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Six years ago when Anthony Grant chose to leave behind a VCU program in which he brought back to life to join the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program, a level of excitement reverberated throughout the fanbase like wildfire.
Not only was Alabama getting one of the hottest up-and-coming coaches in the nation, he just so happened to be the Tide’s first African-American coach in a major sport, which definitely created enough storylines to fill the pads of journalists throughout the state.
Fast forward to today, and the excitement has now turned into to doubt as to whether the likeable and mild-mannered coach is indeed the answer for Alabama basketball, as the Tide has yet to make the NCAA tournament on a consistent basis during his tenure. That’s right, in five seasons Grant has led his team to only one appearance to the big dance, in which a first round exit to the Creighton Bluejays sent them home early.
At VCU, Grant was known for running an up-tempo fast-paced attack that predicated itself on exceptional defense and scoring points in transition. For the first couple of years in Tuscaloosa, this same strategy appeared to be a part of Grant’s plan; in year two, the Tide packed Coleman Coliseum to the rafters, as they sold out the majority of their home games en route to a 20 plus win finish. Despite their efforts, they were denied a chance to make the tournament, yet a NIT bid allowed them to continue their postseason desires as they made it to the championship game falling to Wichita State.
That fast-paced attack has now slowed to a dismal perimeter passing offense that does nothing to inspire fans to attend in sell out fashion. In addition, Grant has had some of the worst luck in recent memory of a team I have watched. For reasons one cannot explain, his teams — who play very hard — always seem to come up short when it matters most.
Take for instance last night’s hard-fought game against the Georgia Bulldogs. This game sums up Grant’s frustrations of a team that has the makings of a tournament team, yet can’t seem to get the necessary wins when it’s most necessary.
After trailing for the larger part of the game, the Tide roared back to take the lead in the waning moments, and all that was needed was free throws to help solidify a much-needed and tough win.
However, for a team that came in ranked third in the SEC in FT shooting at just under 73 percent, the Tide went 16-31 for the game, and missed crucial free throws down the stretch in the fourth quarter and in overtime.
The consensus among fans is that Grant is just not the man for the job. For whatever reason, his teams just do not respond to the coaching he implements, which manifests itself in one close loss after another.
While basketball is a funny sport and anything can happen during this time of the year, it appears the end is near for Grant, as he will likely fail to make the tournament again unless a surge in on-court leadership reveals itself from now until selection Sunday.
Grant will never be without a job, as he is far too respected in this profession and is still a quality coach. However, for the nice guy who everybody loves, for the Tide, he embodies the cliché of nice guys do finish last.
Brandon Williams is an Atlanta Braves writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @BfreshAlum4UA, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
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