Alabama vs. Ole Miss: Anthony Grant's Breaking Point?

It stinks to lose. Period.

There is no sugarcoating it, and there is no making it seem less bad than it really is, because in whatever situation, losing stinks.   

It stinks to lose a game that you knew you were going to lose, it stinks to lose a game that goes back and forth, but it really stinks to lose a game in the last few seconds that you could have won at several different times throughout the event if not during most of the game.

It’s heartbreaking to see the scoreboard at the very end of a game that could have been won when you come up short by a point. Heck, it could be three points. Heartbreak is still the same.

It’s that one free throw someone missed. It’s that one dunk that someone missed when they were trying to get style points instead of just taking it up the lane and making it into the net for a simple layup. It’s that three pointer that went around the ring three times and hopped back out, as if someone had pulled the magnet in their pocket out to will it out of there.

It’s that feeling that you came so close, but it just wasn’t enough.

Alabama Basketball has had this happen several times recently. For whatever reason, we have had games against good teams such as Purdue, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, and now Ole Miss that we have come so close to winning, but in the end just couldn’t didn’t pull through. 

After the game against Florida, during his post game show, Chris Stewart said it best in my opinion. He said, “This loss stings, but it can’t sting for long as the Tide plays 25th ranked Ole Miss in two days.”

Ok, so for whatever reason, whether it be the refs, bad shot choices, free throws missed...we lost the games, but we can't let those losses keep us down for the rest of the season. 

My hopes were that the loss to Florida, Vandy, Tennessee, Purdue, and Auburn would boost this team up. My hope was that Coach Anthony Grant could take these guys and say, “You’ve come this close so many times. When are you going to go all the way?”

My hope was that one of the guys we hear so much about such as Senario Hillman, Chris Hines, or JaMychal Green would decide that losing wasn’t an option anymore and lead this team to play a 40-minute game. 

As the Tide came out Saturday against Ole Miss, I was optimistic. I have faith in Grant’s ability to change this team around and make them into what they can become, and I hoped that their close losses to the previously mentioned teams would help boost the team.

Apparently, someone left the stinger in.

The Tide came out seemingly ready to play, taking a quick lead and keeping that lead all the way to the half, as the score was 40-20 in Alabama's favor. The offense was looking good, the defense was looking good, shots were being made, and the guys were playing smart. The guys looked as if they might pull this one out.

They had a 23-point lead with 19:23 to go, after all.

However, having been at all of the previously mentioned games, I knew what could happen, and it turns out Mama didn’t raise no fool.

After Alabama made the lead 23 points with 19:23 left, they apparently decided that was good enough…and the lead slowly started to chip away, ending in the Tide losing by seven, 74-67, to 25th-ranked Ole Miss.

Yes, you read that right. Alabama lead most of the game, even as by much as 23 points, and ended up losing the game by seven.

Grant didn’t even show up for his post-game show. In fact, he didn’t show up until 40 minutes after the game. And when he did show up, he commented on the team’s loss by saying, “"I wish I had the answers. I don't have the answers. I experienced and saw what you guys saw. As a coach, sometimes you feel helpless. I wish there was more I could do to help when they're going through it. But maybe it's just what we've got to go through."

He went on to say, "Today had nothing to do with talent," and went on to question his team's "character, substance, toughness, will and passion."

So what does this mean?

Is Grant just waiting for new players to come into the program? Is he tired of the ones he has? Has he lost faith in this team’s ability to win?

If so, what happens when a coach loses faith in a team?

Maybe Grant has a plan. I hope he has a plan. More than that, I hope these players get a plan…or better yet, I hope they get with the program.