# 19 Tide Use Second Half Comeback to Beat Gamecocks

Riley leads Tide With Big 3's in 2nd Half, Hendrix Nets Double-Double


TUSCALOOSA, AL| Just when you thought the win at LSU was going to get the Tide rolling, Alabama came out flat again against South Carolina. There is no way to say it other than they did not look like a great team most of the day. South Carolina lead most of the first half, by 6 at halftime, and a good portion of the second half.

Luckily for Alabama, junior Mykal Riley and his 3 point shooting barrage combined with outscoring South Carolina 38-29 in the 2nd half brought the Tide a 64-61 win over the visiting Gamecocks Saturday in Tuscaloosa .

Riley had 15 points, most coming on a second half run where he scored 11 straight points for the Tide. Sophomore Richard Hendrix had a double-double had 14 points and 15 rebounds, and sophomore Alonzo Gee was also over double digits with 12.

The win moves the Tide to 17-5, 4-4 in the league, and into sole position of first place in the SEC Western Division. South Carolina falls to 12-9, 2-6. The Gamecocks were led by Bryce Sheldon's 17 points and senior guard Tre Kelley chipped in 14 for Dave Odom's bunch.

The Tide stays at home Wednesday night for a SEC West showdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Coleman Coliseum. Tip off is at 8 pm CT.

Super Bowl XLI Preview: SEC Flavor Abound

VS.

Former Tide Star Anderson Looks to Win "Big One" in Rookie Season


In 2005 when Mark Anderson was a senior on the Alabama football team he was a very good college player. That said, nobody could have expected the rookie season he has had for the NFC champion Chicago Bears, who are currently 15-3.

Anderson has a total of 13 sacks this season and and finished 2nd in the NFL defensive rookie of the year voting to an old Alabama teammate, Houston Texans rookie DeMeco Ryans. Unlike Ryans however, Anderson was drafted by a team that was ready to make a Super Bowl run this year.

Tomorrow evening, Anderson's Bears will meet the Indianapolis Colts, 15-4, in Super Bowl XLI. While Anderson is the only former Bama player in the game, it certainly has an SEC feel. Some of the games biggest players, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, a Tennessee grad, Colts running back Joseph Addai, an LSU grad and Bears quarterback Rex Groomsman, who is a former Florida Gator will play crucial roles in deciding the winner of the Lombardi Trophy.

While most experts have picked the Colts to win, a 7 point favorite in most betting lines, I am not ready to give the Colts the trophy just yet. I could certainly see coach Lovie Smith getting the better of his best friend and Colts coach Tony Dungy tomorrow night. Let's break down the game.

When the Colts have the ball:

Both teams best units will be on display here. The Colts great O vs. the Bears stingy D. Something has to give. Certainly the Colts offense featuring the best quarterback in the game, two quality running backs, great wide receivers, and a fast sure handed tight end makes most defensive coordinators pull their hair out.

That said, I think the Bears defense is good enough to slow down Manning and the Colts offense. The questions are while the Bears D is great, is it good enough to shut down Manning and his buddies? Also, will Manning (finally in the Super Bowl) try to snap out of his postseason slump, do too much, and not play his best game? This will be a great match up to watch.

Advantage: Colts (by a very small margin)


When the Bears have the ball:

As stated both teams strengths are on the other side of the ball. Bears QB Rex Grossman started the season red hot but cooled off as the year went on. Depending on the day, Grossman can either be great or awful (lately it has been mostly awful) and for that reason many have questioned if he is the worst quarterback to ever play in the Super Bowl. The Bears offense usually goes as Grossman goes and he will need to play well, or at least not turn the ball over, for the Bears to have a chance.

The Colts defense, which ranked dead last against the run most of the year, has made a turnaround in its three playoff games. The Colts D held the Chiefs and Ravens to under 10 points in the first two playoff games, but did give up 34 against the Patriots two weeks ago. If the Bears running attack of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson can get going early and take some pressure off Grossman, it might be a long day for the Colts.

Advantage: Colts (This could change if Grossman has one of his good games)

Special Teams:

Special teams usually play a huge role in this game and the Colts do have the most clutch playoff kicker of all time, Adam Vinatieri. While there is only one Vinatieri, the Bears Robbie Gould has been great all year and kicked a game winning field goal in the playoffs against the Seahawks. The Colts also have a good punter in Hunter Smith. That really does not matter though, as I could be the punter as long as Vinatieri is the kicker, the Colts get the nod.

