The Crimson Tide will honor the late C.M. Newton at halftime of Friday’s game
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team will close out its homestand when it welcomes Penn State to Coleman Coliseum on Friday night. The contest will tip at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network. It will mark the last home game played at Coleman Coliseum until the Tide hosts Kentucky on Jan. 5 at noon in the SEC opener.
Friday's contest will be the fourth time that Alabama and Penn State will square off against one another, with the Crimson Tide owning a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The last meeting came back on Dec. 11, 1982 when Alabama captured a 75-67 victory at Penn State in triple overtime. It was one of nine games in UA program history that reached at least three overtime periods before an outcome was decided.
Alabama will honor the late C.M. Newton during halftime of Friday's contest. The Hall of Fame head coach took the Crimson Tide program to unprecedented heights of achievement from 1968-80 and was instrumental in recruiting the first African-American scholarship athlete at UA, Wendell Hudson, in 1968.
THE BROADCAST
• Friday's game will air on SEC Network with Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (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.
PROMOTIONS
• $10 tickets (adults) / $5 tickets (youth)
• Photos with Santa (west concourse)
• Toy drive benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of West Alabama (north/east entrances)
• Growth chart giveaway for Big Al's Kids Club members (south concourse)
• Kids Zone – inflatable, face painter, ornament decorating station (south concourse)
• Halftime tribute to C.M. Newton
REMEMBERING C.M.
• At halftime of Friday night's contest vs. Penn State, the Alabama men's basketball program will pay tribute to longtime Alabama head coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honoree (Class of 2000) Charles Martin 'C.M.' Newton, who passed away on June 4. He was 88 years old.
• As a player, coach, and administrator for over 50 years, Newton was one of the most influential figures in college sports over that span. Born on Feb. 2, 1930, in Rockwood, Tenn., Newton led the University of Alabama men's basketball program to unprecedented heights of achievement from 1968-80. Hired by legendary head coach and athletic director Paul "Bear" Bryant, Newton had a record of 211-123 during his 12 seasons at the Capstone. He led the Crimson Tide to four National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament appearances.
• Under Newton, Alabama became the first school, other than the University of Kentucky, to win three consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, winning the crown in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Newton was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1975 and 1976); becoming the only Alabama coach to accomplish the feat. Newton was instrumental in recruiting the first African-American scholarship athlete at the University of Alabama, Wendell Hudson, in 1968; integrating a program for the second time (Newton also integrated athletics at Kentucky's Transylvania University during his stint as a head coach, which immediately preceded his Alabama tenure).
• Newton is the only coach in program history to have led the Tide to five consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 23-5 mark, a final national ranking of No. 6 and the program's first Sweet 16 appearance in 1976. That remains as the highest final ranking in program lore.
• In addition to his Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame induction, Newton is also a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1993), Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame (2008) and Transylvania Pioneer Hall of Fame (1992). He received many other honors throughout his career. In 2000, Kentucky officially named its football playing field at Commonwealth Stadium in honor of Newton. The University of Alabama also named a recruiting suite in Coleman Coliseum for Newton in 2006.
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Alabama is coming off a victory over Liberty in the Rocket City Classic in Huntsville, Ala., this past Tuesday night. After owning a 34-33 lead at intermission, the Crimson Tide picked up its offensive attack in the second half, shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and outscoring the Flames, 50-42. UA was led by John Petty (14 points) and Donta Hall (13 points) over the final 20 minutes of action, as the duo combined for 27 of Alabama's 50 second half points. The Crimson Tide also took advantage of the three-point shot in the second half, making 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
• A pair of Alabama men's basketball players participated in the University of Alabama commencement ceremony this past Saturday. Both Dazon Ingram (consumer science) and Donta Hall (public health) each earned their undergraduate degree over the weekend, giving the Crimson Tide four players on its current roster who have earned their bachelors (Avery Johnson Jr. and Riley Norris both graduated last season). With three other men's basketball players who are currently on pace to graduate in May of 2019, this year's 15-man roster will boast a total of seven college graduates, which ranks first in the nation among all D-I basketball programs.
• The Tide has won the rebounding battle in nine of its 10 games to begin the season. For the year, Alabama ranks sixth in the SEC and 44th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.0), outrebounding the opposition by an average of 38.3-32.3. Furthermore, UA is fourth in the conference and 66th nationally in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 12.3 heading into the game against Penn State. As a result of its work on the offensive glass, the Tide is outscoring opponents by an average of +2.8 points per game (12.2-9.4) in second chance points.
• Freshman Kira Lewis Jr. and sophomore Alex Reese have been an impressive offensive combination over the Tide's last six games. During the stretch, both Lewis (19.0 ppg) and Reese (12.2 ppg) have averaged a combined 31.2 points per game between the duo. Lewis is shooting 54.3 percent (38-of-70) from the field and 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from beyond the arc over the six-game stretch, while Reese is shooting 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from beyond the arc and 80.0 percent (20-of-25) from the free throw line.
