SF -- ROD GRIZZARD (6-8, 14.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.5 tpg, 1.1 spg, 1.0 bpg, 31.8 minutes, .398 FG, .327 3PT, .812 FT) Grizzard was one of the more gifted players in the league, and he might have been one of the more misunderstood as well. Some fans looked at his laid-back on-court demeanor and his tendency to be a streaky scorer and surmised that Grizzard was a loafer. Gottfried insisted that wasn’t the case, that only program insiders who watched the player in practice every day knew how much he cared about winning.

Regardless of how Grizzard was perceived, the real proof of a player’s ability is what he gets done on the court. And the simple fact is Grizzard had a streaky junior season that included a puzzling shooting slump in February. He broke out of that slump with a stunning display of 3-point marksmanship in an SEC Tournament game against Tennessee. That one game might have turned NBA scouts -- some of whom doubted whether Grizzard shot well enough to play in the league -- back on to him.

Grizzard, after initially telling reporters he was staying in school, changed his mind and declared for the NBA draft. Time will tell how wise his decision was. Grizzard injured a knee in a pre-draft workout at Philadelphia and subsequently fell out of the first round. He was taken by the Washington Wizards in the second round, the 37th pick overall.

Alabama will miss the Grizzard who could put the team on his shoulders and carry it with game-breaking scoring outbursts. But the Tide can easily replace the Grizzard of last February, who couldn’t buy a 3-pointer.

G -- TRAVIS STINNETT (6-0, 3.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 9.9 minutes) As expected, Stinnett’s minutes decreased last season with the addition of freshman guards Mo Williams and Earnest Shelton. He could have returned this season, but graduated in May. His departure freed up a scholarship for Gottfried, who had overbooked with the late addition of freshman Kennedy Winston.

F -- SOLOMON DAVIS (6-6, 1.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 3.9 minutes) Davis left the program two years ago, but was talked back into the fold last season when the Tide ran short of frontcourt depth. He played in 14 games, but wasn’t a factor. Davis graduated last May.

PG -- MAURICE WILLIAMS (6-1, 185 lbs., SO, #25, 10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 2.9 tpg, 32.2 minutes, .376 FG, .262 3PT, .857 FT, Murrah HS/Jackson, Miss.) When Gottfried talks about the success the Tide enjoyed last season, he starts with the contributions of Williams.

"There’s no question he was the difference in our team from the year before," Gottfried said. "He stepped right in there and started the first game and played with a lot of poise all season. He had a terrific year."

Two years before, Gottfried took a chance on Williams when he made a decision not to recruit a point guard. Gottfried wanted Williams to see that the way had been cleared for him to become an immediate starter if he decided to play for Alabama. The strategy paid off, better than even Gottfried expected. Williams was chosen National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News, was an overwhelming pick by SEC coaches as the league’s freshman of the year and made the All-SEC Freshman team. Williams was also a third-team all-league pick.

True to his word, Gottfried started Williams from day one, and he stayed in the lineup all season, starting 35 games. Williams scored 15 points in his college debut against Mississippi Valley State, and though he finished as the Tide’s third-leading scorer, his real value was as a playmaker and floor leader. Williams was third in the league in assists, and though he made 103 turnovers, Gottfried could live with most of them.

Williams struggled with his shooting most of the season, but excelled at the free-throw line. He also led the Tide in steals (59).

Williams’ high-scoring game in the regular season was 17 points, which is why his performance against Florida Atlantic in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was so surprising. In that game, he scored 33 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed out six assists. Why the explosion? It’s what Alabama needed at the time. That is Williams’ real strength -- providing whatever the Tide happens to need.

With Grizzard gone, look for Williams to become more of a scoring threat this season.

"You’re going to see more nights like [Florida Atlantic]," Gottfried said. "He might not score 33, but you’ll see more [high-scoring] games. I think he’ll eliminate the 3-for-10s [from the field]. Last season, he rushed some shots. This year, his concentration level will be better. He’s so explosive, and he’s so quick. As his perimeter game develops, he’s going to be really hard to guard."

Just as important, Williams fills that coach-on-the-floor role that any team seeking to win championships needs.

"He’s great with the ball," Gottfried said. "He’s a great student of the game. He understands what you’re trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor."