Advantage: Colts

Coaching/Overall:

Best friends, both Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy are very good coaches. This being the fist time a black coach has been in the game I am sure they will enjoy themselves. I see coaching as a toss up as neither has been in this situation before.

Advantage: Push


Prediction:

This should be a great game as both teams are very good. While most experts predict the Colts to win by a touchdown or more, I see a much closer game. I think it will come down to special teams and who does not turn the ball over. No matter the winner I expect to see a great game tomorrow night.

I realize I gave the Colts an advantage in all three categories but I am going with the underdog Bears and my boy Mark Anderson for the most important piece of the puzzle...the final score. I am going against all the experts and think Robbie Gould will hit a game winning FG to give the Bears the Lombardi Trophy.


Nick's Pick: Bears 27 Colts 24

Tide Football Picks Up Two More Commits

TUSCALOOSA, AL| Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban picked up two more commitments for the 2007 season as Houston, TX safety Tarence Farmer and Dora, AL defensive end/linebacker Chavis Williams committed to play for the Crimson Tide.

Farmer, who just received a scholarship offer this week, picked the Tide over multiple other offers including Tennessee, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Houston, Kansas, and UTEP.

The 6'1 190 lbs. head hunter is also extremely fast as evident by his 40 yard dash time, which is clocked at 4.4. Former Texas star quarterback and current Tide assistant coach, Major Applewhite, who recruits Texas for Alabama, was one of the biggest factors in landing Farmer.


Dora, AL defensive end/linebacker, Chavis Williams, informed the Tide staff he would sign with Alabama on Friday morning. He was also considering Auburn, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Marshall.

The 6'5 220 pound Williams, a lifelong Alabama fan, had not received an offer from the Tide until the last few days as coach Nick Saban is trying to figure out how many scholarships he has available for this year's class. When Williams got the offer from the Tide he committed right away.

Both are expected to sign their letters of intent on National Signing Day this coming Wednesday, February 7.

Steele Named Finalist for Cousy Award

Tide Point Guard One of 17 Finalist

Alabama junior point guard Ronald Steele is one of 17 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, an annual award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The 2007 finalist are selected by committees whose members are from the College Sports Information Directors of America. They represent all three divisions of college basketball.

Starting today, fans can vote for their favorite candidate at www.cousyaward.com. The top vote getter online will receive the "Fan Vote" representing one vote cast by the committee.

The winner will be announced April 2 at the Final Four in Atlanta, GA.

Men's Basketball Preview: South Carolina

Gamecocks come to T-Town Looking to Upset #19 Tide

TUSCALOOSA, AL| The # 19 Alabama Crimson Tide returns home tomorrow to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks (12-8, 2-5) are coming off a five point home loss to Auburn on Wednesday after winning two SEC games in a row over Arkansas and Mississippi State.

South Carolina is led by one of the best point guards in the SEC, Tre Kelly, who is averaging just under 17 points a game. For the Tide to come out with a victory it is imperative that either Ron Steele or Brandon Hollinger keep Kelly in check for most of the afternoon. 6'9 senior Brandon Wallace averages about a double-double a night with 10.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Head Coach Dave Odom has led the Gamecocks to back-to-back NIT titles, but has struggled in the SEC and against quality opponents this season. The Gamecocks are 0-3 versus ranked teams this year, but it's two SEC wins have both come against SEC West opponents.

Alabama (16-5, 3-4) is coming off a huge road win, 73-70, at LSU this past Wednesday and is looking to get to the .500 mark in the SEC with a win. The Tide is led by senior center, Jamereo Davidson, who had a career high 31 points in the win over LSU. Davidson's low post buddy, sophomore Richard Hendrix, is second on the team in scoring with 14.5 points and 8.6 rebounds a game.

While I expect South Carolina to come out and play hard I think Alabama is just too talented for the Gamecocks to beat them in Coleman Coliseum, where Alabama has won 17 of its past 18. That said, Alabama needs to play with the intensity and emotion it did at LSU and not take the Gamecocks lightly and get off to another bad start. I think South Carolina keeps it close for a while but the Tide pulls away in the 2nd half.


