Bryan Passink Previews 2016-2017 Alabama Basketball Season [Audio]

Football season is in full force, but basketball season is just around the corner. Nick Saban and the Tide are rolling on the gridiron, and head basketball coach Avery Johnson hopes this success continues onto the hardwood.

Nobody would consider what happened last year to this Alabama basketball team as a "successful" season, but a word that probably best describes the Crimson Tide is "momentum." Johnson was able to lead his squad to three top-25 wins last season, and finished with an 18-15 final record.

Crimson Tide Sports Network color analyst Bryan Passink joined Aaron Suttles to preview the upcoming season and talk about how much momentum this team has going into Johnson's second season at The Capstone.

"Momentum is high for what Avery Johnson and his staff and these guys are doing. Last year, for these guys to exceed everybody's expectations was big because this was a team that was predicted to finish 13th in the SEC out of 14 teams, and did much better than that... Momentum has carried on with the returnees, what's going on in terms of recruiting, fans, excitement, attendance. Last year, this program set an all-time attendance record."

One of the least productive areas of last year's team was in the post, both scoring and rebounding. If the Tide are able to improve in the paint, this team has the potential to compete for one of the top four spots in the SEC, and Passink thinks that they'll be much better inside than they were last year, especially given the amount of depth that .

"I expect them to be [better in the post], because of the veterans you have coming back: Jimmie Taylor, Shannon Hale, a couple of seniors. But the guys you're adding in Bola [Olaniyan] and Braxton Key, a highly touted freshman, he could have gone anywhere in the country and he can come in and play inside and out, and [is] a really good rebounder at 6'8". Donta Hall, I thought since the first time he stepped on campus last year as a freshman to the end of the season, may have been the most improved player in the program and he's really continued to work hard in the off-season."

Check out the entire conversation below, and catch The Suttles Approach each weekday from 12-2 PM.