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No. 11/11 Alabama Returns Home to Face Georgia Saturday Afternoon - University of Alabama Athletics
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 11/11 Alabama returns to the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum where it will host the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
rolltide.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 11/11 Alabama returns to the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum where it will host the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network. It will mark the only meeting between the teams during the regular season.
Saturday's game will be the 149th meeting on the hardwood between the two schools, which is the seventh-most games UA has played against any one opponent. The Crimson Tide owns a 96-52 lead in the series, with the 96 victories ranking fifth in program history.
Most recently, the Crimson Tide returned to its winning ways when it captured a hard-fought 81-78 victory at South Carolina last Tuesday. After taking an eight-point lead with 3:37 remaining, Alabama was able to stave off a furious Gamecocks' rally by knocking down 5-of-6 free throws and making key defensive stops down the stretch to seal the victory
The Broadcast
- Saturday's game will be available on SEC Network with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) on the call.
- The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play), Bryan Passink (analyst) and Roger Hoover (sideline) on the call. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.
- According to the Ken Pomeroy ratings (as of 2/11), Alabama owns the nation's top-ranked defense entering its contest vs. Georgia. Last year, the Tide was rated by the same site at No. 114 in the category. Alabama is also No. 35 in offensive efficiency, making it one of 14 teams in the country to rank in the top 35 in both offense and defense.
- Forward Herbert Jones is one of 30 players across the nation who was named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team. Additionally, he was selected to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watch List. Only five other players across the country joins Jones as players who were named to both Watch Lists (Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky; Jared Butler, Baylor; Justin Champagnie, Pitt; Davion Mitchell, Baylor and Evan Mobley, USC).
- John Petty Jr. already holds the program's all-time record for three-pointers made in a career with 286, 23 more than the former record holder Brian Williams (263 from 1996-99). With his next three-point attempt, Petty will also break the program record for threes attempted in a career which is also held by Williams (738).
- Alabama enters the game with an 11-1 record against league competition which is the second-best start in SEC play in program history. Only the famed Rocket 8 1955-56 team that finished the conference season with a perfect 14-0 record has a better start. The Tide owns a three-game lead in the loss column with six games remaining. UA will need to win three more games to clinch at least a tie and four more to earn the outright regular season title.
- In SEC games only, UA's defense is the most efficient in the SEC, ranking first in field goal percentage defense (.382), three-point field goal percentage defense (.250) and defensive rebounds (29.6), tied for first in steals (9.2) and is third in scoring defense (68.8). Offensively, UA leads the league in scoring offense (82.3), scoring margin (+13.6), three-point shooting (.392) and threes made per game (11.6).
- Alabama has held 10 of its 12 league opponents to under 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc in SEC play. Eight of those teams shot under 24 percent from deep including three consecutive. As a result, the Crimson Tide currently leads the SEC in three-point field goal percentage defense in league play (.250).
- The Tide owns a record of 12-1 this season when knocking down at least 10 three-pointers in a game, with the lone loss coming at then-No. 24 Oklahoma (went 10-of-28 in the 66-61 loss). Furthermore, Alabama boasts a perfect 11-0 record when it attempts at least 30 threes in a contest
- There are several other factors to look for which could decide the outcome during a game this season. Alabama owns a 14-0 record when leading at halftime, is 13-0 on the year when shooting 40 percent or better in a game and owns a 13-0 mark when reaching at least 80 points in a contest.
- Alabama enters its contest against Georgia atop the league standings at 11-1, three games ahead of Missouri (6-3). Most recently, the Crimson Tide escaped South Carolina 81-78 last Tuesday night in Columbia, S.C. It marked Alabama's third-straight victory in Colonial Life Arena and its sixth consecutive victory overall in the series.
- Four Crimson Tide players are averaging 11.0 or more points per game for head coach Nate Oats on the season. Guard Jaden Shackelford leads the way, averaging 13.9 ppg. Guard John Petty Jr. ranks second on the team in scoring average at 13.4 ppg, followed by forward Herbert Jones (11.4 ppg ) and Jahvon Quinerly (11.3 ppg).
