TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Times are good for the Alabama basketball team. The Crimson Tide has reeled off four straight wins, the last two coming without start point guard Collin Sexton who has been out with an abdominal injury.
Keep in mind Alabama didn’t win three consecutive SEC games all of last season. Adding to the feat, Alabama’s last two games have come against No. 17 Auburn and Mississippi State — two teams in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Just don’t get too confident. And whatever you do, don’t tell Alabama head coach Avery Johnson his team is “on a roll.”
During Johnson’s Monday news conference, one reporter made the mistake of bringing up the phrase when asking about Alabama’s recent run. The head coach wasted no time shooting down the notion.
“Here we go again,” Johnson said bursting into laughter. “Here we go again, on a roll. How are we on a roll?”
Johnson admits this year’s team offers more quality depth than last year’s and says that's a big reason for much of the Crimson Tide’s success this season. However, he isn’t completely satisfied, pointing out that talent can only take a team so far.
“We are little deeper in terms of talent, but talent shows up when talent does their job,” Johnson said. “If you are a 3-point shooter, it’s not just about taking 3s, it’s making them. If you’re a good rebounder, rebound. If you are supposed to set a screen and you’re talented enough to set a screen as a big guy and run the floor, set screens.”
LINK
https://alabama.rivals.com/news/despite-recent-success-avery-johnson-says-alabama-is-not-on-a-roll-