• Alabama boasts a balanced offensive attack that averages 76.6 points per game and is outscoring the opposition by +4.3 points per contest (76.6-72.3). The Crimson Tide boasts three players who average double figures through 10 games (Kira Lewis Jr. - 15.6 ppg, John Petty Jr. - 11.4 ppg and Donta Hall - 10.4 ppg), while four others are averaging between 8.6 ppg and 7.5 ppg. Additionally, 10 UA players average double-digit minutes per game.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama captured its fifth win over the last seven contests with an 84-75 win over Liberty in the third annual Rocket City Classic, which was played in Huntsville, Ala. With the victory, the Crimson Tide improves to 3-0 in the annual event, having defeated Arkansas State, 67-52, in 2016 and Mercer, 80-79, in 2017.
• Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads a balanced scoring attack that features seven Alabama players averaging 7.5 points per game or more. Three UA players average in double digits as Lewis' 15.6 points per game tops the Tide, while sophomore John Petty is second on the team with 11.4 ppg, while senior Donta Hall is third at 10.4 ppg.
• Petty leads UA in minutes (31.8 mpg) and is second in rebounds (4.9 rpg) and threes made (19) and attempted (57). Meanwhile, Lewis is the team leader in assists (2.5), three-point field goal percentage (42.2 percent) and free throw shooting (27-of-33, .818). Hall tops the Tide in total dunks (13), rebounds (7.6 rpg), blocks (1.9 bpg) and double-doubles (3).
• Sophomore Alex Reese is averaging 8.6 ppg, while juniors Tevin Mack and Dazon Ingram are both averaging 8.4 ppg. Ingram is also second in the team with 2.3 assists per game and fourth with 4.6 rebounds a contest. Finally, sophomore Herbert Jones averages 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also is considered one of the top defenders in the Southeastern Conference, as he tops UA with 13 charges taken and 10 steals.
• As a team, Alabama enters its game on Friday as one of the top rebounding teams in the SEC. The Tide has outrebounded nine of its 10 opponents on the year and ranks sixth in the SEC with a +6.0 advantage on the glass (38.3-32.3). UA is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc on the year, while outscoring the competition by 4.3 points per game (76.6-72.3).
• Alabama will have a nine-day break for the Christmas holiday before playing its next game. The Crimson Tide will next be in action on Sunday, Dec. 30, when it travels to Nacogdoches, Texas to take on Stephen F. Austin. That contest is set for a 5 p.m. CT tip and will be televised on ESPNU.
ABOUT PENN STATE
• Entering Friday's contest, Penn State owns a record of 6-5 on the season, with four of its losses coming by seven points or less, including three coming down to a single field goal. The Nittany Lions have three players averaging double figures led by junior forward Lamar Stevens, who tops the team in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). Freshman guard Rasir Bolton is second on the team in scoring average at 14.8 ppg, while senior guard Josh Reaves adds 10.2 ppg to with a team-high 3.4 assists per contest.
• As a team, Penn State is outscoring the competition by +3.7 ppg (70.6-66.9) and outrebounding foes by +2.2 rpg (37.0-34.8). The Nittany Lions is shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and 67.1 percent from the charity stripe.
• Head coach Patrick Chambers led the Nittany Lions to the program's first 20-win season since 2008- 09 and Penn State's 10th season with 20 or more wins, fifth in its Big Ten era. The Nittany Lions finished the 2017-18 campaign with a record of 26-13 after coming off a 15-win season the year prior. The 26-win total is the second-highest all-time. Chambers comes into Friday's match-up at Alabama with a record of 119-127 (.484) in eight seasons at Penn State and a career mark of 161-155 (.509) in 10 seasons as a head coach.
• Stevens was one of 20 student-athletes named to the watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award as announced in October by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The annual honor recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball. Stevens was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 National Invitation Tournament. An All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention, Stevens recorded double figures in 33 games in 2017-18 and with 10 games of 20 points or more, including two 30-point games.
• Last season, Penn State finished with 26 wins (26-13) – the second-most in program history – on its way to capturing the program's second National Invitation Tournament postseason title in program history. The Nittany Lions return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's squad.
CALLING THE RESERVES
• Alabama has won seven of its first 10 games this season and a big reason for that is due to the play from the team's bench.
• The Crimson Tide reserves has only been outscored in one of its 10 games played on the year, including outscoring its counterparts by double digits on six different occasions.
• For the year, the Tide has a big advantage in terms of bench production. Alabama has outscored the opponents by a cumulative total of 255-141, which averages out to a +11.4 edge in points per game from the reserves (25.5-14.1)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team will close out its homestand when it welcomes Penn State to Coleman Coliseum on Friday night. The contest will tip at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network. It will mark the last home game played at Coleman Coliseum until the Tide hosts Kentucky on Jan. 5 at noon in the SEC opener.