Nick's Pick: #19 Alabama 79 South Carolina 62
Rob's Pick: # 19 Alabama 74 South Carolina 64

Women's Sports Round-Up

Gymastics Host # 24 Kentucky

TUSCALOOSA, AL| The # 4 Alabama gymnastics team remains at home tonight when the # 24 Kentucky Wildcats come to Coleman Coliseum. The Tide is coming off its 90th straight win over in-state rival Auburn last Friday night and is looking to impress the home crowd again.

Alabama is ranked first in the floor exercise, third on vault, eighth on uneven parallel bars, and ninth on balance beam in the national team rankings. Current SEC gymnast of the week, freshman Kassi Price, is only expected to compete on three events tonight, not her usual four. Another Tide freshman Morgan Dennis is ranked first in the nation in the all around and will likely go in all four events tonight.

The meet starts at 7:30pm CT.


Women's Hoops Falls to Tigers

The Alabama women's basketball team fell to the Auburn Tigers last night 93-61 in Auburn, AL. Auburn(16-7, 3-4) shot 54.9% from the floor and were ahead by as much as 35 in the 2nd half. Alabama (10-13, 0-8) never got close in the game and is still winless in the SEC. It was Auburn's first SEC home win.

The Tide was led by Kate Mastin with 16 points and fellow senior Navonda Moore chipped in 13. Things will not get any easier for Alabama as they travel to # 15 Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Football Notes: A-Day Set, Probation Ends

TUSCALOOSA, AL| Alabama's annual spring football game, A-day, has been set for April 21, 2007. The game marks the end of spring practice for the Tide and allows fans to watch an inter squad scrimmage in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

As the Tide usually draws large crowds for the game, this year there is talk of a full stadium as new coach Nick Saban takes part in his first A-Day. The Tide, who finished 6-7 in 2006, returns numerous starters on both sides of the ball and is looking to have a much better season under Coach Saban.


NCAA Probation Over for Tide Football

For the first time in 15 years the Alabama football program was operating without fear of NCAA sanctions on Wednesday night. Alabama has been on the NCAA's watch list since the 1992 national championship with probation and its repeat offender status. The last five years the Tide has endured better than most, the NCAA included, had expected and has came out probation with a solid program.

In the last five years the Tide has had two 10 win seasons and gone to three bowl games, as there was a 2 year bowl ban put on the Tide. The Tide has also seen a run of head coaches since the last violation five years ago. Then head coach Dennis Franchonie left for Texas A&M, Mike Price had some personal problems that lost him the job, Mike Shula was fired following this season, and now current coach Nick Saban will be the first to operate without having to look over his shoulder for an NCAA compliance agent.

Overall, the Tide football program has come out better than almost all would have thought and with the NCAA sanctions a thing of the past, things are looking up in the future.

#19 Tide Rolls In The Rogue

# 19 Bama Gets Giant Road Win at LSU

I will be the first to admit, I had almost given up on our Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team this season. The 2-4 SEC record, lack of effort, blowout road loses, and an uninspired home loss to Arkansas this past Saturday almost broke my spirit. I was ready to throw in the towel going into tonight's game against the LSU Fightin' Tigers in Baton Rogue, LA. I even went as far as to pick the Tide to get blown out tonight. Our boys made me look dumb with a 73-70 win over LSU, and I love it.

The Tide(16-5, 3-4) came out focused and ready to play from the start. Even Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who is a doughnut away from weighing over the three hundred mark, hitting early 3-pointers could not shake the Tide. Every time LSU(13-8, 2-5) would start to pull away, Alabama would hit a big shot or go on a mini run to hang within a few points. The Tide was led by senior Jermareo Davidson, who had his best game of the season pouring in a career high 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Davidson was red hot all game. He took it to "Big Baby" in the low post and hit plenty of his mid range jump shots that the NBA scouts love. If he happened to miss it seemed like his low post buddy Richard Hendrix, who finished with 13 points, was there to put the shot back in. Bama trailed most of the 2nd half but did a great job of keeping it close and took over the game in the last 2 minutes. As LSU looked tired and turned the ball over, the Tide looked ready to get their first SEC road win and prove to everyone that their season was not over.

