Alabama Basketball....Calm Down Grasshopper...

Doom and Gloom.

Overrated.

They'll underachieve like usual.

The Chicago Cubs of college basketball.

These have been consistent themes on Alabama Basketball over the past two weeks on sports talk radio throughout the state. What happened to cause all this rapid rampage throughout the Yellowhammer State?

For starters, the Tide rolled to an impressive 7-0 start and pushed towards a top 10 ranking, before falling to Georgetown at the buzzer, a very game Dayton team on the road and the defensive minded Kansas State team in Kansas City, sandwiched around wins over potential NCAA tournament team Detroit and Big 12 foe Oklahoma State.

So now these so called basketball experts throughout the state, started to virtually write off a team that at this same time last year was sitting at 5-6, and then proceeded to go 12-4 in SEC play before being snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

Unfortunately in Alabama, the fans have a football mentality in that the sky is falling, the season is done and over react to a loss on the hardwood. Of course, basketball doesn't work like football and losses here or there, even bad ones in terms of poor opponents or blow outs to good teams often can be over looked with strong, overall performances throughout the season.

And thats exactly where Alabama finds itself today, some impressive wins, one good loss to Georgetown and 2 so-so losses to Dayton & Kansas State on the road, all piling up to an 8-3 record and a #21 RPI. All good enough to get an NCAA Tournament berth.

With two non conference games remaining, Alabama will be at worst 9-4 headed into SEC play or if they get a road win in Atlanta vs Ga. Tech, they'll be 10-3 and in a position where a .500 record in SEC play will get them in the dance.

Of course, all the doom and gloomers will be out in force in the first two weeks of SEC play as 'Bama goes to Georgia, hosts LSU, at Miss St and then plays Vandy & at Kentucky in a 36 hour period. If Alabama comes out of the first 5 at 3-2, they'll be a legit player for the SEC Title again. Any loss though will basically put UA in the NIT, according to some people in this state.

So to all the grasshoppers who are doom and gloom after a loss, calm down and enjoy the season, the tenacious defense Alabama plays, the highlight reel slams of Tony Mitchell, the slashing ability of Trevor Releford, the fundamentally sound post play of JaMychael Green, and the development of Alabama's four talented freshman. And everything else will take care of itself come March.