Men's Basketball Game Notes: at Arkansas

UPCOMING GAME: at Arkansas
Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Bud Walton Arena (19,200)

TIP-OFF TIME: 7:00 p.m. CT

TICKETS: Sold Out

UA HOME TICKETS: $17 adults/$8 youth; Buy at UA box office in Coleman Coliseum; or 205-348-BAMA; or http://www.rolltide.com/; (February 15 Auburn home game is sold out)

TV: JP with Tom Hammond (play-by-play) and Barry Booker (analyst)

UA WEEKLY TV: "The Mark Gottfried Show" on CSS with host Tom Roberts, Tuesdays at 10 p.m. CT
"Crimson Tide This Week" with host David Crane: Check local listings on CSS

RADIO: Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Tom Roberts (color)
105.5 FM in Tuscaloosa & 99.5 in Birmingham (complete list on http://www.rolltide.com/)
WVUA (University of Alabama campus station), 90.7 FM (when classes are in session)

INTERNET: Live audio of CTSN's radio broadcast is available on the internet on http://www.rolltide.com/; UA basketball is also featured on on http://www.markgottfried.com/ and http://www.crimsontradition.com/ (subscription site).

Probable Starters

(Lineups subject to change)

No.22 AP/No. 20 ESPN/USA Today Alabama Crimson Tide (13-5 Overall, 3-4 SEC)

PF-35	Erwin Dudley	6-8, 260, SR, Uniontown	13.6 ppg/10.2 rpg
F-02	Emmett Thomas	6-4, 205, JR/TR, Birmingham	6.9 ppg/2.3 rpg
C-42	Kenny Walker	6-9, 220, SR, Jacksonville, FL	11.4 ppg/6.1 rpg
G-14	Terrance Meade	6-2, 190, SR, Scottsboro	4.2 ppg/2.9 rpg
G-25	Mo Williams	6-1, 195, SO, Jackson, MS	15.7 ppg/4.0 rpg/4.4 apg

Head Coach: Mark Gottfried (Alabama, 1987)

Arkansas Razorbacks (6-11 Overall, 1-5 SEC)

F-01	Michael Jones	6-9, 220, SO, Little Rock, AR	6.0 ppg/3.1 rpg
F-31	Alonzo Lane	6-7, 248, SR, Canton, MS	5.2 ppg/3.6 rpg
F-33	Dionisio Gomez	6-8, 218, SR, Panama City, FL	10.7 ppg/7.5 rpg
G-11	Eric Ferguson	6-1, 196, FR, Long Island, NY	11.4 ppg/3.4 rpg/3.4 apg
G-24	Jonathon Modica	6-4, 198, FR, Smackover, AR	11.6 ppg/4.3 rpg

Head Coach: Stan Heath (Eastern Michigan, 1988)

Alabama Head Coach Mark Gottfried

164-79 (.675) in 7 complete seasons overall, 95-54 (.638%) in 5th season (4 completed) at Alabama; 2002 SEC Coaches & AP SEC "Coach of the Year"; three total NCAA tournament appearances, one at Alabama (2002, 2nd round), 2 (1997 & 1998) at Murray State; 3 NIT appearances (1996 at MSU, 1999 & 2001 at UA); One SEC Championship (2002) at Alabama; three conference championships at Murray State; Four 20-win seasons (out of 7) as a head coach; Assistant for UCLA's 1995 NCAA Champions team; three NCAA Sweet 16 appearances as a UA player 1985-86-87; Academic All-SEC as a player at Alabama...Coached Bama to its 1st No. 1 ranking...Born January 20, 1964 in Crestline, Ohio.

Arkansas Head Coach Stan Heath

36-17 (.679) in 2nd season overall, 6-11 (.353) in 1st season at Arkansas; NCAA Elite 8 in 1st season as a head coach at Kent State in 2002; 2002 MAC Coach of the Year

Key Game Notes

It's the 2nd meeting this season between the two schools; Alabama won 61-51 in Tuscaloosa on January 8; Arkansas leads the overall series 20-15; Alabama's last win in Fayetteville was in 1999, Mark Gottfried's 1st season at Alabama (on his 35th birthday)
SEC Player of the Year candidate Erwin Dudley pulled into the top 10 all-time scorer's at Alabama on Saturday, February 1 with his 14 points vs. LSU; he has 1,591 career points, ranking 10th with Robert Horry. He's averaging the double double this season with 13.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, the only player in the SEC to accomplish that feat.

Tide Hits the Road for Two Games This Week

The University of Alabama men's basketball team, 13-5 overall and 3-4 in the Southeastern Conference, hits the road for two games this week.

The first stop is Fayetteville, Arkansas where the Tide takes on the Arkansas Razorbacks, 6-11 overall and 1-5 in league plays. Tip-off in Bud Walton Arena is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5, 2003.

Alabama remains on the road Saturday, February 8 when it plays Florida in Gainesville, for a noon CT CBS game. The Gators are 18-2 overall and perfect in league play with their 7-0 SEC record.

Both games, at Arkansas and at Florida, are sold out.

