Started By
Message
re: Tide Hoops | 31-6 (16-2)
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:49 am to Glorious
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:49 am to Glorious
TNews:
quote:
As the Crimson Tide (31-5) prepares to face No. 5 seed San Diego State (29-6) in the Sweet 16 on Friday (5:30 p.m., TBS), here’s the story behind the recruitment of Alabama’s best class of all time, as told by the coaches who recruited them.
Brandon Miller, five-star forward
Primary recruiter: Bryan Hodgson
Not long after Hodgson got his assistant coaching job at Alabama, he started looking up athletes in the younger classes to recruit. Soon, he learned about Miller.
Eventually, when Alabama was playing Vanderbilt, Hodgson decided to stop at one of Miller’s high school games in Nashville when Miller was in 10th grade.
“Fell in love with him right away,” Hodgson said. “Just the length, athleticism, basketball IQ. Once I was able to start calling him once that deadline passed, reached out and built a relationship with him and his family.”
That included getting Facetime video calls from Miller at random times at night. Hodgson would answer, even when he was in bed.
“He literally would say, ‘What are you doing?’ I’d say, ‘I’m in bed. What are you doing?’ He’d say, ‘I’m just laying here,’” Hodgson recalled. “We would just talk about life.”
Hodgson had to be on his A-game to land Miller, whose dad played football at Alabama. The five-star forward had interest from all over the country, making trips to Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and more.
“Every time he would visit those places, I would be a little bit nervous,” Hodgson said. “He would always tell me, ‘Coach, I love Alabama. That’s where I want to be.’”
Even with pro opportunities also making a strong push, Miller eventually backed up those words.
“When he called me and finally told me, ‘I’m putting it out I’m coming to Alabama,’ I was ecstatic,” Hodgson said.
1
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:52 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Jaden Bradley, five-star guard
Primary recruiter: Bryan Hodgson
Hodgson started paying attention to Bradley early.
Hodgson is from Jamestown, New York, while Bradley is from Rochester, about 2.5 hours away. So Hodgson knew about the accolades Bradley had all the way back to middle school.
“Jaden has been a high-level player since he was a young kid,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson is good friends with the person who works out Bradley back home. He started building a relationship with Bradley’s family, with whom he has several mutual friends.
Once Bradley made the move to powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Hodgson started visiting him there to continue building the relationship.
“We’ve had a lot of success with point guards,” Hodgson said. “That was something he wanted to be a part of.”
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:53 am to Alabama_Fan
Brian Dutcher has been at SDSU since 2018.
Here are SDSU's stats vs Big 6 leagues over that span (Power 5 + Big East)
Overall under Dutcher vs Big 6
10-12 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 71st
Average Margin : -1.3
Last 3 years under Dutcher vs Big 6
6-6 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 56th
Average Margin : 0.0
Vs Big 6 Top 60 Teams under Dutcher
5-9 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 31st
Average Margin : -4.5
Vs Big 6 Top 30 Teams under Dutcher
2-5 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 14th
Average Margin : -6.4
TL/DR - San Diego State are posers, they'd be a bubble team most years in a real league and we are going to kick the shite out of them.
Roll Damn Tide
Here are SDSU's stats vs Big 6 leagues over that span (Power 5 + Big East)
Overall under Dutcher vs Big 6
10-12 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 71st
Average Margin : -1.3
Last 3 years under Dutcher vs Big 6
6-6 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 56th
Average Margin : 0.0
Vs Big 6 Top 60 Teams under Dutcher
5-9 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 31st
Average Margin : -4.5
Vs Big 6 Top 30 Teams under Dutcher
2-5 overall
Average Opponent Rank : 14th
Average Margin : -6.4
TL/DR - San Diego State are posers, they'd be a bubble team most years in a real league and we are going to kick the shite out of them.
Roll Damn Tide
This post was edited on 3/23/23 at 10:56 am
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:54 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Rylan Griffen, four-star guard
Primary recruiter: Bryan Hodgson
Griffen popped up on Hodgson’s radar the summer before his junior year. Hodgson started watching Griffen on the AAU circuit and immediately could tell Griffen had a scorer’s mentality.
“Man, he just had a knack for scoring the basketball,” Hodgson said. “Coach (Nate Oats) always says you can find a role for those guys.”
Hodgson wanted to find that role, so he kept making trips to Dallas to build a relationship with the four-star guard and his family. Hodgson talked plenty with Griffen on the phone, too. They discussed Alabama’s games, Griffen’s games and even some NBA games.
“I probably spent more time on the phone with Rylan than I did anybody,” Hodgson said.
They talked seemingly every day. Sometimes more than once.
Hodgson said Griffen quickly realized Alabama would be a good fit for him because of how many 3-pointers Alabama shoots and how the Crimson Tide gets up and down the floor.
