear their names called during the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

That would set a program record after Alabama had 12 selections in 2018.

The players who will be making the rounds in Indianapolis include:

QB: Bryce Young
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs
TE: Cameron Latu
OL: Emil Ekiyor Jr., Tyler Steen
DL: DJ Dale, Byron Young
LB: Will Anderson Jr., Henry To'oTo'o
DB: Jordan Battle, Brian Branch, DeMarcco Hellams, Eli Ricks

Most will opt not to fully participate, preferring to test during Alabama's scheduled Pro Day on March 23.

Hellams, Dale, Byron Young, Latu, Ekiyor and Steen are all coming off the Senior Bowl, so they've already gotten a taste of what's coming.

The first payers started arriving Sunday, but things start to pick up Wednesday. Here are five things Crimson Tide fans should be especially looking for this year:

1) Bryce Young measurements

He's not going to throw at the combine, nor should he. Young's biggest strengths are how he runs an offense, adjusts and makes plays. He has nothing to prove in that respect, and the combine is better for testing things like arm strength.

He'll be a popular interview among teams, but what they really want to know is his height and weight. Alabama generously listed him as 6-0, 194 pounds, and Young will probably show up weighing closer to 200.

Obviously there's nothing he can about his height, it is what it is, and if Young doesn't go first overall it'll be the reason why.

Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, an AFC executive summed it up with "The size is just a major deal.”

“If Bryce Young was 6'3", 220,” said Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network, “I would be talking about him like I talked about Burrow and Lawrence.”

“I love Bryce Young, I really do,” ESPN's Todd McShay said. “I know he’s 195 pounds; a really good friend of mine who’s a scout had him at 5'10½". But I met with him, I’ve talked to him. He’s special. He’s different. He has the poise, the presence in the pocket, the playmaking, everything else you want. I absolutely love Bryce Young. I would bet on him.”

In his next breath, McShay concedes, “If I’m a GM, I’m scared to death of drafting him.”

However, the biggest risk might be in not drafting him.

2. The combine/Pro Day is crucial for Eli Ricks

Last season, the cornerback played in 10 games, with five starts, while dealing with some injuries. He was credited with 13 tackles, including one for loss, to go with four pass breakups.

He's an exceptional talent who doesn't have the tape or statistics to back up top-tier status at cornerback. Ricks is gambling that he can show teams enough to change their minds.

In its pre-combine cornerback primer, NFL Draft Bible as Ricks rated 11th among cornerbacks, which might be enough to make him a second- or third-round selection. He needs to be rated among the top five corners to have a chance at being a first-round pick.

3. Can Brian Branch lock down first-round status?

Most consider Branch a safety, which is not a position that a lot of teams want to use a first-round selection on, but his versatility helps set him a part like it did with Minkah Fitzpatrick (11th-overall selection, 2018).

Consequently, Branch is reportedly planning to work with the cornerbacks at the combine.

He was listed at 6-0, 194 pounds last season, and Crimson Tide fans saw firsthand how he was strong in coverage as a slot defender. The better he hangs with the corners, the more his draft stock could rise.

Branch is already being projected by many as being a mid first-round pick.

4. Is there a hidden gem among the Crimson Tide?

The short answer is probably not, as Alabama players are always among the most scrutinized in college football. Consequently, there are few surprises at this point.

Two players we expect to impress in Indianapolis are running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o. However, it may not be enough for either to be a first-round selection.

5. Will Anderson Jr.'s media session

The national media will quickly find out why the Alabama reporters liked covering him so much. His turn behind the podium is must-see for the entertainment value alone.

How to watch the NFL Combine

For on-field drills on NFL Network, the schedule is as follows:

Thursday, 2 pm CT: Defensive Linemen and Linebackers
Friday, 2 pm: Defensive Backs
Saturday, noon: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends.
Sunday, noon: Running Backs, Offensive Linemen

The combine is actually a five- or six-day evaluation process, that begins the moment players arrive. The part that you see on television with the on-field drills is at the end of the gauntlet.