Down by 1 point with less than a minute in the game the Tide got the ball to Davidson in the low post and drew the foul call. He sank both foul shots and put the Tide up by one with about 30 seconds to play. On LSU's next possession sophomore Alonzo Gee stole a bounce pass and as he went up for the dunk to put the Tide up 3, he was fouled. After hitting both free throws and an LSU made basket the Tide ended the game with a fitting ending...a Davidson dunk as the clock expired.

The game was a pleasant surprise compared to the SEC road games the Tide has had this year. Alabama played hard and with high energy, an all around great game. The average basketball fan could tell they wanted this game and played their hearts out to win it. Hopefully, this is just the start to a winning streak for the rejuvenated Crimson Tide.

Alabama returns home to Coleman Coliseum this Saturday at 2pm CT against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Basketball Preview: Bama vs. LSU

This game touts two very highly regarded preseason teams who have struggled mightily throughout their conference schedules. Both teams are in dyer need of a victory for not just NCAA Tournament hopes, but also for their NIT resumes.

The team who wins the battle in the paint, will be the team who walks out of the Maravich Assembly Center with a victory. Jemareo Davidson and Richard Hendrix will definitely have their hands full with "Big Baby" Glen Davis. It is almost unbelievable to watch as a man of his size is able the move around like a ballerina in the paint.

Both teams have struggled from the perimeter this year, both defensively and offensively. The perimeter defense of the Tide has been a sore spot this year and will likely not improve much until Ron Steele gets healthy enough for Coach Mark Gottfried to be able to trust him playing man to man.

LSU will be very hungry for a win and will be playing in front of the rowdy Cajun fans. It is very hard to believe the Tide can leave with a victory tonight after they have lost their first three SEC road games by over 20 points, but I think they will. They will have to play defense from the tip and maintain good movement on the offensive end.

Gottfried needs this one!

Predections:
Rob's Pick: Alabama 73 LSU 67
Nick's Pick: LSU 74 Alabama 68
Joe's Pick: Alabama 65 LSU 60

Joe's Take: Bama v. LSU Preview

I have suffered through watching Alabama play on the road all year. I keep telling myself every time I turn on the game, "It's gonna be different this time." But, I am always wrong. Alabama gets off to a slow start, can't rebound, can't play defense, can't get an open look at a 3 and when they do, well, they miss it. This has happened time and time again this year. I have a feeling that tonight there is a chance that things will finally go Bama's way.

I am gonna tell you what I would like to see happen tonight. I think that intensity and good defense are extremely important in SEC basketball. The way Justin Tubbs played against Arkansas was nothing short of amazing. He personally led the comeback, although Bama fell short, it would have been a blow out without his defensive exhibition. I truly think he should start this game as a reward for his play. Mykal Riley did not play the way he is capable of playing and for that reason he should not start.

I also think that Mark Gottfried has got to get a little fired up and yell at somebody. If for no other reason just to get the fans off his back. Coach Gottfried has not showed much emotion this year either directed toward his players or the officials. I have seen Mark receive technicals and it gets the fans and the players even more into the game. Sometimes you have to get on the officials, especially in the SEC. The officiating in the SEC this year has been atrocious. But that's a whole separate article.

I think to have a chance against Glen Davis, Bama's Richard Hendrix and Jemareo Davidson should just go right at him all game long. Placing him in foul trouble can of course eliminate him as an inside threat.

The majority of my opinion about tonight's game is common sense. But that's my take on things. I think Alabama will win in a very close one.

Bama in the NBA: Catching up with Tide stars in "The League"

Former Alabama Stars Playing Well in NBA

There are currently 4 former Alabama Crimson Tide players on active NBA rosters. We decided to look at each to see how they are doing in the first half of the 06-07 season.

Maurice "Mo" Williams is in his first year with the Milwaukee Bucks after playing the last two with the Utah Jazz. Mo, who just returned from a shoulder injury, is the starting point guard for the Bucks and is averaging 17.7 points, 6 assist, and 5 rebounds a game. He has become one of the best young point guards in the league and has flourished as a starter. While the young Bucks are not likely to make a championship run this year, they certainly have a tremendous young point guard to build the team around in the future.

