An Open Letter From Coach Rick Moody to Alabama Fans
3/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Dear Loyal Bama Fans:
With March Madness in full swing, it is not easy for me to reflect on the season and wish for what could have been. I, much like all Alabama fans, expect to be competing for a title and it is a difficult pill to swallow when we fall short. We have grown accustomed to being in the “Big Dance” throughout my career at Alabama and having missed the post season again this season has done nothing but strengthen my resolve to put this program back where it belongs, back in the hunt for a SEC Championship and a National Championship.
I know it is tough to find sunlight through the clouds at times but I wanted to share with you some things from this season that encourage me, and should you as well, for the 2004-2005 season.
First, we return a solid senior class consisting of Monique Bivins, Natasha Gamble and Katie Sipe. These three young ladies began laying the foundation for the revitalization of the program when they arrived at the Capstone and they will continue to be counted on for consistent leadership throughout the season. Monique returns as our leading scorer having averaged 14.4 points per game and she was named to the All-SEC team this year.
The second reason for my optimism lies in the strength of our returning underclassmen. Center Dee Merriweather will be returning for her junior season and continues to improve daily. Freshman All- SEC performer Kate Mastin leads a solid nucleus of freshmen including Navonda Moore, the team’s second leading scorer, and Lauren Hill, who emerged as a full time starter midway through the season. Add to the mix a healthy Leah Drury and two redshirt players in Marverly Nettles, the 2002 Midcontinent Conference Newcomer of the Year, and Krystle Johnson, a 6’4 junior transfer from UCLA, and things really do look brighter.
We are also welcoming one of the best recruiting classes in the country to campus next fall (MORE INFORMATION). Rated as the 12th best class in the country, this quartet will be counted on to continue our strong youth movement. The best thing about this group, aside from their collective playing abilities, is the fact that they all signed with us in the early November period. This early commitment to our program and its future allowed our staff a jump start on recruiting the class of 2005, one that is shaping up to be as good if not better than 2004’s nationally-recognized class.
Finally, I have to be encouraged for the future because of how competitive we were this season against one of the nation’s most challenging schedules despite our inexperience. I’m not one to make excuses or seek pity, but facts are facts, and we played (according to the RPI Report) the 21st toughest schedule in the country out of 324 Division I women’s basketball teams. In addition to battling game after game in the SEC, a league that sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, we also played non-conference games against a trio of conference champions (MTSU, Boston College, Houston) and another NCAA participant (Virginia Tech). Many times this year we had a line-up on the floor that featured three freshmen and a sophomore, yet we were able to compete consistently against much more experienced squads. We played 15 games decided by 10 points or less this season including six games won or lost by 3 points or less. This team battled all season long and I believe that this young team has learned some hard lessons that are going to make us better in the very near future.
We will be back and we will be back with a vengeance. Even today, our players are back in the gym and weight room working hard to get ready to go in the fall. The University of Alabama’s Women’s Basketball program has been my life for 15 years and I love this University as much if not more than anyone in the country. These past couple of years have been difficult for our program and for me especially but you should rest assured that my staff and I have and will continue to do everything in our power to get ALABAMA back to the elite level that we all expect. This, is my promise to you.
Roll Tide,
Rick Moody
Head Coach
Alabama Women’s Basketball
