For years Alabama had to cope with a knock that just couldn't send teams to the NCAA Elite Eight-until Mark Gottfried's Crimson Tide finally got the program over over that hump in 2004.But the proper retort all along should have been this: How many school can match the eight sweet 16 squads the Crimson Tide has put on floor over the past 33 years?
Best Team: 1929-'30
Coach Hank Crisp (perhaps most famous for recruiting Bear Bryant to the football team) and star center James "Lindy" Hood (nicknamed for his resemblance to aviator Charles Lindbergh) took Alabama as far it could go go-to the 1930 Southern Conference championship. The only undefeated team in school history, the Tide beat Clemson,Georgia,Tennessee,and Duke in succession to claim the crown.
Best player: C Leon douglas (1972-'76)
The bruising 6'10", 230 pound center put Alabama back on the basketball map, leading the Crimson Tide to three SEC regular season titles-two shared (1974-'75), one solo (1976) and it's first Tourney appearances (1975 and the '76 Sweet 16). Douglas wound up his career with 1,909 points, 1,279 rebounds and 235 blocked shots. He became Alabama first NBA round draft pick going fourth in 1976 with the Detroit Pistons.
best coach: Winfrey "wimp" sanderson (1980-'92)
Arms flailing, feet stomping, face snarling- that was Wimp. As a assistant to Naismith Hall of fame member C.M Newton, Sanderson had to bite a towel to keep his emotions under control. But once Sanderson became Newton's successor, he was able to wean himself and transform himself into the animated-but-in-control coach who led Alabama to 6 Sweet 16's
game for the ages:
The crimson Tide's Elite Eight run in the 2004 Tournament was made possible by a 70-67 second-round upset on March 20 over No. 1 seed Stanford. Kennedy Winston & Co. pounded the ball inside fouled out Cardinal star
heartbreaker:
In the 1990 Sweet 16 the Tide held a Loyola Marymount team that was averaging 125 points per game to only have 22 points in the first half, then took a 54-48 lead fewer than six minutes to go. But a Lions rally and a missed 15 footer by Alabama go to guy Robert Horry left the Tide a dispiriting loss 72-70.
Fiercest rival:
As bitter as the Alabama-Auburn rivalry is on the football field the two school's basketball coaches usually have fun with it. Sanderson and Auburn Sonny Smith even co-hosted a radio show for six years in the 1980's. "I know Sonny cheated to get Charles Barkley," Sanderson once joked, " because I was offering the opening bid to get him!" The Tide leads the series overall 84-56.
fanfare and hoopla:
The Coleman Coliseum is one of the SEC's toughest arena for rivals to visit, and a portion of the credit goes to the 1,000-strong student booster club that called itself Mark's Madness-after coach Gottfreid who resigned in 2009. The crazies clad in red T-shirts terrorize opponents from their floor-sections seats near the opponent's second- half basket.
fan favorite: F Robert Horry 1988'92
The state Alabama threw a Robert Horry Day at the Governor's Mansion in Montgomery in 2002. His hometown Andalusia, named Robert Horry Park after him. That's what happens when you lead the Crimson Tide to two Sweet 16's, then go on to even greater heights as a pro (seven NBA titles).