SG -- TERRANCE MEADE (6-2, 190 lbs., SR, #14, 8.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.1 tpg, 22.4 minutes, .395 FG, .331 3PT .667 FT, Scottsboro HS/Scottsboro, Ala.) Like Erwin Dudley and Kenny Walker, Meade enters the season as a three-year starter. Unlike his fellow seniors, Meade stands a realistic chance of losing his starting job.

That would be a shame -- Meade has logged 72 consecutive starts -- but Gottfried wants him to become more consistent with his shot. Meade’s shooting percentages have steadily dwindled in his career. As a freshman, he shot .416 from the field and an excellent .423 from 3-point range. The next season, those totals fell to .408 and .345. Last year, his numbers dipped again, even though Meade showed signs early of consistency -- from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, he reached double-figure scoring in seven straight games.

Gottfried would love it if Meade could fend off the challenge of, say, Earnest Shelton, and keep his starting job, for that would mean Meade has cranked his 3-point percentage back up into the high 30s or low 40s.

"He’s got some guys breathing pretty heavily on him," Gottfried said. "But that’s what drives you to be better. Competition is never a bad thing.

"Terrance just needs to be more consistent shooting the ball. He’s a great defender and he is a senior. He’s been through the wars. There’s no question he’s gonna be a contributor. But he’ll have to be ready when [preseason] practice starts. Guys will step in there and will be pretty hungry [for playing time]."

SF -- KENNEDY WINSTON (6-7, 200 lbs., FR, #3, 33.2 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 7.5 apg, Blount HS/Prichard, Ala.) The loss of Rod Grizzard might well be minimized by the unlikely arrival of Winston, who signed with California in the fall, only to request a release in the spring after his mother, Jessica Stovall, was hospitalized. Cal granted Winston’s release, but then he had to petition the NCAA to be allowed to be eligible this season. That appeal was granted in early summer.

"He was so happy, you'd have thought he'd won a million dollars," Stovall told the Mobile Register. "It was a big relief. When he signed with Cal, he was shook up and confused. He was listening to other people. I knew it really wasn't the right decision, but I had to let him do it."

Why did Winston sign with Cal when so many schools in the SEC were after him?

"I was close to signing with [Alabama] before I picked Cal," Winston told the Register. "When I chose Cal, it really had nothing to do with basketball. I just wanted to go somewhere different. And people surrounding me at the time talked me into going."

Gottfried is glad that Winston, the state’s Mr. Basketball and a Parade All-American, changed his mind. Though Gottfried is trying hard to keep pressure off the freshman by tempering the expectations of fans, the fact remains that Winston can be an impact player right away. And he has an advantage entering college that Grizzard didn’t have.

"Rod played in a small private school," Gottfried said. "Kennedy took his team to state championship as a junior and as a senior lost in championship game. We’re talking about the biggest division in the state. I like that about him. He’s been a part of a winning program.

"But you want to be careful. I want him to be able to progress as a natural freshman."

Winston might not have that luxury. Because of his well-rounded game, he’s likely to be thrust into action right away.

"He’s eyeballing some minutes," Gottfried said. "He’s got every right to. He’s very fundamentally sound. The best word that describes him is 'efficient.' A lot of guys need to do a lot with ball to get open. He doesn’t. He could get a shot off in the closet. He moves without the ball efficiently and he’s got great feet. He’s really a good scorer."

PF -- ERWIN DUDLEY (6-8, 260 lbs., SR, #35, 15.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.7 spg, 2.1 tpg, 0.7 bpg, 31.2 minutes, .556 FG, 1.000 3PT, .678 FT, AC Hatch HS/Uniontown, Ala.) Last season, about two weeks into the conference schedule, it became readily apparent to just about anyone with more than a passing interest in SEC basketball that Erwin Dudley was the most valuable player in the league.

When postseason awards were handed out in March, Dudley was officially honored as SEC Player of the Year. Gottfried couldn’t help but wonder why it took the rest of the league so long to figure out Dudley’s worth.

"He’s been such a centerpiece and such a stable force for us even from his freshman year," Gottfried said. "He’s started every game of his entire career. He led the SEC in rebounding two straight years. He’s going to graduate on time and is as solid as they come. He’s an absolute dream to coach."