“As much as I was recruiting him, he started really falling in love with what we were doing,” Hodgson said. “It was really a mutual deal. Both sides realized this was the place.”
Posted on 3/23/23 at 10:58 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Noah Clowney, four-star forward
Primary recruiter: Antoine Pettway
Pettway got a call from AAU coach Demond Stephens that he needed to check out a “really good” big man from South Carolina.
So, Pettway made a trip to the Palmetto State to see Clowney.
“I watched him play one game, and I called Nate Oats,” Pettway said. “’We got to get you to Rock Hill tomorrow, man. I just saw one of the best bigs in the country.’”
The next day, Oats was in South Carolina. The recruitment began from there.
If there were any lingering doubts, Pettway knew Alabama had to have Clowney once he saw him at the NBA camp in Orlando.
“He went down there and tore it up,” Pettway said. “As he played and we saw him even more, we knew he had to be a priority.”
Pettway said Oats turned up the recruiting on Clowney after the NBA camp.
“I’ll never forget the night he called me to tell me he was coming to Alabama,” Pettway said. “We were super excited because we knew the potential he had and the impact he could have as a freshman for us.”
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:02 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Nick Pringle, three-star forward (junior college)
Primary recruiter: Bryan Hodgson
Hodgson had no idea who Nick Pringle was. Not until a junior college jamboree in Dallas.
Hodgson was watching Dodge City (Kan.) Community College play when he saw the future Alabama forward.
“There’s this 6-9, 225-pound kid out there grabbing rebounds with his ears above the rim,” Hodgson said. “Then I watched a couple possessions and he’s switching ball screens and sitting down and guarding guards. I watch him get up and down the floor at a high, high level.”
Hodgson called Oats. “I think I found an option for us at the five spot.”
Soon thereafter, Oats went up to Kansas to see Pringle. Oats felt the same way as Hodgson.
“We told Nick how we use our bigs,” Hodgson said. “We showed him film of how bigs fit into our system. It was a matter of weeks and Nick had committed to us.”
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:04 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:06 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
Brian Dutcher has been at SDSU since 2018
He’s been there since 99, was associate HC 99-2017 then HC since 2018.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:09 am to Chadaristic
quote:
2nd - Brandon Miller (Pacers)
14th - Noah Clowney (Lakers)
The Ringer
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:09 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
Alabama_Fan
Good stuff on those recruiting stories.
Going to miss Hodgson.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:10 am to Chadaristic
quote:
"Bediako is the ultimate rim protector. You watch early season games like Gonzaga [vs Alabama] and Coach Few is talking about how we [Gonzaga] have to not be afraid to take midrange shots because he's tough to finish over."
- SDSU Coach Brian Dutcher on Charles Bediako
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:10 am to Chadaristic
quote:
"We have to be willing to take the best open shot that they're willing to give us."
- Brian Dutcher on Alabama's defense
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:11 am to Chadaristic
quote:
14th - Noah Clowney (Lakers)
Whoa. That's about as high as I've seen him.
Will be tough seeing these two go after just one year, but will be really happy for them. They've already become two of the best players to come through Alabama. After the next four games, they will be legends.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:13 am to CrimsonFever
quote:
He’s been there since 99, was associate HC 99-2017 then HC since 2018.
These are head coaching stats starting with the 17-18 season when he took over for Fisher.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:13 am to SummerOfGeorge
quote:
San Diego State are posers, they'd be a bubble team most years in a real league and we are going to kick the shite out of them.
SOG in Sweet 16 pregame mode.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:15 am to elposter
quote:
SOG in Sweet 16 pregame mode.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:21 am to Alabama_Fan
quote:
It’s not the ball- It’s how much damn air they put into them. All of them are like bouncy balls.
I can totally see this.
In the last couple of games when we're putting the ball on the floor, sometimes it looks like it's bouncing shoulder-high. Very unusual and noticeable.
And some teams (Purdue, maybe?) have had it slipping through their hands like butter.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:39 am to WeWillFly
I don't want to jinx anything but I really don't feel like our season will end tomorrow. I just can't see San Diego State being able to keep up with us.
Sunday(if we win of course) will be when the real butt clinching begins if it's Creighton. They are a preseason top 10 team and they can score.
Sunday(if we win of course) will be when the real butt clinching begins if it's Creighton. They are a preseason top 10 team and they can score.
This post was edited on 3/23/23 at 11:40 am
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:44 am to RMD
Creighton scares me. They are legit Final Four good.
Posted on 3/23/23 at 11:49 am to bamatide07
Yea Creighton isn’t a 6-seed at full health. Take out that skid they had earlier in the year while not at full health (although every team goes through stuff over the course of the year) and they’re more like a 3-seed.
Page 1350 of 1427
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News