Gerald Wallace, who only spent one year at Bama before becoming a first round selection, is one of the Charlotte Bobcats top players. The human highlight reel, Wallace, has battled injuries this season but is currently healthy and playing great basketball. He is averaging 14. 6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and around 2 assist and 2 steals per game. He is the second leading score for the Bobcats and leads the team in steals. Still very young, if Wallace can stay injury free he will remain a very good NBA player for years.

Robert Horry, also known as "Big Shot Bob" is one of the most clutch shooters of all time and has won 6 NBA championships in his career. Currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Horry has seen his stats drop off the last few seasons but is still a vital role player and the man you want shooting the ball with the game on the line. Averaging 4 points and rebounds a game his Spurs are in position to give Horry his record seventh NBA title.

Antonio McDyess, of the Detroit Pistons, is another NBA veteran trying to help his team win an NBA title. He was the second overall pick in the 1995 draft and was one of the most explosive players in the NBA, averaging about 18 points and 9 rebounds a game in his first 6 seasons. He is currently a reserve power forward averaging about 6 points and 6 rebounds a game for the Pistons.

Joe's Take: Recruiting, So what?

I have never been a big follower of football recruiting until recently. I caught myself doing something that I never would have expected. I found Joe McKnight on www.Facebook.com and was looking for any indication of where he might be headed to school in the Fall.

For those of you who might have been in a hole the past few months, Joe McKnight is the hot shot running back from John Curtis High School in La. So here I am looking at all these Facebook groups that Joe is a member of and wondering what in the world this guy is thinking. We have the Nick Satan group along with several Ole Miss football groups. Ole Miss? Why would this guy go to Ole Miss? Would this guy really go to Alabama if he thinks the coach is the equivalent of the devil?

I start to think maybe this guy is just playing along with the hype and toying with the college football fans. I don't really know where this guy is going to school, and don't I have better ways to spend my time during the day than trying to decipher that information through comments on Myspace and Facebook? The emphasis placed on recruiting has definitely grown in the past few years. I just wonder how this effects the athletes being recruited.

These are 18 year old kids that have an enormous amount of pressure on them by coaches and alumni. These kids have coaches and websites calling them and sending them text messages all hours of the day. While these kids, some of whom are struggling academically, need to be focusing on getting out of school with a diploma where they can even play college football. If these kids are told every day that they are the greatest and are shown that by seeing themselves on TV, and being talked about all over sites like Scout.com and Rivals.com, then how does that effect them? Might they get a boosted ego? I would certainly think so. That boosted ego can only hurt them when they try to adjust to the college level.

Some of these players are used to playing the majority of the game on offense and defense, and then they come to college and have to sit out an entire season. We also need to look at whether or not the fans are wasting their time in following recruiting. Many of these recruits turn out not to live up to their famed status. While we will never know why they fail to excel, we must consider that it may have something to do with the attention paid to them. If someone tells you or you hear someone discussing how great you are at something, would you work as hard to get better? Probably not.

While I am not saying that people should not follow recruiting, I do think it is time we step back and think long and hard about how this process is affecting the people that are supposed to come first, the student-athlete.

Senior Bowl Recap: Tide NFL Draft Preview

Tide players look to "get paid to play" in the NFL

TUSCALOOSA, AL| After completing their Crimson Tide careers, 3 Tide seniors made their way down to Mobile for the annual Senior Bowl. Ken Darby, LeRon McClain, and Juwan Simpson all represented Alabama in Saturday's game, where the North defeated the South, 27-0.

The Senior Bowl is the one of the best opportunities for players entering the NFL Draft to showcase their talents against the best players in college football. With coaches and scouts from all NFL teams in town for the game, it is the last chance to impress teams on the field before the NFL combine and draft. The draft is in New York City on April 28-29.

According to Don Shonka, a former 16 year NFL scout, no Tide players look to go in the early rounds. He projects Ken Darby will be the first Alabama player selected between rounds 4-6. While Darby looked to be a high round selection entering this year, his lack of production this season coupled with his slow forty time for a RB will probably cause him to slide in the draft.

LeRon McClain might be the best NFL prospect the Tide has to offer but will be hurt by his position, fullback, as the position is not utilized much in today's NFL. Shonka projects McClain going between rounds 5 and 6.