Dudley arrived in Tuscaloosa a gangly 218 pounds, but thanks to Alabama’s nationally respected strength and conditioning coaches, he quickly became a physical specimen. The resulting size and strength has made Dudley tough to dislodge in the post, where, as Gottfried said, he has been the SEC’s best rebounder the past three years.

Gottfried has a theory about big men. Rather than teaching them a variety of post moves and make them, as Gottfried puts it, "a jack of all trades and a master of none," the plan is to focus on a couple of reliable shots. Dudley’s weapons of choice are a reliable face-up, medium-range jumper and a jump hook that confounds defenders who try to swat it out of the sky.

Dudley has perfected those moves by putting in countless hours in the gym. Daily improvement has been Dudley’s goal since his freshman season, and daily improvement has been the result.

"You come along with guys like Erwin every now and then, and you just cherish them," Gottfried said. "So many guys are easily influenced by outside forces. He’s very steady. He made a quote at some point somewhere, and it was a simple quote. ‘I was raised to get the job done.’ That’s him. You don’t have a lot of flash and dash. He just gets it done."

Gottfried has already talked with Dudley about repeating as SEC Player of the Year.

"To be a repeat player of the year, you have to have an exceptional season," Gottfried said. "Erwin understands that. He knows to get it again, he can’t just be good, he has to clearly be the best. I think that’s been a great motivator for him."

C -- KENNY WALKER (6-9, 230 lbs., SR, #42, 9.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.5 spg, 1.1 bpg, 23.2 minutes, .500 FG, .803 FT, Wolfson HS/Jacksonville, Fla.) For three seasons, Walker has quietly gone about his job. Gottfried would like him to make a little noise in 2002-03.

"Kenny's been very consistent," Gottfried said. "But he needs to take his game up a step. I talked to him about that all spring and summer. He’s been a very good player, but he has the potential to be a great player.

"Some of that is just personality -- he’s just a nice person. He needs to be a little more aggressive."

Walker has plenty of skills to do his job. He’s quick and agile, has a good face-up game and blocks shots. Rare for a big man, Walker can cash in at the free-throw line, and in fact led the SEC in free-throw percentage last season.

How much further can Walker take his game?

"He’s got a chance to play beyond college," Gottfried said. "A lot depends on this season."

Gottfried wouldn’t mind a bit if Walker, who has averaged a modest 7.5 points in his career, bumped that number up to the 13.3 points per game he scored in three SEC Tournament games last March. Included in that performance was a 21-point effort against South Carolina.

The year before, Walker averaged 10.2 points in the Tide’s NIT run, including a high game of 24 points against Purdue. Clearly, the ability to become a double-figure scorer is there. All Walker has to do is show that ability more often.

F -- EVAN BROCK (6-9, 190 lbs., FR, #21, 18.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, Lassiter HS/Roswell, Ga.) Brock was a key recruit before Kennedy Winston was signed, and he’ll continue to be a key recruit, for he provides competition and depth at the small forward position vacated by Rod Grizzard.

Painfully thin, Brock is nevertheless a good athlete who has a lot of skills, not the least of which is passing from his forward spot. In high school, in addition to basketball, Brock was a track star. He set a school record and won the state championship in the triple jump (45-4) and also competed in the sprint medley relay.

"I like him," Gottfried said. "He plays really hard and he’s long. His body is going to remind folks of maybe [former Alabama star and NBA veteran] Derrick McKey. He loves to play. He’s more of a perimeter player, but he’s a guy that can move all around the floor. Evan is very versatile."

F -- CHUCK DAVIS (6-8, 230 lbs., FR, #1, 22.0 ppg, Southside HS/Selma, Ala.) With Erwin Dudley entering his senior season, Alabama had to recruit a post player who could be groomed to take his place. Davis fits the mold perfectly.

"He's a relentless dude," FoxSports.com college basketball analyst and recruiting guru Frank Burlison told the Birmingham News. "Davis is a lot like [Ole Miss power forward] Justin Reed. He'll battle you and dunk it on you."

Davis isn’t solely a low-post player. He’s got the ability to step out and score from the perimeter. But Gottfried is hoping Davis can provide relief for Dudley and Kenny Walker.

