Is Alabama’s Collin Sexton Living Up To The Hype?

Alabama guard Collin Sexton is among the brightest and most promising figures in the upcoming NBA draft, with many league insiders placing him within the top 10. Let’s look at the pros and cons of Sexton’s play. 

The six-foot-three guard has gotten a lot of attention in the Tide’s campaign in the NCAA March Madness tournament, hitting clutch shots after clutch shots and making great defensive plays. Just recently, the freshman brought his team victory with a buzzer-beating lay-up to beat Texas A&M and tallying a total of 27 points.

Image source: rolltide.com

  

And he wasn’t done: the next day he came up with a 31-point, seven-rebound performance in a thorough shackling of in-state rival Auburn. This was no surprise for many in the loop, as Sexton was a top-10 national recruit coming into Alabama. He led the USA U17 basketball team in winning the trophy of the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championship, taking tournament MVP honors despite coming off the bench. By the end of that stint, he set the Nike EYBL single-season scoring record, averaging 31.7 points per game. 

The caveat with Sexton’s game is that he likes to do everything, his game dominated by many one-on-one plays bordering on hero basketball. Many believe that Alabama will be easily beatable without Sexton. 

Nonetheless, he is a very efficient scorer and might probably be the best guard in the country, over other hyped players like Trae Young. He has a high user rate, is a reliable free-throw shooter, and, most importantly, shines on the defensive end with his 6-foot-7 wingspan. 

Image source: bleacherreport.com

Hi there. I’m Kevin Rolle and I’ve been into sports for as long as I can remember. Since I’m a fan of the Alabama University and the Alabama A&M University football teams, I mostly write about them. More musings on the Crimson Tide here.

A closer look at the Alabama-Georgia college football rivalry

This past college football season ended on a sweet note for fans of the Alabama University Crimson Tide, which beat bitter rival Georgia by three points, 26-23, in OT to win the College Football Playoff national championships. It was an exhilarating victory that saw the fourth-seeded team turn the tide (pun intended) and upend the third-ranked. 

Image source: youtube.com

Tua Tagovailoa’s stunning 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith gave the Crimson Tide its fifth national championship since 2009 under coach Nick Saban. It proved to be the end to Georgia’s charmed run, which included a crazy win over Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. 

For sure, the rivalry between these two teams is fueled by the fact that they don’t meet as often as they deserve due to the SEC’s 6-1-1 scheduling. This scheduling is largely the result of SEC’s insistence in maintaining permanent cross-divisional rivals to preserve the history between Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee. 

Nonetheless, all the three scheduled games and the conference title match in the Nick Saban era were regarded by fans with much passion and mammoth support. This is especially made more enticing because the Bulldogs haven’t defeated the Crimson Tide in over 1o years; the last time the Bulldogs got the W was in an auspiciously similar 26-23 overtime win in 2007. 

What really drives the existing rabid competition between these two teams was their 2012 meeting, in which the Bulldogs’ final drive fell short as time expired (to much dismay of Georgia fans) and with Alabama going on to defeat Notre Dame in the championship. 

Finally, we should note that Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart is a disciple of Saban, and he would do anything to beat his mentor. Sadly for Georgia, that would have to wait for another season. 

Image source: gettyimages.com

Hello, the name’s Kevin Rolle. I went to school at the University of Alabama so I’m a big fan of our Crimson Tide football team. For more musings on Alabama college football, visit this blog.

Alabama football legends: Who was Wallace Wade?

Wallace Wade was some sort of legend in college sports. While he was a football player at his physical prime, he went on to coach high-caliber teams in football, basketball, and baseball. He was one of the first coaches of the Alabama Crimson Tide, leading the team from 1923 to 1930. After which, he moved to Duke University on and off from 1931 to 1950. His career college football record is 171-49-10, and was only hampered because he fought in World War II.