Other Alabama players who are entering the draft and could be late round selections are Juwan Simpson and Ramzee Robinson. Both had good careers for Alabama but NFL scouts have questioned Simpson's angles to the football and Robinson's lack of size.

Jeremy Clark, Dominic Lee, Jeffrey Dukes, Chris Harris, Terranace Jones, Tim Castille, Kyle Tatum, and Luke Spalding are other Tide players that look to be undrafted free agent signings.

Spring Preview: Offense

It will be interesting to see just how many changes occur during this years annual rendition of Spring Practice. Saban will definitely bring a new flavor of Kool-Aid with him.

Quarterback: John Parker Wilson now has a year under his belt as a starter in the SEC, and should be a Coach Nick Saban favorite. He will have to be mistake free and in control, or Saban will find someone who can be. Wilson proved to be one of the few consistent performers on offense last year, and you have to believe he will play even better in ,07.

Watch out for: Greg McElroy He racked up monster numbers in the high school football mecca of Texas, have to believe he will make some noise.

Running back: This position will be the most interesting to watch and will not likely be determined until Fall practice. Not knowing if the Tide will land any of the high profile backs in this recruiting season, I believe three backs are in the mix: Roy Upchurch, Glen Coffee and Terry Grant. Upchurch has always shown flashes of greatness on the practice field, but has fought injuries throughout and seen limited playing time. Coffee is returning from a knee injury and it will be interesting to see how he has recovered. Grant has blazing speed and is also returning from a shoulder injury. Grant should raise a lot of eye brows on the new coaching staff.

Watch out for: Demetrius Goode He was a highly regarded recruiting prize coming out of high school, and runs with great power and speed.

Wide Receiver: This will be the most experienced of the returning offensive positions. The cupboard is definitely full of talent. DJ Hall evolved in to a savvy, veteran receiver last year, and should be a force for secondaries in the SEC. Keith Brown has shown flashes of greatness, but also looked very "soft" at times. His toughness will be questioned and will have to improve. There will be no more "alligator arms" when you come across the middle, Keith. That brings my personal favorite of the receiving corps, Nikkita Stover. This kid is an amazing talent. He should have played much more last year, but this Spring will be his personal showcase. He will also raise eyebrows. Another player who is very solid is Will Oakley. He has great speed and should be a force in the slot as well as down field.

Watch out for: Earl Alexander Alexander is a converted QB from high school and has great size. He stands in at over 6'5 and has great leaping ability.

Offensive Line: This group should be much improved fundamentally under Saban. Contrary to popular belief; there is quite a bit of talent returning. {Andre Smith (RT), BJ Stabler(G), Antione Caldwell (C), (Taylor Britt (G)} This group should be very solid. The tight end will be experienced also with veteran starters Nick Walker and Travis McCall returning. Also, Charles Hokes pass catching ability and height will be very useful as a pass catching option.

Watch out for: The battle for starter at right tackle: Chris Capps did not have a very productive year last year and is on very thin ice. Both Alex Stadler and David Ross should provide very formidable competitipon.

Defensive spring preview coming tomorrow.

Roll Tide

Tide Picks Up Two More Commits

"Under the radar" players commit to Tide after visit to Tuscaloosa

While Nick Saban and his staff have been loading up on highly touted recruits, they have not forgot the possible "sleepers" in this class either.

Two of those type players, Norcross, GA wide receiver, Darius Hanks, and Birmingham tight end, Chris Underwood, verbally committed to the Crimson Tide after their official visits this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Both have seen their recruitment heat up lately and decided on the Tide after touring the campus and receiving scholarship offers.

Hanks, who is 6 ft and known for his blazing speed and playing making ability is also a top baseball prospect but stated his "dream" is to play college football. Hanks was scheduled to visit Georgia this upcoming weekend for an official visit, but has cancelled that trip and says he is fully committed to Alabama.

Underwood, who also holds offers from UCLA and Southern Miss and has received attention from Clemson, Memphis, and Georgia Tech, is a 6'4 TE from Vestavia Hills High School. A lifelong Alabama fan, Underwood has also seen his stock rise as of late and wasted no time accepting his Tide offer. He also plans to enroll in the fall.

