Tide eyes first win for new basketball coach

TUSCALOOSA — Alabama’s men’s basketball team will try to give Anthony Grant his first victory when the Crimson Tide plays Jackson State here tonight.
Grant will settle for improvement from last Saturday’s season-opening loss to Cornell.

“We want to learn and get better,” Grant said. “... We didn’t do a very good job with the discipline that we needed to have against a team as talented as Cornell was.”

Alabama forward JaMychael Green, who led the team with 17 points and 10 rebounds, called the opener “a learning experience” for the team.

“We know where our mistakes were,” said the sophomore from Montgomery. “I felt that we fought hard and we showed a lot of energy and toughness out there. We plan to take that to the next game and come out with a win.”

Green said the team’s defense, particularly in the second half, needed to get better. He also said Alabama missed too many “layups and easy shots” in the opener.

Cornell started the second half with three straight 3-pointers, moving a six-point halftime advantage to 15. The Big Red held on for a 71-67 victory.
Grant said defense holds the key to improvement.

“For us right now, I think if we can begin to defend with a sense of urgency and a purpose it’ll give us a chance,” the coach said. “I’m just a firm believer that if you can defend and rebound you have a chance every night.

“You can’t rely on shots going in every night, but you can defend and you can have the discipline to do the things on that end of the floor that give you a chance.”

Jackson State, the preseason favorite to win the SWAC, presents a challenge for the Tide, Grant said. The Tigers, who are coached by Tevester Anderson, opened their season with an 82-53 loss at Memphis.

“They’re an impressive group,” Grant said. “They’ve got a kid on their team (Grant Maxey) that’s the preseason player of the year in their conference. ... I think it will be a very good test for our guys. They’re very athletic. They’ve got great size, obviously very well-coached. So we’re looking forward to a good challenge.”

Maxey scored 11 points against Memphis. Garrison Johnson led Jackson State Tigers with 16 points.

In addition to Green’s double-double, Mikhail Torrance scored 16 points for Alabama. Anthony Brock had 15. 6-foot-6 freshman Tony Mitchell had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.

“He brings a lot of athleticism and energy,” Green said. “Tony’s a great player. He’s learning. He’s a freshman, so he’s going to make his mistakes. But he’s also going to make great plays for us and help us win.”

The men’s game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m.

The Alabama women will play Jackson State at 5. The women are 1-1, splitting its first two games in the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach Tip-Off Tournament at Corpus Christi, Texas.