Here's look at the day-by-day order for the offensive players (the schedule for the defensive players is a little different):

Day 1: Registration, orientation, team interviews
Day 2: Pre-exam NFLPA meeting, team interviews
Day 3: Medical exam, pre-ordered studies, broadcast interviews
Day 4: Ortho exams, medical interviews, team interviews
Day 5: Measurements, on-field workout
Day 6: Bench press; depart

Ready or Not Alabama Basketball, March is Here

Take 3 (Wednesday)

Alabama is coming off a win against a very dangerous Arkansas team, and is finishing up the regular season against rival Auburn and at Texas A&M, which is second in the Southeastern Conference standings.

Who knew that the schedule would be like this at the end?

I'll help the Crimson Tide, though, even it doesn't sweep these final games.

Alabama, of course, is No. 2 in the polls, but is considered by most college basketball experts to be the top-overall seed in March Madness. In the process, it and the other elite teams in terms of tournament resumes have separated themselves from the next tier of teams, so it would take something monumental for the Crimson Tide not to be a No. 1 seed in its regional.

With that comes higher expectations, a bigger spotlight, and every opponent doing that much more to try and take it down.

Consequently, Oats is already working on the "pushing through to the finish" mindset.

"We're tying to get them to peek in March and it doesn't always happen that way all the time."

Last season, Alabama went winless in March, losing its final two regular season games, and then got quickly bounced from both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

The previous year it went 7-1. The Crimson Tide beat Auburn at home (70-58) and then won at Georgia, successfully navigated its way through the SEC Tournament including the 80-79 victory against LSU in the title game, and then made the Sweet 16 before bowing out to UCLA in overtime.

The dynamic of both was about as different as can be.

When the officially postseason starts, it's different. The venues are different. The cities and hotels are different. Everyone's reminded of it every minute of every day.

The only thing that stays the same are the players and coaches.

This team has already circled the wagons for obvious reasons, but today the calendar switched to March 1, which means one thing, and one thing only: Playoff mode. Oats will have a much better feel if this group is ready for it after this week.

"A lot of these guys have been playing basketball for 10, 12, 15 years," Oats said. "This is what they worked for. Let's not waste all the time we put in the gym for the last how-many-ever years, or even since we got together the last week of May. We can't waste all these hours we put in by not being prepared to play now.

"We're in March. We want to peek in March."

5 Things You May Not Have Noticed from Alabama Basketball's Title-Clinching Win

Take 4 (Thursday)

Even almost 24 hours later there's still a lot to digest from Alabama basketball's 90-85 victory over Auburn to clinch the Southeastern Conference's regular-season title on Wednesday night.

That it was such a crazy game, with Alabama coming from being down 17 points, 66-49 until guard Jahvon Quinerly began the comeback by finishing a fast-break drive off a turnover with 9:31 to go, only adds to its status as an instant Crimson Tide classic.

But here are five things you may not have noticed, or realized:

1) There was only one lead change during regulation

Auburn never trailed until Quinerly made a pair of free throws with 1:37 remaining in the game, giving Alabama the lead at 74-73. They were also the final points he scored as guard Jaden Bradley led the the Crimson Tide in scoring during overtime with six points.

They were the only points Bradley scored during the entire game, but he was only 0-for-2 from the field with no free throws attempted.

2) At one point, Auburn was shooting 82 percent from 3-point range

It was 6-for-8 in the first half, and made its first three attempts in the second half. At the time the Tigers were ahead 62-46. However, from that point forward they were a more normal 3-for-9, as Auburn finished 12-for-20, for 60 percent.

Here's how that compares to the games Alabama lost this season:

3-point shooting by opponents in losses

UConn 9-24, 37.5 percent
Gonzaga 7-17, 41.2
Oklahoma 9-13, 69.2
Tennessee 6-23, 26.1

For the season, Alabama's opponents are shooting 28.5 percent, as the Crimson Tide ranks fifth in the nation in three-point percent defense.

