Tide Hosts Tigers in Sold Out SEC Basketball Game Saturday
1/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA ?? Friends who grew up together will take sides against one another Saturday when the University of Alabama basketball team hosts the Auburn Tigers in a game that has been sold out for nearly a month. Tip-off in Coleman Coliseum is set for 2 p.m. CT. The game is being televised on the Raycom Sports Network and can be heard on the radio on the Crimson Tide Sports Network and Sirius channel 110.
"The rivalry itself, it's real cool being a part of it," said Alabama sophomore starting forward Demetrius Jemison of Birmingham who went on a two-week Christian ministry playing tour of China in May with Auburn starters Quan Prowell and Rasheem Barrett. "After watching the football rivalry growing up over the years, it's nice to be a part of the Alabama/Auburn rivalry. As for the players themselves, they're going to be a lot of guards out on the floor, not really a true big man out there. We're going to have to defend well on the perimeter and stop penetration because that's what they're going to want to do, penetrate and kick or penetrate and get all the way to the goal and get us in foul trouble with Richard (Hendrix) and myself, the big guys inside, and kind of speed up the pace of the game as well."
Alabama goes into the game with an 11-8 overall and 0-4 Southeastern Conference record. Auburn is 12-5 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. Alabama has not played since last Saturday's home loss to Mississippi State as the Crimson Tide was one of seven league teams that had a week between games. Auburn was one of the teams that played, hosting Presbyterian College in a non-conference game on Tuesday night.
The Crimson Tide won seven straight games against Auburn beginning with the second of two meetings in 2003. Auburn snapped the streak last season, sweeping the series by winning 81-57 in Auburn and then 86-77 in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama is led in scoring and rebounding by 6-9 junior power forward Richard Hendrix who averages 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds and has had 10 double-doubles in scoring and rebounding this season, three of those in SEC play. Also averaging in double digit scoring to lead the Tide are junior guard Alonzo Gee at 15.8 points (and 7.8 rebounds) and senior guard Mykal Riley who averages 13.1 point. Jemison and freshman point guard Rico Pickett round out Alabama's probable starting lineup.
"I'm real excited about it," said Pickett who will experience his first Auburn rivalry game. "I can't wait until we play and find out what the results are, but I'm real amped up to play."
Auburn is led in scoring by Barrett, a 6-5 junior guard who averages 13.8 points, Prowell, a 6-8 senior forward who averages 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds, and 6-4 senior guard who averages 11.8 points.
"When Alabama and Auburn play, we all know it and we hear the same lines every year, but it's true: I think it's always a great match-up; great games," said Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried who is 11-8 against the Tigers. "I've got a lot of respect for their program, the way they play. They're quick. They've been shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter which has been an area for us where we obviously have to get better. Their strengths, I think, are their quickness and how they're shooting the ball."
Saturday's game marks the 136th meeting between Alabama and Auburn in basketball in a series that dates 84 years ago to Atlanta and the 1924 Southern Conference Tournament. Alabama won that game 40-19 and has since collected an 83 to 52 series lead.
Fans attending Saturday's game are encouraged to make use of the convenient Crimson Ride, a free shuttle service that begins one hour before tip-off and will drop them off at the door in front of Coleman Coliseum. The bus leaves from the Soccer Parking Lot located off University Boulevard. Signs will direct traffic to the lot.
Following Saturday afternoon's Auburn game, Alabama remains at home for the next two games, hosting Tennessee in front of a national television audience on ESPN where fans are encouraged to wear white to the 8 p.m. CT game. And Alabama hosts LSU on February 2 at 2 p.m. CT. Tickets to those and Alabama's remaining home games (none for Auburn) can be purchased at the door on Saturday, or through Alabama's official website, www.rolltide.com, or by calling 1-877-TIDETIX.