JP To Televise Game

Fans who don't have a ticket to Wednesday night's game in Fayetteville can still see all the action. The game is being televised by Jefferson Pilot Sports.

Tom Hammond will call the play-by-play while Barry Booker will be the broadcast team's analyst. Roger Roebuck is producing and Dave Burchett directing.

The game is available as part of ESPN's Full Court Package. Full Court is a pay-per-view service offered via DirecTV, Dish Network and participating cable systems. To order, call:

DirecTV: 1-800-DIRECTV
Dish Network: 1-800-333-DISH
Pay Cable: Call Local Cable System

JP Markets

In Alabama: WABM Birmingham; WJTC Montgomery; WZDX Huntsville; WJTC in Mobile
In Arkansas: KHBS in Fort Smith; KAIT in Jonesboro; KATV in Little Rock
In Mississippi: Fox Sports Net South in Biloxi; Fox Sports Net South in Columbus/Tupelo; Fox Sports Net South in Meridian
In Florida: WJTC in Pensacola
In Georgia: Fox Sports Net South in Albany; Fox Sports Net South in Atlanta; Fox Sports Net South in Augusta; Fox Sports Net South in Columbus; Fox Sports Net South in Macon; Fox Sports Net South in Savannah
In Kentucky: WNKY in Bowling Green; WKYT in Lexington
In Missouri: KCZ in Springfield (delayed telecast beginning at 9 p.m. CT)
In Oklahoma: KWHB in Tulsa
In Tennessee: WFLI in Chattanooga (delayed telecast beginning at 12 midnight ET); WJKT in Jackson; WLMT in Memphis; Fox Sports Net South in Tri-Cities
In South Carolina: Fox Sports Net South in Florence
In Virginia: Fox Sports Net South in Tri-Cities (Tennessee/Virginia)

Tide Getting Used to Sold Out Arenas

The Southeastern Conference is experiencing one of its strongest seasons (seven teams have been ranked in the Top 25), and fans are flocking to the league's arenas.

Alabama is amidst a stretch where six of seven games have or will have been played in front of sell out crowds.

The trend started at Auburn (10,500) on January 18. Wedged in, on January 21st was a date with Ole Miss in Oxford with fell 500 tickets short of a sellout (8,206 sold-it holds 8,700). Alabama then played back-to-back sellout games at home (15,316), first with Kentucky on January 25 and then with LSU on February 1.

Both games this week are sold out, at Arkansas (19,200) and at Florida (12,000).

And when Alabama returns home from Gainesville it will prepare to host Auburn on February 15-in front of another sold-out arena.

All seven of these games have/will be televised. CBS has the Florida game, ESPN the Ole Miss and Kentucky games, JP the Auburn (road) and Arkansas games, Fox Sports Net the LSU game, and the Auburn game in Tuscaloosa will be available on pay per view to those who don't have a ticket.

Here's Where to Buy Tide Home Tickets

Tickets for Alabama's home games against Georgia (February 18), Ole Miss (March 2) and South Carolina (March 5) are on sale at the Athletic Ticket Box Office in Coleman Coliseum and may be purchased at the ticket window, by phone at 1-877-TIDETIX (877-843-3849) or 205-348-BAMA (2262), or on the Crimson Tide's official website, http://www.rolltide.com/.

Ticket prices are $17 adults/$8 youth age 15 and under. Box office hours are from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and phone hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets may be charged to MasterCard, VISA or Discover.

Fans Can Catch All Tide Games on the Radio or Internet

All University of Alabama men's basketball games are broadcast on the radio on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart and Tom Roberts calling the action. Fans can listen locally on 105.5 in Tuscaloosa or 99.5 in Birmingham. Fans from around the country or around the world may listen to Alabama Basketball radio broadcasts on the internet. There's an audio link on Bama's official website, http://www.rolltide.com/.

"Mark Gottfried Show" Every Tuesday Night

"The Mark Gottfried Show" airs each week on CSS. The 30-minute show stars Tide basketball coach Mark Gottfried and is hosted by Tom Roberts of the Crimson Tide Sports Network. A new show airs each Tuesday night at 10 p.m. CT.

Two Road, Two Home, Two Road...

Alabama's schedule over a five week period, dating to January 18th, has found it playing two road games followed by two home games, followed by two road games, followed by two home games, followed by two road games, followed by two home games....

Arkansas Game Begins Round Two in League Play

Wednesday night's game at Arkansas beings round two of Southeastern Conference Western Division play for the Crimson Tide. Alabama opened 2003 SEC play against the Razorbacks in Tuscaloosa on January 8 and won that game 61-51.

Alabama plays each team from the SEC West (Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State) twice each SEC regular season and plays the Eastern Division teams (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt) once each regular season.

The Tide, winners of both the 2002 SEC Regular Season and Western Division, has its work cut out in the title chase. Alabama is 3-4 in league play, trailing Auburn (4-3) in the West. Here's how the league shapes up going into Tuesday (February 4) and Wednesday's games.

University of Alabama Athletics