3) Turnovers

Alabama lost the ball 14 times, including nine in the first half.

Among the guards, it had just four overall, and only one after halftime.

Mark Sears had two in 36 minutes played, while Nimari Burnett and Rylan Griffin both had one in 10 minutes of action. Quinerly, who was on the floor for 36 minutes, had none.

Over the last three games he's had just three turnovers, all against Arkansas.

4) Plus-minus turnaround

Oats talked afterward about how the blue-collar points, which measure effort and smart play, went from a minus-10 differential to a plus-15.

Something similar occurred in plus-minus, which is points scored when on the floor compared to allowed.

The biggest swing was by Bradley, who was -8 in the first half and +12 in the second. He was also +5 in overtime.

Biggest +/- change in regulation

Jaden Bradley +20
Mark Sears +15
Brandon Miller +14
Noah Clowney +12
Jahvon Quinerly +11

5) "Hit me with your best shot"

A couple of weeks ago, Oats said after winning at Auburn that “I know it was their Super Bowl, so it was nice to win over here."

Actually, if you can believe what an emotional Bruce Pearl said during postgame interviews, this was Auburn's Super Bowl. Having recently slid, with a narrow loss at Vanderbilt and a bad loss at Kentucky, the Tigers know that they're on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament heading into their regular-season finale at Tennessee.

A win over No. 2 Alabama, and being the only team to beat the Crimson Tide inside Coleman Coliseum, would have locked down a spot in March Madness.

“Obviously they made some plays," Pearl said during his postgame radio appearance, held courtside. "We had a hard time staying in front of them at the end of the day. I’m just sick and tired of our guys getting smashed down there, smashed!”

Pearl was particularly upset about his three bigs all fouling out.

“We needed that one to make the NCAA. We’ll get ready to play Tennessee. We were incredibly outmanned at the end. Three or four guys on the bench in foul trouble.

"Joke!" Pearl screamed. The Auburn coach subsequently threw down his headset and stormed off while being jeered by the Alabama student section.

"To come in and play the best team in the country, play so well and play so hard," Pearl later said while being very careful with his words. "We are a proud program. We have great respect for Alabama. We congratulate them on winning the championship, they're a very worthy champion but we came here to win a basketball game."

Has Alabama Basketball Already Locked Up a No. 1 Seeding in March Madness?

Take 5 (Friday)

Having wrapped up the SEC's regular-season title, and clinching the corresponding top seeding in next week's tournament in Nashville, the only drama remaining there for Alabama is how the brackets might shape out.

Consequently, the biggest question this week is whether or not the Crimson Tide has locked down the No. 1 seeding in an NCAA regional during March Madness.

The answer is probably yes.

No. 2 Alabama (26-4, 16-1 SEC) at No. 24 Texas A&M (22-8, 14-3) could have had the league title on the line, but the Crimson Tide really doesn't have much to play for. Moreover, the game will tip at an unusual time, 11 a.m., and on the road, so the deck is sort of stacked in the Aggies' favor.

Texas A&M, however, might be motivated to show that its still underrated despite the impressive climb up the standings. it'll also be Senior Day, and the Aggies are undefeated in SEC play at Reed Arena this season.

Currently, Alabama is considered the consensus top seed as it has the strongest resume and also won at No. 1 Houston in a head-to-head matchup.

The worst case scenario for Alabama is that it loses at Texas A&M and then falters in its first game of the SEC Tournament, which would be the quarterfinals thanks to the double-bye. But not even that would likely lead to it falling out of a top seeding.

Alabama, Houston and Kansas have clearly separated themselves to the point that they have some room to work with. Purdue which had lost four of its last six before surviving against Wisconsin on Thursday night, 63-61, is the team barely hanging to a top seeding on and there's no way the Crimson Tide could fall behind the Boilermakers.

