After last season for the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team, the fans’ excitement has already started building for another great year.
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Last year, Tuscaloosa residents could hear Avery Johnson’s voice on their radios promising improved prospects for Crimson Tide basketball. The new head coach largely delivered on that promise, delivering a season that surpassed any reasonable expectation for Alabama. Now, with a year of recruiting and roster-building under his belt, many fans are expecting even greater things from the Crimson Tide.
Expectations are higher this year, and Johnson is facing some amount of pressure to keep improving this team. With a team that is now more fully his, Alabama’s head coach will look to show that the Tide have not seen his best effort yet.
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One obvious way that Alabama can improve this year is recruiting. Any first-year coach in a collegiate sport faces the challenge of playing with a team that he or she did not construct, and Johnson excelled last year at winning with such a team.
Johnson recruited well this year, both with high school players and graduate transfers, and Alabama will field a more talented team this season. This trend could continue if Johnson continues to recruit at a high level, but fans should expect to see some early results this season.
Another factor for improvement is simply continuity. Johnson had to work to establish his presence as a new coach last season, but returning players should allow him to more fully develop his coaching system.
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There is also a degree of pressure here, though. The Crimson Tide performed very well relative to expectations last season, but there is a definite sense that last year was something close to a mulligan. Johnson had almost no expectations coming in. Now, with a full year of recruiting and player development, it will be slightly concerning if the Crimson Tide take a step back.
Avery Johnson’s tenure in Tuscaloosa will not be defined by one season, but the opportunity for growth is present and Johnson can cement his reputation as a good coach by taking the Crimson Tide even higher.
The exact expectations for this season are still somewhat unclear, but there is a definite sense of basketball excitement in Tuscaloosa this September.
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