Friday's contest will be the fourth time that Alabama and Penn State will square off against one another, with the Crimson Tide owning a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The last meeting came back on Dec. 11, 1982 when Alabama captured a 75-67 victory at Penn State in triple overtime. It was one of nine games in UA program history that reached at least three overtime periods before an outcome was decided.
Alabama will honor the late C.M. Newton during halftime of Friday's contest. The Hall of Fame head coach took the Crimson Tide program to unprecedented heights of achievement from 1968-80 and was instrumental in recruiting the first African-American scholarship athlete at UA, Wendell Hudson, in 1968.
THE BROADCAST
• Friday's game will air on SEC Network with Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (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.
PROMOTIONS
• $10 tickets (adults) / $5 tickets (youth)
• Photos with Santa (west concourse)
• Toy drive benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of West Alabama (north/east entrances)
• Growth chart giveaway for Big Al's Kids Club members (south concourse)
• Kids Zone – inflatable, face painter, ornament decorating station (south concourse)
• Halftime tribute to C.M. Newton
REMEMBERING C.M.
• At halftime of Friday night's contest vs. Penn State, the Alabama men's basketball program will pay tribute to longtime Alabama head coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame honoree (Class of 2000) Charles Martin 'C.M.' Newton, who passed away on June 4. He was 88 years old.
• As a player, coach, and administrator for over 50 years, Newton was one of the most influential figures in college sports over that span. Born on Feb. 2, 1930, in Rockwood, Tenn., Newton led the University of Alabama men's basketball program to unprecedented heights of achievement from 1968-80. Hired by legendary head coach and athletic director Paul "Bear" Bryant, Newton had a record of 211-123 during his 12 seasons at the Capstone. He led the Crimson Tide to four National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament appearances.
• Under Newton, Alabama became the first school, other than the University of Kentucky, to win three consecutive Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles, winning the crown in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Newton was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1975 and 1976); becoming the only Alabama coach to accomplish the feat. Newton was instrumental in recruiting the first African-American scholarship athlete at the University of Alabama, Wendell Hudson, in 1968; integrating a program for the second time (Newton also integrated athletics at Kentucky's Transylvania University during his stint as a head coach, which immediately preceded his Alabama tenure).
• Newton is the only coach in program history to have led the Tide to five consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 23-5 mark, a final national ranking of No. 6 and the program's first Sweet 16 appearance in 1976. That remains as the highest final ranking in program lore.
• In addition to his Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame induction, Newton is also a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1993), Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame (2008) and Transylvania Pioneer Hall of Fame (1992). He received many other honors throughout his career. In 2000, Kentucky officially named its football playing field at Commonwealth Stadium in honor of Newton. The University of Alabama also named a recruiting suite in Coleman Coliseum for Newton in 2006.
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Alabama is coming off a victory over Liberty in the Rocket City Classic in Huntsville, Ala., this past Tuesday night. After owning a 34-33 lead at intermission, the Crimson Tide picked up its offensive attack in the second half, shooting 57.7 percent from the floor and outscoring the Flames, 50-42. UA was led by John Petty (14 points) and Donta Hall (13 points) over the final 20 minutes of action, as the duo combined for 27 of Alabama's 50 second half points. The Crimson Tide also took advantage of the three-point shot in the second half, making 5-of-10 from beyond the arc.
• A pair of Alabama men's basketball players participated in the University of Alabama commencement ceremony this past Saturday. Both Dazon Ingram (consumer science) and Donta Hall (public health) each earned their undergraduate degree over the weekend, giving the Crimson Tide four players on its current roster who have earned their bachelors (Avery Johnson Jr. and Riley Norris both graduated last season). With three other men's basketball players who are currently on pace to graduate in May of 2019, this year's 15-man roster will boast a total of seven college graduates, which ranks first in the nation among all D-I basketball programs.
• The Tide has won the rebounding battle in nine of its 10 games to begin the season. For the year, Alabama ranks sixth in the SEC and 44th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.0), outrebounding the opposition by an average of 38.3-32.3. Furthermore, UA is fourth in the conference and 66th nationally in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 12.3 heading into the game against Penn State. As a result of its work on the offensive glass, the Tide is outscoring opponents by an average of +2.8 points per game (12.2-9.4) in second chance points.
• Freshman Kira Lewis Jr. and sophomore Alex Reese have been an impressive offensive combination over the Tide's last six games. During the stretch, both Lewis (19.0 ppg) and Reese (12.2 ppg) have averaged a combined 31.2 points per game between the duo. Lewis is shooting 54.3 percent (38-of-70) from the field and 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from beyond the arc over the six-game stretch, while Reese is shooting 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from beyond the arc and 80.0 percent (20-of-25) from the free throw line.