UCLA is knocking on the door, but even the Bruins and all of the other top teams win out, Alabama is still almost certainly a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history.

As for how the SEC Tournament might look ...

Projected SEC Tournament Pairings

March 8

Game 1: No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed; Ole Miss vs. South Carolina
Game 2: No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed; Georgia vs. LSU

March 9

Game 3: No. 9 seed vs. No. 8 seed; Arkansas vs. Florida
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 5 seed; Missouri
Game 5: No. 10 seed vs. No. 7 seed; Mississippi State vs. Auburn
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 6 seed; Vanderbilt

March 10

Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 1 seed; Alabama
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 4 seed; Kentucky
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. No. 2 seed; Texas A&M
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. No. 3 seed; Tennessee

March 11: Semifinals

March 12: Championship

Bryce Young the Clear Favorite

Oddsmakers now believes what we've been saying for months, that the Chicago Bears will likely trade out of the top spot, making Bryce Young the favorite to be the first-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The real question is which team will trade up to get him?

Although the Houston Texans obviously need a quarterback, and Alabama fans would love to see Young playing for former Crimson Tide standout DeMeco Ryans, the team is sending signals that it's not looking to trade up from No. 2 in the draft.

It's not because of Young, but rather due the way the draft is playing out. They can sit back and not give up a thing to get Young or C.J Stroud, which puts other teams in a more desperate situation and willing to give up more.

"I think we’re focused on the Texans," general manager Nick Caserio said at the combine per Texans Daily. "We’re not necessarily worried about what other teams around us are doing. You’re cognizant of that, but ultimately you have to be prepared to pick wherever you’re going to pick. Then, be prepared to pick whatever player."

Meanwhile, Chicago, which wants to trade down out of the top spot, may be in more of a bind because it doesn't need a quarterback and former Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter was charged for his alleged involvement in a fatal car crash that left two people dead in January.

The Bears were thought to be weighing between Carter and Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., who made it through the combine with flying colors, if it can't get a deal that it likes.

The bottom line is that the odds of an Alabama player being the first-overall selection are only rising. If so, he would only be the second in program history, and first since Harry Gilmer in 1948.

5 Things That Got Our Attention This Week

• A strong indication of just how far the Alabama soccer program has come occurred on Thursday when Felicia Knox was one of 23 players called up to the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Soccer Team. She'll compete in the Thorns Preseason Tournament, which will feature three matches against National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) teams, March 12-18. Knox was the lone SEC player named to the team.

• Alabama football has hired Harding Harper as an assistant director of player personnel. He's the cousin of former Crimson Tide standout, turned SEC Network personality, Roman Harper.

• You may have heard about Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy just miss breaking Pete Maravich's career scoring record for men’s major college basketball. He missed tying the 53-year mark by three points, of 3,667 set in 1970. What does he have to do with Alabama sports? His father his former Crimson Tide basketball player Mike Davis.

• The Nick Saban and Deion Sanders ads by Aflac will have a basketball counterpart during March Madness, featuring former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley.

• Per Jeff Borzello of ESPN, with roughly 1,800 MBB student-athletes entering the transfer portal in each of the past two seasons the “emphasis on signing impact freshmen has diminished. The numbers bear that out in convincing fashion. Of the top 100 recruits in the class of 2022, according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, only 17 are averaging double figures in scoring this season.” Meanwhile, 62 of the top 100 transfers as ranked by ESPN are scoring at least 10 points. The lack of impact by freshman predates the one-time transfer waiver and can also be partially attributed to the increasing number of options for high school seniors, such as Overtime Elite and G League Ignite. “Essentially, if you're not getting a top-25 recruit, the better bet for an immediate impact in recent years is almost always a transfer. You might not find a lottery pick in the portal, but the floor is considerably higher.”

• Bonus: Joe Moglia, the former football coach at Coastal Carolina, predicted in a guest column for Sportico that the “Power 5 will break away from the NCAA within the next three years.”