"Last year, we had the luxury of taking Grizzard, moving him to the [power forward] spot and playing a fourth perimeter player," Gottfried said. "This year we don’t have that luxury. Traditional guys like Chuck are going to have to step in there. He’s got to give us some relief inside."

Davis has all the credentials to be the heir apparent to Dudley. He was ranked No. 91 among the top 100 players in the country by PrepStars, and he was also a first-team all-state pick and academic all state. With intelligence and a work ethic not unlike Dudley’s, there’s no reason to think Davis can’t blossom into a similar player.

G -- ANTOINE PETTWAY (6-0, 170 lbs., JR, #50, 6.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.2 tpg, .493 FG, .408 3PT, .809 FG, 19.6 minutes, Wilcox Central HS/Camden, Ala.) The former walk-on who was given a scholarship before last season earned his keep with one play. That play came on Feb. 23, 2002, when the Tide was playing Florida at home. At stake was the overall SEC championship. With six seconds to play, Alabama trailed, 64-63.

Trapped by two Florida players on the baseline near his own basket, Alabama freshman Earnest Shelton could have heaved up a desperation shot, but instead he found Pettway. The little guard had somehow eluded his defender and was streaking toward the basket. Shelton fired a perfect pass to Pettway, who laid the ball off the glass and in the basket as time expired. Alabama 65, Florida 64. As thousands of Tide fans stormed the floor, Pettway jumped on the press table, right next to CBS broadcaster Tim Brando, and pumped his arms in pure joy.

Had that basket been Pettway’s only contribution all season, Gottfried would have considered it a fair trade for the scholarship. But Pettway did more, much more, as he proved to the SEC what he believed all along -- that he was capable of playing in the nation’s most balanced conference. Pettway had received low-level Division I scholarship offers out of high school, but he knew he could play at Alabama, so he walked on.

Pettway had several great games last season, coming up particular large in road wins at Georgia (15 points, seven rebounds) and Kentucky (10 points, including two clutch 3-pointers). Pettway also scored 16 points against Ole Miss and 12 against Florida Atlantic in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"The story behind him is a beautiful story," Gottfried said. "Antoine had the opportunity to go to mid-major schools in our state, but he wanted to come here. So many times young people are influenced by friends or outside sources. He never let anybody influence him other than himself. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to come to Alabama. And he became a player. It’s been hard to keep him out of there."

G -- EARNEST SHELTON (6-2, 190 lbs., SO, #5, 6.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.8 tpg, .357 FG, .331 3PT, .720 FT, 15.9 minutes, White Station HS/Memphis, Tenn.) Shelton came to Tuscaloosa with the reputation of being a game-breaking shooter, and he didn’t disappoint, though his season was hampered by a knee injury that forced him to miss several weeks.

When healthy, Shelton was a killer. He scored 21 points against Arkansas and Tennessee, and had a three-game stretch during which he scored 21 (Tennessee), 18 (Arkansas) and 11 (Florida) as the Tide wrapped up the SEC’s Western Division and overall championships.

As do most freshmen, Shelton occasionally struggled with bouts of inconsistency with his shooting, but Gottfried expects some of that to go away with improved shot selection.

For all his exploits as a shooter, Shelton’s first season might have been remembered most for a pass he threw to Antoine Pettway for a winning layup in a key game against Florida.

Like all Alabama players are required to do, Shelton hit the weight room hard in the offseason. Gottfried was happy with the results.

"He was one who came in with some baby fat," Gottfried said. "He’s done a great job conditioning and getting stronger. He’s going to be a terrific player."

F -- EMMETT THOMAS (6-4, 205 lbs., JR, #2, 19.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, Bevill State CC/Fayette, Ala., and South Alabama) Thomas brings plenty of experience after having started two years ago for South Alabama. Thomas averaged 9.5 points and 3.8 rebounds for the Jaguars, who finished 22-11.

Before signing with South Alabama, Thomas was a star at Birmingham’s John Carroll High School, which he helped lead to the 1998 state championship. He was MVP of the state tournament that year.

"He’s a wing guy and just a good solid player," Gottfried said. "He really knows how to play. He reminds me a little bit of [former Alabama guard] Doc Martin. He can help us."

