Alabama Begins Final Two-Game Homestand Saturday Against No. 13/14 LSU - University of Alabama Athletics
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama begins its final two-game homestand when it welcomes No. 13/14 LSU to Coleman Coliseum for Senior Day. The contest, which will be televised
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama begins its final two-game homestand when it welcomes No. 13/14 LSU to Coleman Coliseum for Senior Day. The contest, which will be televised on ESPN and tip at 11 a.m. CT, will be the second match-up between the two teams this season. LSU claimed an 88-79 victory over Alabama on Jan. 8 in Baton Rouge, La.
Prior to the game tipping off, the program will recognize the team's senior class in a pregame ceremony. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 10:30 a.m. CT.
Alabama and LSU will meet for the 181st time in a series history that began during the 1915-16 season. Saturday's game will mark the second meeting between the squads this season. The Tigers captured an 88-79 victory over the Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge, La., back on Jan. 9. It was LSU's first SEC contest of the year and Alabama's second league match-up.
Alabama has won seven consecutive games at home over teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 entering Saturday's game vs. No. 13/14 LSU. In fact, over the Tide's the last 13 games vs. ranked opponents dating back to the start of the 2017-18 campaign, UA owns a 9-4 record. Furthermore, under head coach Avery Johnson, Alabama boasts a 14-11 mark against AP Top-25 teams. That number is even more impressive considering the Tide dropped 21 consecutive games to ranked teams prior to his arrival.
PROMOTIONS
• Chicken and Waffles to the first 500 students in attendance
THE BROADCAST
• Saturday's game will air on ESPN with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) on the call.
• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
• The Crimson Tide captured its second consecutive win and third road victory in league play with a big 68-62 victory at South Carolina last Tuesday night. Alabama, which was just the second SEC team to defeat the Gamecocks in Colonial Life Arena this season, led for 34-plus minutes and used an 11-1 second half run that turned a four-point deficit into a seven-point lead to improve to 17-11 on the year and 8-7 in league play.
• Coming into Saturday's game against No. 13/14 LSU, the Tide is ranked No. 48 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings (as of Feb. 28) and own the No. 32 overall strength of schedule. Alabama is 9-10 against Quadrant 1 (2-7) and Quadrant 2 (7-3) opponents this year. The nine wins against Q1 and Q2 teams ranks sixth-best in the SEC. The Crimson Tide trails only LSU (15-5), Kentucky (14-4), Mississippi State (11-7), Tennessee (11-3) and Auburn (10-9) in combined Q1 and Q2 victories. Furthermore, Alabama's seven Q2 wins (7-2) is tied for the most wins among the SEC in the category and is tied for sixth-most nationally. Finally, the Tide's 19 combined games vs. Q1 and Q2 opposition is tied for the second most in the SEC.
• Alabama ranks as one of the better defensive teams in SEC play. Entering Saturday's contest, the Crimson Tide leads the league in three-point field goal percentage defense at 31.9 percent. Additionally, Alabama is fifth in scoring defense (71.5) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (43.7 percent) against conference opponents.
• The Crimson Tide owns a 10-3 record under the arched roof of Coleman Coliseum, with two of those defeats coming on buzzer-beating three-pointers. Most recently, Alabama fell to Texas A&M on Jan. 12 when TJ Starks drained an improbable shot from beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Aggies to an 81-80 victory. The other occurrence came back on Dec. 4 when Georgia State's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Panthers an 83-80 victory.
• Head coach Avery Johnson boasts a record of 14-11 when playing teams ranked in the Associated Press Top-25, including a 3-1 record this season. Johnson has guided the Crimson Tide to seven consecutive wins at home and nine wins in the last 13 overall games played against ranked opponents. His record is even more impressive considering the Tide had lost 21 consecutive games against ranked opponents prior to his arrival.
• Alabama owns a 3-1 record against AP Top-25 opponents this season, with all three victories coming during the month of January, most recently knocking off then-No. 22/21 Mississippi State, 83-79, on Jan. 29 in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide, which has now won seven straight home game vs. ranked teams and improved to 9-4 over the last two seasons when playing an opponent ranked in the top 25, also defeated then-No. 13 Kentucky (77-75) on Jan. 5 and then-No. 20 Ole Miss (74-53) on Jan. 22.
