Tide Basketball Holds 1st Official Practice
10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA ?? The countdown to the 2007-08 season officially began for the University of Alabama basketball team on Friday night. Mark Gottfried put his team through an approximately 2:40 practice in Coleman Coliseum on the first official night the NCAA will allow its Division I teams to take to the floor.
“There are some areas that we are ahead, but you still feel in your mind like you are starting everything from the beginning, which is where you need to be,” said Gottfried who begins his 10th season as Alabama’s head coach and who got a sneak peek at his squad in late August when the Crimson Tide practiced 10 days and then took a four-game exhibition tour to Canada Labor Day weekend. “You’re re-teaching everything in your offense and in your defense. The emphasis is playing hard, and today they played hard for most of the practice. I thought toward the end they got real tired, but the emphasis is on effort, and we want to sustain it every day.”
Junior guard Alonzo Gee went through his third career opening day, and he says this one, because of the trip to Canada, was different than the two other first days of practice that he has experienced.
“I think Canada was a great experience for us because it got the freshman going,” said the Riviera Beach, Fla., native who is among Alabama’s returning starters. “The freshmen know the plays already, so they are experienced already thanks to that trip and those extra games and practices. Tonight went real well. We got a lot done. We were here for nearly three hours, so we got a lot done. What I like about the team is we play together. And we’re running. We’re moving the ball. We share the ball.”
Alabama will return to the court on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. The Tide hosts the Crimson and White intrasquad game on Tuesday, October 30 at 6 p.m. CT, a night fans can come view the team in a game atmosphere for free and get autographs from the team and coaches afterwards. The night will include a Halloween costume contest at halftime. Alabama plays North Alabama in an exhibition game on Monday, November 5 at 7 p.m. then officially opens the season on Friday, November 9 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Troy. Ticket information is available on the Tide's website, www.rolltide.com.