Source: Wikipedia.com

Wade achieved much success in his tenure as Crimson Tide coach. His teams in 1925, 1926, and 1930 were named national champions. This was an impressive feat by any standards. Wade’s most popular achievement with Duke came in 1938 when no team could score a single point against them during the regular season. The only points they allowed were during the last minute of the Rose Bowl.

In his storied career, Wallace Wade won a staggering amount of titles – 10 Southern Conference football titles (4 with Alabama and 6 with Duke). He coached in an amazing five Rose Bowls, the most memorable one being the 1942 contest, which was moved from California to North Carolina because the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor.

Source: Wikipedia.com

Hi there, I’m Kevin Rolle, hoping to break into the sportswriting scene in Alabama. I write about college sports, especially about the University of Alabama and the Alabama A&M University. To learn more about Alabama sports, follow me on Twitter.

Why Alabama loves sports

Alabama might as well be a sports lover’s paradise, from the nation’s most cheered college football teams to exhilarating NASCAR races. Here are some reasons why the state lives and celebrates sports like no other, according to AL.com. 

Image source: SportsThenAndNow.com   

It’s not just football The love for sports goes beyond football and penetrates gymnastics, softball, golf, and diving. “Perennial powers” like North Alabama, UAH, and Samford, too, make sports an everyday force in local communities. 

Love from fans The thrill goes beyond the state’s teams – all fans are at fever pitch, supporting and defending their teams to the fullest. It’s noteworthy that fans even name their child after their team, such as a Phenix City man being a father to Crimson Tide and Alleigh Bama and offering support to an Andalusia family naming their child Krimson Tyde. 

Alabama racetrack rocks There’s the classic atmosphere of a NASCAR race, but one may pair it up with the modern excitement of Indy and motorcycle racing at Barber Motorsports Park. There’s a surprise here and there, such as a Mardi Gras theme at the track. 

The country’s best minor league ballpark How about watching minor league baseball at Birmingham’s Regions Field and enjoying the game and scenic views of the downtown skyline? Both play and scenery make Alabama a sports lover’s heaven. 

National greats To say many Alabamians have made their mark in the sporting world is a bit of an understatement. Hank Aaron, Charles Barkley, Bobby Allison, Joe Louis, Vonetta Flowers, Bo Jackson, and Jesse Owens – the list goes on. 

It’s a way of life Others states may be content with wearing sweatshirts and jeans to sporting events, but in Alabama fans are clad in houndstooth dress for the Iron Bowl or a nice hat at the golf course. Kids are also started young, cheering teams on with youthful enthusiasm. At the end of the day, sports is a common ground, and people young or old, male or female just love it with a raging passion. 

Image source: CBSSports.com 

Born and raised in Alabama, Kevin Rolleis an amateur sportswriter who writes mostly about Alabama University and Alabama A&M University. Learn more on this page.

5 Things The State Of Alabama Is The Best At

We, Alabamans don’t call our state “sweet home” for nothing. Sure, we’re not always perfect but in many areas, we’re the best. Here are 5 things the state of Alabama is known for being the best.

Image source:bleacherreport.net

1. College football

No one can argue this. We have 15 championships, 17 if you include two for Auburn University – with a four-peat from 2009-2012..

2. Southern literature

We could just say, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and call it a day. But Alabama’s literacy landscape is so much richer: “Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions” and Peejoe Bullis "Crazy in Alabama," to name a few.

3. Building rocket engines

We’ve been building them the longest. We are NASA’s acknowledged propulsion experts. The men sent to the moon were carried by engines designed and tested in Huntsville.

4. Barbeque

We have award-winning restaurants, world-famous recipes, and local competitions and festivals. But the most important is, no matter which is your favorite, everything tastes good.

Image source:telegraph.co.uk

5. Training astronauts

With Alabama’s great space heritage, it’s only obvious we know how to train astronauts. Six astronauts and six past directors of Kennedy Space Center have graduated from Auburn University, two from Troy University and another astronaut from the University of Alabama.

Hi there, Kevin Rolle here. I’m a sportswriter and a student from the Alabama University. If you want more updates about college sports, visit this link.