• Senior Donta Hall is 35 points and nine rebounds shy of becoming just the fifth player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 800 rebounds and 200 blocks. Entering Saturday's game against LSU, Hall has compiled 965 points, 791 career rebounds and 223 career blocks in his career. Should he reach the mark, the Luverne, Ala., native will join Leon Douglas (1,909 points, 1,279 rebounds and 235 blocks), Robert Horry (1,591 points, 929 rebounds and 286 blocks), Jermareo Davidson (1,268 points, 918 rebounds and 221 blocks) and JaMychal Green (1,656 points, 912 rebounds and 212 blocks) as the only players in program history to achieve the feat.
• Alabama will take on in-state rival Auburn on Tuesday night in the final regular season home contest of the year. The two teams, which will square off for the second time this season when they meet on Tuesday night, will tip off at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama captured its second consecutive victory with a 68-62 victory at South Carolina last Tuesday night. The Crimson Tide used solid defense and solid rebounding, matching its season high with 43 rebounds and owning a 43-37 advantage on the glass in the victory. It marked the 20th time this season that UA has outrebounded or tied the opposition on the boards, improving to 14-6 in such games (3-5 when losing the battle of the boards).
• Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads a balanced scoring attack that features eight Alabama players averaging at least 5.5 points per game, while 10 players are averaging double-digit minutes. Three UA players average in double figures as Lewis' 14.3 points per game tops the Tide and ranks 12th in the SEC. Senior Donta Hall ranks second on the team at 11.0 ppg, while sophomore John Petty Jr. is collecting 10.4 points per game.
• Lewis leads UA in assists (2.9 apg), minutes (31.5), threes made (49) and free throw shooting (81-of-102, .794), while ranking second in steals (22) and threes attempted (129). Meanwhile, Hall tops the team in total dunks (54), rebounds (8.5 rpg), blocks (1.8 bpg), double-figure contests (20) and double-doubles (12). He currently ranks among the league leaders in double-doubles (1st), rebounding (3rd) and blocked shots (8th). Petty leads the Tide in three-point field goals attempted (141) and ranks second on the team in threes made (47), rebounding (4.3) and minutes (29.1).
• Junior Tevin Mack, who scored a season-high 25 points in the win over Georgia, is averaging 9.1 ppg, while junior Dazon Ingram (7.5 ppg), senior Riley Norris (6.8 ppg) and sophomores Herbert Jones (6.0 ppg) and Alex Reese (5.5 ppg) are all averaging at least 5.5 points per contest. Ingram tops the team in three-point shooting (15-of-35, .429), while Norris is second (26-of-66, 39.4 percent) over his 20 games played. Meanwhile Jones, who is considered one of the top defenders in the Southeastern Conference, tops UA with 17 charges taken and in total steals (25).
• As a team, Alabama enters Saturday's contest as one of the top rebounding teams in the nation. The Tide has been outrebounded in just eight of its 28 games on the year and ranks fifth in the SEC and 69th nationally with a +3.7 advantage on the glass (37.4-33.8). UA is shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from beyond the arc on the year, while outscoring the competition by 1.9 points per game (73.3-71.5). Additionally, the Tide is 16th in the nation in blocks per game (4.9).
• Through 15 games in conference play, Lewis leads the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg, while Petty is averaging 10.4 ppg and has knocked down 35.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (25-of-70). Meanwhile, Hall is averaging nearly a double-double at 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game – a number that tops the SEC in conference games only. Ingram leads the Tide in assists (2.8) while his 10 steals is second-most on the team behind Lewis and Jones who each have 11.
• As a team in league play, Alabama is one of six teams separated by one game entering the final two weeks of the regular season. The Tide owns a 8-7 record in league play with four games remaining, including two of the next three which will be played in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is averaging 71.1 points per game in conference play, while outrebounding teams by +1.8 (36.6-34.8). The Tide is shooting 43.9 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc and 67.5 percent from the charity stripe in SEC play. The Tide leads the SEC in league games in three-point field goal percentage defense (.319), ranks second in defensive rebounds (26.4), third in rebounding offense (36.6), fourth in blocked shots (4.5) and fifth in scoring defense (71.5), field goal percentage (.439) and rebounding margin (+1.8).
ABOUT LSU
• LSU, which comes into Saturday's contest ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press poll and No. 14 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, captured its fifth win in the last six contests when it took down Texas A&M, 66-55, on Tuesday night in Baton Rouge, La. With the victory, the Tigers improved to 23-5 on the year and enter Saturday afternoon's affair in a tie for first place in the SEC standings with a 13-2 over all record in league play. Additionally, LSU enters the contest with a NET ranking of No. 13 in the nation.