G -- DEMETRIUS SMITH (6-3, 205 lbs., JR, #23, 2.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.8 tpg, 14.4 minutes, Calloway HS/Hogansville, Ga.) Injuries limited Smith as a freshman, but last year, his minutes -- and contributions -- rose markedly. After logging all of 37 minutes in 2000-01, Smith played 506 a year ago as he forged out a reputation as a defensive specialist.

The thing that makes Smith so valuable is the fact that he can guard several positions. In an early-season game against Utah, Smith found himself guarding 6-foot-10 power forwards, though he shouldn’t have to do that anymore now that Gottfried has recruited some frontcourt depth. Smith usually gets to chase the other team’s highest-scoring perimeter players, a job he seems to relish.

Smith can do other things, too. He scored a career-high 13 points against Tennessee and grabbed a personal-best seven boards against Mississippi Valley State.

F -- REGGIE RAMBO (6-7, 218 lbs., JR, #4, 2.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.5 tpg, .463 FG, .000 3 PT, .379 FT, 7.3 minutes, Peabody HS/Lena, La.) Rambo wasn’t called upon too often in 2001-02, but he was ready when Gottfried did toss him into the fray. Whether his experience will help him move ahead of freshman frontcourt recruits Chuck Davis and Evan Brock remains to be seen, but Gottfried does plan on giving him an opportunity.

Rambo put together some decent games as a sophomore, but perhaps his most important effort came in a road win at nationally ranked Georgia. Rambo grabbed 10 rebounds in that game, a career high.

Rambo also scored eight points and grabbed six boards against Mississippi Valley State, pulled seven rebounds against McNeese State and scored eighth points on 4-of-5 shooting against Arkansas.

G -- JASON REESE (6-5, 190 lbs., SO, #43, 22.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 3.3 apg in 1999-2000, Briarwood Christian School/Indian Springs, Ala.) Reese walked on at UAB two years ago but didn’t play. He then transferred to Alabama.

Reese was a solid high school player who made first-team all-state as a senior, but he doesn’t project as more than a practice player for the guard-rich Crimson Tide, even though he’s a good shooter who made 57 percent of his field goal attempts and 44 percent from behind the 3-point line as a senior in high school.

G -- LUCKY WILLIAMS (6-6, 205 lbs., R-FR #13, 19.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, Central Park Christian/Birmingham, Ala.) Alabama might have been able to make good use of Williams last year because of its lack of depth, and because Williams is strong and a great athlete. But eligibility problems forced Gottfied to red-shirt him.

Williams is a native of Nigeria who played one season for the same high school that produced former Tide star Rod Grizzard. Before that, he played high school basketball in New Jersey. Central Park finished 26-2 in 2000-01 with Williams and Auburn sophomore Marco Killingsworth leading the way.

"He’s quick, he’s a jumping jack, and he shoots the 3 well," Central Park coach Levan Parker told the Huntsville Times. "I think Alabama is the perfect place for him."

Williams shot 56 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line in his senior season.

"I think Lucky is going to be nice addition to our team," Gottfried said after Williams signed. "He's talented. He's athletically gifted. His best basketball is ahead of him. Hopefully he can emerge as a shutdown defender during his career here."

It took him a couple of seasons to get the right configuration of talent put together, but Gottfried has finally built a championship team at Alabama. Make that a championship program. The word "team" implies that the Crimson Tide might have been a one-year wonder a year ago when it won the SEC’s Western Division and overall championships. Gottfried, it appears, has built Alabama for the long haul.

Not many teams in the SEC or the country could easily absorb the loss of a player as talented as Grizzard. But Alabama has done so with a solid recruiting class that brings in no fewer than three possible replacements for the mercurial small forward. The Tide might even gain a bit at that spot, given Grizzard’s lapses into prolonged shooting slumps.

With the SEC’s best player in Dudley, arguably its best point guard in Williams and, at last, a deep bench, Alabama will be favored to repeat its West Division championship. Whether it wins the overall title again could well depend on a game at Florida. This year, Alabama must play on the Gators’ home floor. Is the Tide ready to prove it can be as dominant on the road as it is at home?