More recruiting news as it happens on Inside the Tide.

Ex Tide Coach Mike Shula Back in NFL

Shula Takes Over Jaguars Quarterbacks

Mike Shula, who was fired this past fall as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program, has accepted a position to become the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.

Shula, son of legendary coach Don Shula, joins Coach Jack Del Rio's staff in Jacksonville and takes over a "quarterback controversy" situation in which 3 Jaguars quarterbacks started games last year. Byron Leftwich, who has battled injuries and inconsistency, began the year as starter but ended up being replaced by David Garrard. Third string QB Quinn Gray started the last game of the season for Jacksonville after they were eliminated from playoff contention.

Coach Jack Del Rio told jaguars.com he is pleased to have Shula on his staff. "He is a great fit for us. He has got experience at the position. He played quarterback, coached quarterbacks, been a coordinator, and has NFL experience. He has a great presence about him and understands the position."

Not only is this good news for Mike Shula and his family but also for the Crimson Tide from a financial standpoint. The Tide would have had to pay Shula about 4 million dollars over the remainder of his contract after they let him go following his 6-6 season. Now, Alabama just has to make up the difference of his current salary with the Jaguars with the one he was under with Alabama.

Women's Hoops Recap: # 4 Tennessee

Tide Women Fall To # 4 Lady Vols

TUSCALOOSA, AL| The box score produced what most experts thought would happen, a blowout win for Tennessee, 80-51, over Alabama in Coleman Coliseum. While the score was what most expected, the game was not. The Lady Vols (18-2, 6-0) jumped out to a big early lead only to see the Tide women fight back and pull within 4 points in the 2nd half.

Coach Stephany Smith told the Tuscaloosa News she was happy with the Tide's effort. "It's a four point basketball game at one point. I definitely feel like we're getting better, but at the end of the day it's a hard pill to swallow." Yes it is, Stephany, yes it is. The Tide now sits at 0-7 in the league and is sharing the title of "cellar dweller" with Florida, also 0-7.

The Tide (11-12, 0-7) was led by senior Navonda Moore who had 25 points and was a perfect 10 for 10 from the charity stripe, but was doomed by turnovers. The Tide turned the ball over 30 times on the day which led to big Tennessee runs, which in the end proved too much for the Tide to overcome.

Alabama returns to action this Thursday as they visit in-state rival Auburn.

Recruiting Update: Demetrius Goode Commits to the Tide

Demetrius Goode. an All-Purpose running back from Hargrave Military Academy, has committed to the Tide after visiting this weekend.

Goode is a big back with great speed, weighing in at slightly over 200 lbs. and 4.5 speed.

Goode was a highly recruited out of high school, and still owns three years of eligibility. During his senior season in Georgia at Troup County High School he rushed for 1,630 yards and 20 touchdowns.

The Hargrave back was previously committed to the University of Kentucky, before he re-opened his recruitment last week.

First commitment of the day, and we do not believe it will be the last.

Check back for updates.

Gottfried Stars in Groundhog Day

As I watched the 2007 Alabama Basketball team self-destruct once again against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, I found myself wondering if several Tide players even were excited to be in the position their in. Many seemed like they would have rather been catching up on the episode of Martha Stewart Living they missed than playing for the Crimson and White.

I also saw a coach who seemed to be very impressed with how poorly we were playing. A coach who did not raise his voice or get in any one's face. He simply clapped. All of this while we proceeded to trail by double digits in the first five minutes of the opening half for the fourth consecutive game.

My heart goes out to Ron Steele. Talk about a warrior. But a warrior who is fighting without any of his weapons. His lack of ability to play like the first team All-America point guard does definitely hurt this team, but is not the problem.

When you fail to be ready to play for four consecutive games, it is not the players' fault, it falls on the head coach.

Gottfried seems to lack the fire most successful coaches have, yet he has been successful. His lack of the ability to motivate is a glaring fault this year. On several occasions this year two or three starters were benched in the early moments of the game, due to their lack of focus and intensity.

Gottfried also seems to share a characteristic with previous Crimson Tide Head Football Coach Mike Shula; not being able to recognize the talent he has. Many Tide fans have called for increased playing time for true freshman guard, Justin Tubbs, for most of the year. Tubbs came in yesterday and seemed to lock down sharp shooter Patrick Beverly, and provide a spark on the offensive end with crisp passes.

