Riding the Carousel: Hey Bama, you wanted the Nick Saban of basketball? You got him.

It was a widely held opinion amongst Alabama basketball fans that the Crimson Tide administration should do just as they did with football when finding a new head basketball coach.

They wanted a high profile, quality coach who was the best out there for the taking.

Names such as Tom Izzo, Mike Anderson, Frank Haith, and Oliver Prunell were thrown around during the two month gap between Mark Gottfried's resignation and the new hiring, but one name was always in the running.

That name was Anthony Grant.

He was the first name thrown out on day one, and he was the man selected for the job.

He didn't have the Final Four experience of Izzo, or the local pull and pedigree of Anderson, but he is that "Nick Saban" hire.

For starters, if Nick Saban approves of the pick, you know he must be worth it. Grant and Saban met during Grant's tour of campus before his hiring, and Saban liked what he heard.

Grant has even said he is "a Nick Saban fan" and that he loves college football, so he is definitely in the right place.

Second, he talks like Nick Saban. He has that feel and look to him that when you are around him, you know he is a basketball coach. Go take a look at the picture on rolltide.com of Grant talking to the remaining players. He looks like a coach without even trying.

Listening to him speak, he has that commitment that Saban does as well to improving a program and was bred to put academics ahead of athletics.

Not only is Grant constantly thinking basketball, but he even uses Nick Saban phrases, mentioning he repeatedly uses Saban's line before LSU's 2003 National Championship game, "play to the identity that we've created all year," and he ended his speech at the Tuscaloosa Airport with the token Saban word...A'ight.

Third, he does everything methodically. A week after being introduced as head coach, he is still discovering who will be a part of his staff. He even sat on the job offer for two days in order to consider all parts of the offer before taking the job.

Even in recruiting, Grant seems to be Saban-esque. He has already hit the recruiting trial, talking to the best remaining uncommitted prospect in Eric Bledsoe, and will take a shot at DeMarcus Cousins when he is officially out of his letter of intent to Memphis.

Grant knows too many kids are leaving the state for other schools, and he will do his best to put a fence around the borders for a second sport.

So, for all of you who are complaining about not going after Mike Anderson at all or not extending the search for a while, you will learn to love Anthony Grant.

Just face it, Alabama got it right.