- Jones, considered one of the top defensive players in the SEC and one of 15 players from across the nation named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.7 spg), Blue Collar Points (423.5, 20.2 BCP per game), deflections (72), floor dives (15) and Hard Hat Awards (10), while ranking second in charges taken (7) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg). He also boasts much improved offensive numbers during his senior season. In addition to averaging double digits, Jones is shooting 45.1 percent from the field (79-of-175) and leads the team in three-point shooting (50.0 percent, 16-of-32) and free throws percentage (66-of-86, 76.7 percent).
- The combination of Petty (52-of-132) and Shackelford (37-of-113) have combined to hit 89 of the Tide's 222 three-pointers (40.1 percent) and have 245 of the team's 625 total attempts from beyond the arc (39.2 percent). Combined, the duo is shooting 36.3 percent (89-of-245) from beyond the arc.
- As a team, Alabama is outscoring the opposition by 9.6 points per contest (79.2-69.6) while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from deep and 71.3 percent from the charity stripe.
- It's UA's defense that has set the tone to its fast start in SEC play. UA leads the league in defensive efficiency, ranking first in field goal percentage defense (38.2 percent) and three-point field goal percentage defense (25.0 percent), while ranking in a tie for first in steals (9.1) and third in scoring defense (68.8).
- Head coach Nate Oats is in his second season at the helm of the Crimson Tide program and owns a record of 32-20 (.615) during his time at the Capstone. Oats, who is in his sixth season as a collegiate head coach, owns a career record of 128-63 (.670).
- Georgia is coming off an 89-81 defeat at No. 16/15 Tennessee last Wednesday night which snapped a three-game winning streak in league play. The Bulldogs finished the non-conference slate at a perfect 7-0 but lost its first four SEC games. Since then, Georgia has won five of its eight contests and currently has a record of 12-7 overall and 5-7 in the league.
- Three Georgia players average in double digits while four others are collecting between at least 9.0 points per contest. Guards Sahvir Wheeler (13.5 ppg) and K.D. Johnson (13.0 ppg) lead the way while forward Toumani Camara (12.6 ppg) all are averaging double digits this season.
- Wheeler also leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation with 7.3 assists per game, while Camara averages a team-best 7.3 rebounds a game. Justin Kier leads is fourth on the team in scoring average (9.9 ppg), and leads Georgia in steals (2.1 spg) and three-point shooting (28-of-79, 35.4 percent).
- As a team, Georgia is averaging 77.8 points per game and outscoring the opposition by +2.0 points per contest (77.8-75.8) entering Saturday's contest. The Bulldogs are shooting 46.8 percent from the floor as a team and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, Georgia allows the opposition to shoot 44.9 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs also own a +2.5 advantage on the glass (37.9-35.4).
- Against league competition, UGA is being outscored by 6.4 points a game (75.9-82.3) and shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs are allowing SEC foes to shoot 47.5 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from deep while getting outrebounded by an average of 2.8 boards per contest (34.5-37.3)
- Tom Crean is in his third season at the helm of the Georgia program and owns a 39-44 (.470) record. Now in his 21st season as a head coach, Crean, whose coaching stints include stops at Marquette (1999-2008) and Indiana (2008-17), owns a career record of 395-275 (.590).
- Saturday's game will be the 149th meeting on the hardwood between the two schools, which is the seventh-most games UA has played against any one opponent. The Crimson Tide owns a 96-52 lead in the series, with the 96 victories ranking fifth in program history.
- Twenty of the last 29 meetings have been decided by under 10 points, including 13 of the last 17 contests played between the two schools.
- Alabama has won 15 of the last 25 meetings overall in the series, however, Georgia has claimed five of the last eight games played between the rivals.
- Last season, the two teams played one of the most memorable contests in series history with Alabama sneaking out a 105-102 overtime victory in Athens, Ga. The Crimson Tide scored the most points in a true road game in program history, while the 207 combined points was the third-most in the Alabama record books.
- The Tide has an all-time record of 52-14 when playing Georgia in Tuscaloosa, Ala., including a mark of 26-12 in games played in Coleman Coliseum. However, the Bulldogs have captured wins in two of the last three games played on Alabama's home floor. Georgia won two consecutive contests – a 60-55 victory on Feb. 23, 2017 and a 66-65 overtime win on Feb. 21, 2015 – before the Tide snapped the skid with an 89-74 win in the most recent game played under the arched roof on Feb. 6, 2018.
- The series has seen 14 overtime games, with Alabama owning an 9-5 lead in such contests.
- The series began during 1921-22 campaign.