• LSU has played six overtime contests, which is just two shy of matching the NCAA D-I record for overtime games played in the season. The Tigers have won four overtime contests on the year (4-2), which is tied for the most by any team in Division I this season.
• Sophomore Tremont Waters tops the team in scoring (15.7 ppg), assists (5.9 apg), steals (3.0 spg) and minutes (32.6 mpg). He leads the SEC in steals, ranks second in assists and is seventh in scoring average entering the Alabama game. Three additional Tigers also average in double figures, including freshman Naz Reid, who averages 13.5 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds a game, junior Skylar Mays (13.5 ppg) and freshman Ja'vonte Smart (11.1 ppg).
• As a team, the Tigers are outscoring the opposition by 8.7 points per contest (82.1-73.4) and outrebounding the competition by 4.3 rebounds per game (38.1-33.8). LSU is shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from beyond the arc and 76.4 percent from the charity stripe. The Tigers ranks second in the SEC in scoring offense, third in free throw percentage and rebounding margin and is fourth in scoring margin.
• LSU head coach Will Wade is in his second year at the helm of the LSU program. During his time in Baton Rouge, Wade owns a record of 41-20 (.672) and has a career record of 131-65 (.668).
TOPPLING THE TOP 25
• Head coach Avery Johnson has led his teams to success when playing against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 during his time at the Capstone.
• In 25 total games played against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 (including NCAA Tournament contests), Johnson has led the Tide to a record of 14-11. That's a huge improvement, especially considering prior his arrival, Alabama had lost 21 consecutive games to nationally-ranked opponents.
• This season, the Tide is 3-1 against top-25 competition, with all three victories coming in the month of January. Most recently, Alabama defeat No. 22 Mississippi State (83-79 on Jan. 29) while also recording wins over then-No. 20 Ole Miss (74-53 on Jan. 22) and then-No. 13 Kentucky (77-75 on Jan. 5). The lone loss game against the current No. 1 team in the nation in a narrow 71-68 defeat at then-No. 3 Tennessee on Jan. 19.
• With its win over the Bulldogs, Alabama has now won seven consecutive games at home over ranked opponents and improved to 9-4 in the last two seasons against top-25 teams. No other SEC teams have more than six wins over that same time span.
• The seven-game home winning streak against ranked foes began with a resounding 79-57 win over then-No. 5 Texas A&M on Dec. 30, 2017 and includes victories over then-No. 17 Auburn (76-71 on 1/17/18), then-No. 12 Oklahoma (80-73 on 1/27/18) and then-No. 15 Tennessee (78-50 on 2/10/18).
• Last season, Alabama finished with six wins over ranked opponents, It was the most victories over top-25 teams in a single season in program history, topping the four victories over ranked foes which was set in four different seasons (1981-82, 1986-87, 2001-02 and in coach Johnson's first season in 2015-16).
NCAA TOURNAMENT RESUME
• UA enters the game with a NET Ranking of No. 48 nationally, while owning the No. 32 overall strength of schedule in the latest release (as of Feb. 28). Of the Tide's remaining three regular season contests, each are projected to be against Quadrant 1 opponents (vs. LSU on March 2, vs. Auburn on March 5 and at Arkansas on March 9).
• Heading into Saturday's game against LSU, Alabama is a combined 9-10 against Q1 and Q2 teams, owning 2-7 mark against Quadrant 1 opponents and an 7-3 record vs. teams in Quadrant 2 this season. Combined, UA's nine wins against Q1 and Q2 opposition this year trails only LSU (15), Kentucky (14), Mississippi State (11), Tennessee (11) and Auburn (10) . Alabama ranks ahead of Ole Miss and Florida, both with seven combined Q1 and Q2 wins.
• Alabama's seven Q2 wins is tied for tops in the SEC with LSU and Auburn. Even more impressive is the Quadrant 2 win total ranks as the sixth-most in the nation.
• Alabama has a combined 19 games against Q1 and Q2 opposition which is tied for the second-most in the SEC. Meanwhile, the Tide has played just six games against Quadrant 3 teams (5-1) and three games against Quadrant 4 teams (3-0). The number of Q4 opponents is tied for the lowest number among all SEC schools (tied with LSU).
• Alabama owns a 3-1 record against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and is 4-1 when playing teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll this season. The three wins ranks third in the SEC for most wins against ranked opponents (Kentucky has five, LSU has four). Furthermore, the Tide's .750 winning percentage against ranked opponents leads the SEC, ahead of Kentucky (5-2, .714) and LSU (4-2, .667).
