Men's Basketball Opens Maui Invitational Against Oregon
11/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2008
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| Oregon Notes in PDF Format
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Men's Basketball Opens Maui Invitational Against Oregon
The Alabama men's basketball team (1-1) will open its trip at the EA Sports Maui Invitational against the Oregon Ducks (2-1) on Monday, November 24 at 11 p.m. Central Time. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN 2 at the Lahaina Civic Center (Capacity: 2,000). The Crimson Tide is coming off an 89-48 victory over Florida A&M while the Ducks won at Cal-Irvine, 84-77, on Friday, Nov. 21.
Who to Watch
Alabama sophomore forward Justin Knox earned his first career start for the Crimson Tide and did not disappoint. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native played a career-high 32 minutes and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds - both were game highs. Knox was 2-for-3 from the floor to record four points. The 6-9 forward had three blocks and grabbed nine defensive rebounds to help Alabama out-rebound Florida A&M, 49-34.
Last Time Out
The Alabama men's basketball team (1-1) jumped on Florida A&M (0-3) from the beginning with an 18-0 run to start the game and never looked back on its way to an 89-48 victory at Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday, November 19. The Tide shot 50 percent from the field compared to 32 percent for Florida A&M and held the Rattlers without a three-point field goal for the game. The Tide came out hot led by senior Ronald Steele, who scored eight of his game-high 15 points in the first five minutes. Steele drained two threes and freshman JaMychal Green added two dunks during Alabama's initial 18-0 push. Green finished with 12 points and eight rebounds giving him consecutive double-figure scoring games to open his career at Alabama. The Tide enjoyed big contributions from the bench led by junior transfer Anthony Brock, who scored 13 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting performance that included three three-pointers. Sophomore Mikhail Torrance added 11 points and freshman Andrew Steele, younger brother of Ronald Steele, chipped in 10.
Scouting Oregon
Oregon has opened the 2008-09 campaign with a 2-1 record. The Ducks won their season opener over Northern Colorado, 66-64, then fell to Oakland, 82-79, in overtime before taking the road and beating Cal-Irvine, 84-77. The Cal-Irvine game was the start of a five-game road trip for the Ducks. As a team after three games the Ducks are outscoring opponents 76.3-74.3 and are shooting at a 40.4 percent clip while their opponents are connecting on 43 percent of their shots. Oregon has out-rebounded the opposition by an average of 41.0-36.7. Individually, the Ducks are led by LeKendrick Longmire and Tajuan Porter, both of whom average 15.0 points per game. Michael Dunigan follows with 13.0 points per outing. Joevan Catron is the leading rebounder with 8.3 per game and has added 9.0 points per contest. Last season the Ducks finished 18-14 overall and 9-9 in Pacific-10 conference play to finish fourth in the league. Oregon made its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2008. UO was tabbed to finish seventh in the 2008-09 Pac-10 preseason media poll.
Alabama vs. Oregon: The Series
Alabama and Oregon have met one time previously with the Crimson Tide posting an 87-86 win over the Ducks in the 2003 Las Vegas Showdown on Dec. 20. Kennedy Winston led the Crimson Tide with 27 points and five rebounds in the win.
Alabama vs. Pac-10 Opponents
Alabama owns a 15-6 all-time record against the Pac 10 Conference, including wins over a pair of No. 1-ranked teams. The Crimson Tide upset No. 1 UCLA, 70-67, at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 28, 1983. Alabama also beat No. 1 Stanford, 70-67, on March 20, 2004 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Alabama's first-ever NCAA Tournament game came against Arizona State in 1975.
Alabama-Pac 10 Series Records
| Arizona | Alabama leads, 2-0 |
| Arizona State | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| California | Alabama leads, 1-0 |
| Oregon | Alabama leads, 1-0 |
| Oregon State | Alabama leads, 1-0 |
| Stanford | Alabama leads, 2-0 |
| UCLA | UCLA leads, 2-1 |
| USC | Alabama leads, 3-1 |
| Washington | Series Tied, 1-1 |
| Washington State | Alabama leads, 2-1 |
ALOHA
Alabama will be making its fourth appearance in the state of Hawai'i as the Crimson Tide plays in the 25th annual EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center on Maui. The Crimson Tide has posted an 8-1 record in its previous nine games in the islands, winning the 1987 Hawai'i Pacific Thanksgiving Tournament Championship and the 1991 Rainbow Classic Championship. All-SEC forward and eight-time NBA champion Robert Horry, Latrell Sprewell and James Robinson were instrumental in the 1991 Rainbow Classic as UA posted wins over Bradley, Villanova and Washington State. Alabama finished runner-up to Michigan State in the 1998 Pearl Harbor Classic in Oahu.