• Alabama boasts a balanced offensive attack that averages 76.6 points per game and is outscoring the opposition by +4.3 points per contest (76.6-72.3). The Crimson Tide boasts three players who average double figures through 10 games (Kira Lewis Jr. - 15.6 ppg, John Petty Jr. - 11.4 ppg and Donta Hall - 10.4 ppg), while four others are averaging between 8.6 ppg and 7.5 ppg. Additionally, 10 UA players average double-digit minutes per game.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama captured its fifth win over the last seven contests with an 84-75 win over Liberty in the third annual Rocket City Classic, which was played in Huntsville, Ala. With the victory, the Crimson Tide improves to 3-0 in the annual event, having defeated Arkansas State, 67-52, in 2016 and Mercer, 80-79, in 2017.
• Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads a balanced scoring attack that features seven Alabama players averaging 7.5 points per game or more. Three UA players average in double digits as Lewis' 15.6 points per game tops the Tide, while sophomore John Petty is second on the team with 11.4 ppg, while senior Donta Hall is third at 10.4 ppg.
• Petty leads UA in minutes (31.8 mpg) and is second in rebounds (4.9 rpg) and threes made (19) and attempted (57). Meanwhile, Lewis is the team leader in assists (2.5), three-point field goal percentage (42.2 percent) and free throw shooting (27-of-33, .818). Hall tops the Tide in total dunks (13), rebounds (7.6 rpg), blocks (1.9 bpg) and double-doubles (3).
• Sophomore Alex Reese is averaging 8.6 ppg, while juniors Tevin Mack and Dazon Ingram are both averaging 8.4 ppg. Ingram is also second in the team with 2.3 assists per game and fourth with 4.6 rebounds a contest. Finally, sophomore Herbert Jones averages 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also is considered one of the top defenders in the Southeastern Conference, as he tops UA with 13 charges taken and 10 steals.
• As a team, Alabama enters its game on Friday as one of the top rebounding teams in the SEC. The Tide has outrebounded nine of its 10 opponents on the year and ranks sixth in the SEC with a +6.0 advantage on the glass (38.3-32.3). UA is shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc on the year, while outscoring the competition by 4.3 points per game (76.6-72.3).
• Alabama will have a nine-day break for the Christmas holiday before playing its next game. The Crimson Tide will next be in action on Sunday, Dec. 30, when it travels to Nacogdoches, Texas to take on Stephen F. Austin. That contest is set for a 5 p.m. CT tip and will be televised on ESPNU.
ABOUT PENN STATE
• Entering Friday's contest, Penn State owns a record of 6-5 on the season, with four of its losses coming by seven points or less, including three coming down to a single field goal. The Nittany Lions have three players averaging double figures led by junior forward Lamar Stevens, who tops the team in scoring (19.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). Freshman guard Rasir Bolton is second on the team in scoring average at 14.8 ppg, while senior guard Josh Reaves adds 10.2 ppg to with a team-high 3.4 assists per contest.
• As a team, Penn State is outscoring the competition by +3.7 ppg (70.6-66.9) and outrebounding foes by +2.2 rpg (37.0-34.8). The Nittany Lions is shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and 67.1 percent from the charity stripe.
• Head coach Patrick Chambers led the Nittany Lions to the program's first 20-win season since 2008- 09 and Penn State's 10th season with 20 or more wins, fifth in its Big Ten era. The Nittany Lions finished the 2017-18 campaign with a record of 26-13 after coming off a 15-win season the year prior. The 26-win total is the second-highest all-time. Chambers comes into Friday's match-up at Alabama with a record of 119-127 (.484) in eight seasons at Penn State and a career mark of 161-155 (.509) in 10 seasons as a head coach.
• Stevens was one of 20 student-athletes named to the watch list for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award as announced in October by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The annual honor recognizes the top small forwards in Division I men's college basketball. Stevens was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 National Invitation Tournament. An All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention, Stevens recorded double figures in 33 games in 2017-18 and with 10 games of 20 points or more, including two 30-point games.
• Last season, Penn State finished with 26 wins (26-13) – the second-most in program history – on its way to capturing the program's second National Invitation Tournament postseason title in program history. The Nittany Lions return three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's squad.
CALLING THE RESERVES
• Alabama has won seven of its first 10 games this season and a big reason for that is due to the play from the team's bench.
• The Crimson Tide reserves has only been outscored in one of its 10 games played on the year, including outscoring its counterparts by double digits on six different occasions.
• For the year, the Tide has a big advantage in terms of bench production. Alabama has outscored the opponents by a cumulative total of 255-141, which averages out to a +11.4 edge in points per game from the reserves (25.5-14.1)
