2014 Alabama Basketball Preview — Can New Additions Bring a Turnaround?

The month of October is nearly halfway through, and that means two things: we're that much closer to crowning a national champion in football and basketball season starts before you know it. After a disappointing season last year, Coach Anthony Grant and the Tide look to bounce back and make a splash during the 2014-2015 season.

The Crimson Tide are set to play the Montevallo Falcons on November 10, but their first non-exhibition match-up will be at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic here in Tuscaloosa against the Towson Tigers on November 14.

Let me first start off by saying losing one of the greatest players in Alabama basketball history isn't something you just replace. Trevor Releford was a special player for the program, and those are some big shoes that need to be filled at the point guard position. However, with that being said, transfer guard Ricky Tarrant has all the tools to be just that. He's not exactly similar in size to Releford, standing at 6'2" and weighing 170 lbs, but his talent is what credits the similarities. He's a good ball handler and he has a dangerous mid-range game. One of the things that could separate him from the Releford comparisons is his ability to knock down the outside shot. While at Tulane, Tarrant was always a threat to score from beyond the arc, and Coach Grant hopes to add the deep threat element to this year's team.

Levi Randolph is one of three seniors on the team, and epitomizes what an Anthony Grant player should be: tough, scrappy, and smart. Randolph had 27 steals last year but his defensive stats don't tell the whole story. He's a great off-ball defender and rebounds very well for a 6'5" guard, averaging 4 per game during his career at The Capstone.

Retin Obasohan is probably the best overall athlete on the team. He looks like he should be playing defensive back for Coach Nick Saban. Obasohan notched 54 steals last year, second only to all-time steals leader Releford's 69 last year, and averaged 9.5 points per game. The 6'1" 208 lb guard will be one of the more important cogs in Grant's system this year.

One of the key additions for the Tide in the offseason was picking up diaper dandy Devin Mitchell. Mitchell is a 6'4" 182 lb. guard out of Suwanee, GA, and he obviously has the physical tools to make an impact at the Division I level. 247Sports.com ranked him as the 57th best player in the country last year, so talent is not a problem for Mitchell. If the three-point assassin from Georgia can pick up on the speed and level of play in the SEC, we could be seeing a contender for SEC Freshman of the Year honors.

Shannon Hale was one of the pleasant surprises from the Tide last year, giving a spark to a team that lacked size underneath the basket (and still does). He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team, the first Bama player to accomplish that since Trevor Releford in 2011, and was a staple for the Tide both inside and outside the paint, knocking down 35% of his three point tries and averaging 3.58 rebounds per game and 8.8 points per game.

This team may lack size, with sophomore forward/center Jimmie Taylor being the only player at 6'10", but don't be shocked if you see a different style of play from the Tide this year, with scoring threats all over the court.