1987 Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Classic
Alabama 91, Hawaii Pacific 80
Alabama 83, Central Michigan 80
Alabama 78, Southern California 69
1991 Rainbow Classic
Alabama 71, Bradley 62
Alabama 78, Villanova 76
Alabama 71, Washington State 68
1998 Pearl Harbor Classic
Alabama 84, Weber State 80 (ot)
Alabama 59, Oregon State 49
Michigan State 75, Alabama 58
Alabama's History In Regular Season Tournament Play
Alabama has compiled a 116-73 (.614) all-time record in regular season tournament play. The 2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational will be the Crimson Tide's 86th in-season tournament, dating back to its first tournament experience at the 1947-48 All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla. Coach Floyd Burdette's squad posted a 1-2 record in that first tournament, defeating Rice in the opener before suffering back-to-back losses to Texas and Baylor. The Crimson Tide's record only includes tournament play and not a one-game event. Alabama has won 29 tournament championships, including the 2006-07 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas Virgin, Islands, and the 2007-08 Findlay Toyota Las Vegas Classic, under Coach Mark Gottfried. The Crimson Tide's win in the Virgin Islands snapped a 10-year championship drought, dating back to the 1996-97 Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Alabama's most successful in-season tournament run came during the tenure of head coach Wimp Sanderson (1981-92), who guided UA to a 31-7 (.816) record and won championships in 10 of his 15 tournament appearances. Sanderson brought two teams to Hawaii, winning the 1987-88 Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Tournament and the 1991-92 Rainbow Classic.
Gottfried's Teams In Tournament Play
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried has compiled a 24-9 (.727) record in tournament play during his career at Murray State and Alabama. He is 19-7 (.731) at Alabama, leading the Crimson Tide to three championships in eight appearances. The 19 wins are third to Wimp Sanderson (31) and C.M. Newton (23) on the school's tournament win list. Gottfried has led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back tournament championships with wins at the 2006-07 Paradise Jam and the 2007-08 Las Vegas Classic. Alabama defeated Middle Tennessee, Iowa and Xavier to win the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands two years ago. Last year, Alabama beat Wofford and Texas Pan-American in Tuscaloosa, before heading to Las Vegas and earning wins over Missouri State and Iowa State to win the Las Vegas Classic. He also led Alabama to wins over Centenary and LaSalle to earn the 1999-2000 Tuscaloosa Tradition championship. Gottfried was 5-2 (.714) in tournament play at Murray State, winning the 1996-97 Racer Thanksgiving Tournament. He also led MSU to impressive wins over Arkansas and Iowa State at the 1997-98 Puerto Rico Holiday Classic in San Juan, after suffering a first-round loss to Michigan.
Steele Nears 1,000 Points
Alabama senior point guard Ronald Steele is rapidly approaching the exclusive 1,000 point club. Steele enters the Oregon game with 960 career points. Forty-one current or former members of the Crimson Tide have reached the milestone. Teammate Alonzo Gee eclipsed the mark last season and currently sits 36th on the all time UA scoring list. Head coach Mark Gottfried ranks 41st with 1,056 points.
EA Sports Maui Invitational
Alabama is in the Hawaiian Islands to participate in the 25th EA Sports Maui Invitational. On Monday, Nov. 24, Alabama will open tournament play at 11 p.m. CT against Oregon in the first round. Depending on the outcome of the UA-Oregon game, the Tide will play the winner or the loser of North Carolina vs. Chaminade on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Game one of the tournament, which is hosted by Chaminade University at the Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, features Texas playing St. Joseph's on Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. CT. The winner/loser plays Notre Dame or Indiana who play one another in Game 2 at 4:30 p.m. CT on Nov. 24. The North Carolina vs. Chaminade game will be Game 3 played at 8:30 p.m. CT. Six of the eight teams participating were 2008 NCAA Tournament participants, including 2008 Final Four team North Carolina and Elite 8 team Texas. ESPN's networks will combine to televise, live, all 12 of the tournament's games. ESPN360.com will provide live simulcasts of the games televised on ESPN and ESPN2.
Player Ties
Alabama freshman forward JaMychal Green will find a familiar face on the Oregon squad. Ducks freshman Matt Humphrey played with Green on the USA U18 National Team. The Americans went 4-1 at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Formosa, Argentina. Green was second on the squad with 11 points per game and paced USA with 8.4 boards per contest. Humphrey played in all five games and averaged 5.6 points per outing.
