"Anything you can do I can do better. I can anything better than you".
Only weeks after Alabama's Nick Saban signed (by most accounts) the top football class in the country, Bama basketball coach Mark Gottfried displayed his recruiting prowess by landing three of the nation's top high school basketball players, and a top-15 class of his own. While an incoming class of that calibre is a big deal any time, it is a huge deal for the Crimson Tide this year given what has been an uncertain offseason.
The one certainty as of now is that Bama will be looking to replace a point guard. At least one point guard, and possibly two. Unhappy and feeling as though he'd been misled by the coaching staff, freshman guard Rico Pickett elected to take his toys and go home to junior college.
While the facts surrounding Pickett's departure are unclear, it appears that the young freshmen felt that he was going to take over the point once Ronald Steele left. That plan fell apart when Steele redshirted this past season, securing him one more year at the Capstone. Pickett also didn't do himself any favors with his erratic play and frequently found himself giving way to more experienced players as the season wore on.
Steele's situation is a little different and likely wont be resolved until the NBA draft concludes on June 26th. While there is still a chance Steele could leave, the indications at this point would appear to have him returning to Tuscaloosa for one more year.
Steele, often considered one of the top point guards in the country when healthy, has been battling nagging injuries for the better part of two seasons now. And while some observers might note that a 75% Ronald Steele is better than most other college point guards at 100%, NBA teams don't normally like gambling on a guard with bad wheels. Expect Ronald to wear crimson next season, but brace for the worst, however unlikely it seems.
For all of the grief that coach Mark Gottfried has received recently regarding his foresight and planning, you have to give him his due here. Expecting the worst, Gottfried went out and signed junior college point man Anthony Brock to fill the void that could be left by two potential departures.
Brock comes in as the least-heralded member of this year's class—partly due to his JUCO status and partly because of his diminutive stature. Brock doesn't come close to 6 feet, which could really handicap his shooting in a conference like the SEC, but Gottfried doesn't appear to be overly concerned. It appears that the staff is looking to Brock as a manager of the offense and not a primary scoring option.
With Brock running the point would there really be enough firepower next season for the team to compete? Maybe, but chances are it wont come to that. And to be fair, we're speaking of Brock like he's never shot a jump shot in his life. Bottom line is that Steele looks to be returning and that means it's his ballgame at point. Along with Steele, forward Alonzo Gee is set to return for his senior season after withdrawing his name from draft consideration. Bama's last remaining question mark is junior forward Richard Hendrix, and with his stock dropping it looks probably that he'll be making a return to Tuscaloosa for next season as well.
As a junior, Gee contributed 14 points per game while Hendrix averaged a double-double over the season. A healthy Ronald Steele is good for between 15 and 20 points per contest as well. All Gottfried has to do now is fill in the missing pieces.
Maybe the most anticipated member of the incoming class is also the guy that could end up being the real key to next season. JaMychal Green (6-8 power forward) comes to Tuscaloosa after a stellar senior campaign that saw him average an eye-popping 26 points, 17 boards, and 7 blocks for St. Jude's High School. Both Scout and Rivals recruiting services list Green as one of the top 10 power forwards coming out of high school this season.
Figuring out how Green fits in might be almost as important as having Steele back. Can Green live up to the hype and develop quickly enough to come out and get significant, meaningful minutes next season? And where does Green fit in? Can he be the inside compliment to Hendrix that sophomore Demetrius Jemison was never able to fulfill?
Depending on how quickly Green develops goes a long way next season in determining just how successful the Tide can be. If Green can come in and get meaningful minutes, it allows Gottfried to move Jemison (who looks to be over-matched and playing out of position) to the bench with sophomore Yamene Coleman and soon-to-be sophomore Justin Knox. Doing this would keep Hendrix, the team's only true inside threat, fresher and out of foul trouble as the season goes on.
Another high-profile newcomer expected to make an impact is Swainsboro, Georgia swingman Tony Mitchell (6-6, 185). Like Green, Mitchell comes to Tuscaloosa with an impressive list of accolades. Generally regarded as one of the top small forward prospects in the country, Mitchell is an aggressive scorer who possesses size for the position. The only real knock on Mitchell is his outside shot.
With Gee's decision to return to campus, chances are that Tide fans may have to wait an additional year to see Mitchell get much action. The coaching staff will have to make the decision to either let Mitchell develop further or get him on the court as a freshman, and this leads to the problem of where and when he plays. Small forward Mykal Riley is gone, but there is still Gee to contend with. Out of necessity Gee saw a good deal of action in the backcourt this year with the absence of Steele, but he has the game and the physical makeup of a small forward.
Last but certainly not least in the recruiting class is another Steele. Andrew Steele (6-3 combo guard) and younger brother of....you guessed it. Unlike his older brother, Andrew will eventually find a home at shooting guard for the Tide. While Steele is highly-touted, there's no guarantee that he'll come in and make an immediate impact.
In fact, it's this writer's opinion that Andrew will indeed redshirt. At this point the numbers game works against Steele and a year off to develop may serve him, and the team more in the long haul. Even with Pickett gone the team looks to be getting Ronald Steele back, a new JUCO point guard, holdovers Justin Tubbs, Brandon Hollinger, Mikhail Torrance and Senario Hillman. While Hollinger and Torrance have the most experience, Hillman is by far the most explosive of the group and the most likely candidate to see big-time minutes this next season.
If Mark Gottfried and Bama basketball ever needed a huge recruiting class, this was the year. Losing small forward and second-leading scorer Mykal Riley to graduation hurt, but the potential of losing the team's top 3 scorers and emotional leader (Steele) would have been catastrophic to the program.
So love him or hate him, Gottfried did not disappoint. He delivered a class that has the star power and potential to be the cornerstone for tourney runs in the years to come. Add some of these young kids into the mix with Steele, Hendrix, Gee and a developing Senario Hillman and you could see something very special next season.
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4 months ago
Good article. This is perhaps the most in-depth Bama Basketball article I have read on BR.
The only question is: Can Gottfried do something with those players once they get there?
He has had great classes before, and I know injuries have plagued the Tide lately, but it always seems there is an issue with players not performing up to their potential. And a lot of that goes back to how they are coached. I hope I'm wrong though. I hope he brings in these young guys and turns his career and the UA basketball team around.
4 months ago
Thanks for the comments Timothy.
Yeah, that's the real trick isn't it. Getting the max potential out of the kids once they get to campus and Gottfried doesn't have the best track record in that regard.
In all honesty I suspect that BAMA will be pretty good next year but it will be primarily because they're going to be more talented than their opponents. Not because they're going to be better coached than their opponents.
4 months ago
With the way things are going down in Orlando, I don't think Hendrix will be back for his senior year. Could be JaMychal starting right away alongside Demetrius.
from 4 months ago
I suspect that is true as well Gary. And, I don't blame him. Both Hendrix and Steele have their degrees. The only benefit they would have by coming back would be a move to the 1st round (guaranteed contract) versus a lower pick.
Terry
4 months ago
I'm now seeing the talk as well. Especially regarding Hendrix. The ESPN article I read has him speaking in past-tense regarding BAMA, so he may be expecting to go. Steele is another situation all together though, and I fully expect him to return unless he's made his mind up that he wants out of the Capstone regardless. Fact is, he needs one more year in college to prove to the scouts that he's healthy.
We'll see.
4 months ago
Steele has proven he is "healthy." He hasn't proven that his quickness and footwork are back to form yet. That will come with more and more practice, and if it doesn't, Steele will never be the player he was becoming during/after his sophomore season.
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