Pickett's real education begins in Bama's opener

TUSCALOOSA | The education of Rico Pickett enters its second phase this evening, concurrent with the University of Alabama men’s basketball team entering its 2007-08 season.

Pickett, the true freshman point guard from Decatur, will be in the Crimson Tide’s starting lineup tonight. He’s already assumed a prominent role in preseason practices, including last Monday’s exhibition win against North Alabama. But, as Alabama coach Mark Gottfried points out, practice and exhibition games aren’t quite the same as the real thing.

“There is no way you can simulate experience,” Gottfried said earlier this week. “You just can’t do it. So it will be a learning process for Rico.

“When we play Troy, that will be his first college start. When we go to Mercer next week, that will be his first college game on the road, and so on. It’s the same process for all players.

“We aren’t worried about playing a freshman. We’ve never been hesitant to do that, or start a freshman if he was the best player. We’ve had a long list of freshman All-SEC players and most of them have been starters.”

Pickett will be watched closely for a couple of reasons. First, the play of any point guard is essential to his team’s success. Second, whether it is fair or not, Pickett — and teammate Mikhail Torrance — will draw comparisons to the injured Ron Steele. Pickett can’t reasonably be expected to match Steele’s All-America form from the 2005-06 season, but his ability to cushion the blow of Steele’s absence will be critical for Alabama.

Pickett, however, says he is not worried about comparisons.

“I’m just gong to try and help our team,” Pickett said after the Tide’s exhibition win. “That’s my role. I am not looking to put up any certain statistics. I just want to play my role.”

He added that he was not worried about having to share that role with Torrance, a sophomore who saw some duty last season.

“Two is better than one,” Pickett said. “We can both help the team, so I don’t have a problem with it.”

Gottfried said that Torrance’s presence would help Pickett develop.

“He still young,” Gottfried said of Pickett. “In the exhibition game, he had some turnovers that showed that he needs to get stronger physically. That will come in time.”

Another area that will take time to develop for all of Alabama’s young players is perimeter defense. The Crimson Tide will get an immediate test in that area when Troy takes the court for tonight’s 7 p.m. game at Coleman Coliseum. Under head coach Don Maestri, the Trojans have consistently been an up-tempo team and this edition looks to be no exception.

“They will shoot as many 3-pointers as 2-pointers,” Gottfried said in discussing the Tide’s scouting report. “They shot 44 3-pointers against West Alabama (in an exhibition game last Monday.) Their two big guys, their center and power forward, took 12 shots between them in the game and six of those were 3-pointers, so they all can shoot it.”

The most familiar Trojan face for Crimson Tide fans will be Justin Jonus, who played at Alabama before transferring out in 2006. Jonus had 25 points in the win over UWA, while guard O’Darien Bassett scored 20.

“Defensively, they will press all over the floor,” Gottfried said.

That means another challenge for the Tide’s young point guards.

“We’ve been practicing pressure defense, too,” Pickett said. “So it will be something I have seen before.”

Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil.hurt@tuscaloosanews.com or at 205-722-0225.