The Return of Ronald Steele
On November 16, Alabama senior guard Ronald Steele officially returned to action for Alabama for the first time since March 8, 2007 (a First Round SEC Tournament game vs. Kentucky in Atlanta) in the opener against Mercer. He was a 2007 AP and Playboy Preseason All-America selection. Before being sidelined, Steele started 70 consecutive games for the Crimson Tide, dating back to his freshman campaign. In his first game back to the hardwood the Birmingham, Ala., native scored 25 points to lead all scorers against Mercer on Nov. 16. Steele added 15 points in 16 minutes in a lopsided win against Florida A&M.
Veteran Squad Returns
This year's Crimson Tide team is a veteran squad as eight of the 12 members of the Crimson Tide are upperclassmen. The eight upperclassmen have played in a combined 474 games in a Crimson Tide uniform. Senior Alonzo Gee leads all players with 99 games played, starting in 75. Senior Brandon Hollinger follows with 97 games played. Robert Horry (1989-92) holds the career games played record with 131.
Gee Scoring Watch
Alabama senior guard Alonzo Gee eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier last season and is rapidly climbing up the all-time scoring list. A total of 41 current and former members of the Crimson Tide are in the prestigious scoring club while Gee ranks 36th overall with 1,162 points. Rickey Brown (1,195 from 1974-77) and Jim Farmer (1,197 from 1984-87) are next on the list.
Steele Record Watch
Alabama senior guard Ronald Steele has etched his name prominently in the Crimson Tide record book. Steele has made his mark in the assist categories where he ranks sixth in career assists (401), first in assists in a single game (18) and fifth in assists per game in a career (4.41 average) The Birmingham, Ala., native is first in free throw percentage for a career (.870) and a season (.892), and ranks third in career three-point field goal percentage (.421) with head coach Mark Gottfried (1985-87) holding the all-time mark with a .485 clip.
Gottfried Among Winningest SEC Coaches
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried, in his 11th season at the Capstone, has had great success while directing the Crimson Tide. Gottfried is one of only two coaches to have taken his SEC squad to the NCAA Tournament five times since the 2001-02 season. At Alabama, Gottfried has averaged 20 wins per season to rank second behind only Wimp Sanderson (22.3 in 12 seasons) in the UA record books. Throughout his 13-year coaching career Gottfried has averaged 21 wins per season. With 267 career victories, Gottfried ranks second among coaches who have been on the bench 13 years or less in Division I, trailing only the 306 wins of Tom Izzo of Michigan State.
Alabama Basketball: A Historical Perspective
• 7 SEC regular season championships
• 6 SEC tournament championships
• 19 NCAA Tournament Appearances (2004 NCAA Elite 8)
• 5 NIT Final Four Trips
• 40 NBA Players (5 current NBA players)
• 19 First Team All-Americans
• 48 Academic All-SEC players
• Ranks 20th in NCAA tournament appearances in the last 25 years with 16
• 126 All-SEC players
• Ranks second all-time in SEC win behind Kentucky
Alabama Picked to win the SEC West
In a poll by both national and SEC media the Crimson Tide were selected to win the SEC's Western Division as selected by a 30-member voting panel. Alabama received 11 first-place votes and earned a total of 151 points. LSU had 147 points and also received 11 first-place votes. Tennessee was selected to win the conference.
Gee and Steele Garner Preseason Honors
University of Alabama senior guards Alonzo Gee and Ronald Steele have been selected to the Second Team of the 2008-09 Preseason Southeastern Conference All-Conference team as voted by the league's coaches. Gee was third on the team with 14.5 points per game and second on the team with 6.8 rebounds per game. He led the Tide in scoring in 10 games last season. Steele was a Preseason All-American in 2007-08 before an injury forced him to sit out the 2007-08 season. Alabama's all-time leader in free-throw accuracy (.868), Steele has started 89 of 90 games he has been in a Crimson Tide uniform.
Green Brings Lofty Credentials
Alabama freshman JaMychal Green compiled a very impressive prep resume. The Montgomery, Ala. native was named a McDonald's All-American and played for the USA National U18 Team in Argentina at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. The St. Jude high school standout was named "Mr. Basketball" for the State of Alabama.
Gottfried Nears 200 Wins
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried is one win away from earning his 200th victory at Alabama. Gottfried entered the season with a 198-124 (.615) record over the course of 10 seasons. With one more win Gottfried will join an exclusive club of 200 game winners at Alabama. Wimp Sanderson (267), Hank Crisp (264) and C.M. Newton (211) are the only coaches in school history to reach the 200 win mark.
Next Time Out
After the first round contest against Oregon, Alabama will play either No. 1 ranked North Carolina or tournament host Chaminade. If the Crimson Tide beats Oregon, it will play the winner UNC-Chaminade winner on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m. CT. If UA were to lose it would play on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 3 p.m. CT. The Crimson Tide will play a total of three games on the island of Maui.
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