Was he not ready to contribute up until this point? Doubt it. This book reads, oh to similar, to one Bama fans read on during this past football season on Nikita Stover.

Could this team have made a Final Four run with a healthy Ron Steele? Maybe. Can such a talented team not even make the field of 65? Only time will tell.

ROLL TIDE

Women's Hoops Preview: # 4 Tennessee

Rebuilding Alabama women trying to top "The Miracle on Ice"

TUSCALOOSA, AL| "All I Need is a Miracle" by Mike and the Mechanics is an appropriate song for the Alabama women's basketball team today as they host # 4 Tennessee. Stephany Smith's young Tide squad has started 0-6 in the SEC but the players think they are not as bad as their record states. "We know how close we've been. We know we're capable of contending with all the SEC teams. It gets frustrating sometimes" senior Navonda Moore told the Tuscaloosa News.

Today at 2pm in Coleman Coliseum, the Tide will have to chance to prove that statement is more than just words when they take on legend Pat Summitt and her Lady Vols (18-2, 5-0) who are playing their third game this week. The first two being a win over #15 Vandy and a close home loss to # 1 Duke, which will go down in history as the game where Tennessee men's coach Bruce Pearl painted his chest while rooting for the Lady Vols.

While I try to make it a point to never compliment anything about the Volunteers, I must say I respect Pearl's enthusiasm for the Lady Vols and Tennessee in general and find it hard to believe that Mark Gottfried, Bobby Knight, Coach K or any other big time coach would pull a stunt like that. Bravo, Bruce, Bravo.

Back to this game. The Tide has not beat the Lady Vols since 1984, most of our players were not born yet, and Tennessee leads the all time series 38-2. The Lady Vols also won the Jan. 3 meeting in Knoxville 72-36. While this does seem like the season to break any streaks over Summitt's Lady Vols, the Tide could start to turn the season around by playing well and making this at least respectable.

Broadway Joe's Pick: # 4 Tennessee 72 Alabama 42

Men's Hoops Recap: Arkansas

Not Even Throwback Uniforms Can Help # 12 Tide Against Hogs in Coleman

TUSCALOOSA, AL| Maybe they were trying to change things up. Maybe sporting the throwback uniforms was what the Alabama men's basketball team needed to snap out of their slump and beat Arkansas at home yesterday. Maybe with the new uniforms the Tide would come out and play inspired basketball from the tip. Maybe the 17 game home winning streak would be enough to beat an Arkansas team that has been terrible on the road. Wrong, wrong wrong, wrong. It was the same story in a different arena for Mark Gottfried's crew.

They started slow and got down by double digits before the half way mark of the first half. It was a very familiar sight for Crimson Tide fans, Alabama (15-5, 2-4) playing like they were forced to play a game instead of coming out trying to make a statement in a critical game in the mediocre SEC West. The only difference in the scenario was unlike last week against Georgia, Coleman Coliseum and the home crowd were not enough for the Tide to overcome their horrible start. Not enough to overcome shooting 18% from the floor in the first half. Not enough to overcome letting Arkansas center Stephen Hill, who always kills Alabama, grab 12 first half rebounds and completely control the paint.

It is not difficult to see why the Tide lost this game. When the starting back court of Ronald Steele, Alonzo Gee, and Mykal Riley scores a combined total of 4 points and you do not play well on the defensive end, you are going to lose games no matter if they are played in Coleman Coliseum or the Coliseum in Rome.

To their credit the Tide did try to make a miracle comeback led by sophomore Richard Hendrix's 28 points and the defensive intensity that reserves Justin Tubbs, Brandon Hollinger, and Demetrius Jemison provided. It was a refreshing sight to see these little used youngsters come off the bench and play like they wanted to be there. Hopefully, there minutes will increase. Hopefully, the starting five, other than Hendrix, will play hard night in and night out. Hopefully, the Tide can play like the team that many around the University thought would be the best team Alabama has had in years.

We can hope all we want but until some things change on this team the talk around Tuscaloosa will change from "Do you think they can make the final four?" to "Do you think we will make the NCAA tournament."