Tide Hoops Featured in Sporting News
10/19/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Sporting News, one of sport’s oldest and respected publications, has hit the newsstands with its 2007-08 College Basketball preseason issue. The publication produces 12 covers to sell in regions around the country. Dunking the basketball on the cover for Region 5, which covers many states in the South, is Alabama’s Richard Hendrix.
Alabama’s players are highlighted in the magazine. Hendrix, a junior All-Southeastern Conference forward who is approaching the season 20 pounds leaner than he was last season, was one of only five players named to the Sporting News’ All-SEC team. Joining him were Chris Lofton from Tennessee, Jamont Gordon from Mississippi State, Patrick Beverley from Arkansas and Shan Foster of Vanderbilt.
Listed among the Top 100 national freshmen are Alabama guards Senario Hillman and Rico Pickett.
The magazine has some fun in its “Rating the Conference,” a section produced before Tide senior point guard Ronald Steele announced in September that he was going to take a redshirt season to completely recover from a second surgery on his left knee in late August. Steele was deemed the SEC’s “Best Passer” and its “Best Leader.” Hendrix wears its crown as the SEC’s “Best Rebounder.”
The publication lists its predicted order of league play finish. In the SEC Western Division, it’s Arkansas, Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss. In the Eastern Division they venture the finish will be Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
Basketball fans can see the Tide in action for free on Tuesday, October 30 at 6 p.m. CT when the team hosts its annual fan event, The Crimson and White game. Fun for kids and adults alike, the team will split in half and play a full-game. Afterwards fans can meet the players and coaching staff when the team hosts an autograph session. Fans are encouraged to bring their cameras that night because it will provide a perfect post-game opportunity to take photos with favorite Tide basketball players and the coaches. A free team poster will be given away that night, and, since it’s Halloween, fans are encouraged to dress up for Halloween. There will be a costume contest at halftime with prizes for kids and University of Alabama students awarded for the best costumes.
