Men's Basketball Hosts Texas A&M
12/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2008
Men's Basketball Hosts Texas A&M
The Alabama men's basketball team (5-2) continues its month-long home stand with a Saturday night contest against the Texas A&M Aggies (6-1). The two teams will meet on Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Central Time at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide is coming off a 61-44 victory over Louisiana and has won four straight while the Aggies edged Arizona their last time out by the score of 67-66.
Who to Watch
Alabama junior forward Yamene Coleman had a career game against Louisiana. The 6-10 forward pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, eight coming on the defensive end, to help the Tide post a 49-35 advantage on the glass. Coleman was rewarded for his play as he logged a career-high 33 minutes. The Boykin, Ala., native tallied five points, handed out an assist and recorded a block and a steal in the win. Coleman had a previous season high of seven rebounds and 21 minutes played.
Last Time Out
Alabama used a 15-2 second half spurt to pull away from Louisiana in en route to a 61-44 win at Coleman Coliseum Dec. 7. With the score 44-38 at the 9:50 mark of the second half, sophomore Senario Hillman knocked down a fade away jump shot to spark the Tide's run. Hillman and senior Alonzo Gee combined for all 15 points during the five-minute stretch. The Tide defense held the Ragin' Cajuns to only four field goals in the second half, and for the game Louisiana shot 26 percent from the field. Alabama held Louisiana without a field goal in the second half from the 11:55 mark until the 0:27 mark. During that stretch, the Tide dominated on the boards, out-rebounding Louisiana 19-5 over the final 11:28. Gee and Hillman scored 18 points apiece to lead the Tide. It was Hillman's fifth straight game scoring in double figures. The sophomore scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half capped off by an emphatic dunk for the Tide's final bucket of the game. He also set a career high with eight rebounds.
Scouting Texas A&M
Like Alabama, Texas A&M also took a week off from competition. The Aggies enter Tuscaloosa with a 6-1 record and have won two straight, including a one point win over Arizona at home. Before the first blemish of the season for the Aggies, (67-56 loss to Tulsa) Texas A&M came out of the gate 4-0. As a team, the Aggies are averaging 73 points a game and are holding the opposition to just 63.1 points per night. Texas A&M is shooting 44 percent from the floor and 36 percent from beyond the arc. The Aggies are out-rebounding their competition 38.1-32.7 per game. Individually, the Aggies are led by Josh Carter and his 13.9 points per game. Donald Sloan closely follows with 12.1 points per contest while Bryan Davis rounds out the double-digit scorers with 11.7 per night. Davis paces A&M on the glass with six rebounds a game and he has also tallied a team-high 11 blocks. The Aggies were picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 preseason poll. Carter and Davis were both tabbed as preseason Big 12 honorable mention selections.
Alabama vs. Texas A&M: The Series
Alabama holds a 6-2 lead over Texas A&M in a series that dates back almost 50 years. The Aggies have won the last two meetings, including last year's 76-63 decision in College Station on Dec. 28, 2007. Alabama and Texas A&M also played home-and-home series in 1992-93 and 1998-98. The first three meetings took place in tournament play. The Crimson Tide and Aggies first met during the 1958-59 season with Alabama posting a 66-62 win in the opening round of the Birmingham Classic. Alabama and Texas A&M met again during the 1966-67 season as the Tide claimed the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Classic Championship with an 89-68 win on the Southern Mississippi campus. Alabama beat Texas A&M 72-68 in the NIT Final 8 in Houston to advance to the 1979 NIT Final Four in New York. Alabama is 2-0 against Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa, winning games in 1992 and 1997. Alabama is 2-1 in games played in College Station, including a 74-61 victory in the fabled G. Rollie White Arena during the 1991-92 season. Alabama is 3-0 against A&M at neutral sites.
Alabama - Texas A&M All-Time Scores
Year Result Site
1958-59 Alabama 66, Texas A&M 62 Birmingham
1966-67 Alabama 89, Texas A&M 68 Hattiesburg, Miss.
1978-79 Alabama 72, Texas A&M 68 Houston, Texas (NIT, Final 8)
1991-92 Alabama 74, Texas A&M 61 College Station, Texas
1992-93 Alabama 64, Texas A&M 58 Tuscaloosa
1997-98 Alabama 81, Texas A&M 64 Tuscaloosa
1998-99 Texas A&M 65, Alabama 58 College Station, Texas
2007-08 Texas A&M 76, Alabama 63 College Station, Texas
Last Meeting
Texas A&M had four double-figure scorers, led by Donald Sloan's 15 points, en route to a 76-63 win at Reed Arena on Nov, 28, 2007 in College Station, Texas. Sloan converted 5-of-8 field goal attempts and dished out a game-high eight assists in the win. Dominique Kirk (14), Josh Carter (13) and Joseph Jones (10) also scored double-figures for A&M, which shot 52 percent from the floor in the win. The Aggies won the battle of the boards 38-30 and held the Tide to 41 percent shooting from the field, including 1 for 11 from beyond the three-point arc. Alabama was led by Richard Hendrix 19 points and 12 rebounds. Alonzo Gee also added 19 points on 9 of 17 shooting.
Gottfried vs. Texas A&M
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried is 0-2 in his career against Texas A&M and both losses have come to the Aggies in College Station, Texas. The Crimson Tide suffered a 65-58 loss to the Aggies on Dec. 3, 1998 at Reed Arena and then fell, 76-63, on Nov. 28, 2007, in College Station.
Alabama vs. Big 12
Alabama owns a 34-17 lead against all Big 12 Conference opponents. The Crimson Tide has a winning record against eight of the 11 teams in which it has played, including Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. The Tide trails the all-time series with Oklahoma and Texas. In addition, Alabama has never faced Colorado in basketball. Alabama played two Big 12 teams last season, losing at Texas A&M (76-63) on Nov. 28, 2007, in College Station, and beating Iowa State (83-68) on Dec. 23, 2007, in the finals of the Las Vegas Classic. In the win over Iowa State, Alonzo Gee led the Tide with 23 points and 11 rebounds, the first of two straight double-doubles for the Tide guard. Alabama also defeated Kansas State (79-48) during the 1994-95 Preseason NIT in Tuscaloosa. Alabama's only win in program history off American soil was a 76-56 win over Texas Tech at the 1984 Suntory Ball in Osaka, Japan.
Gottfried vs. Big 12
Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried is 3-5 (.375) in his career against Big 12 teams. He has coached against four different Big 12 Conference teams and owns a winning ledger against Iowa State and Oklahoma. Gottfried's first game against a Big 12 foe came during the 1996 NIT Tournament when the Murray State Racers fell to the Tigers, 85-59, in first round action in Columbia, Mo. He is 3-4 against Big 12 teams while Alabama, including a 2-1 record against Oklahoma. The Crimson Tide beat the Sooners, 70-55, on Jan. 1, 2007 in the only Tuscaloosa meeting between Gottfried and a Big 12 foe. Alabama was 1-1 against Big 12 teams last season, losing at Texas A&M on Nov. 28, 2007, in College Station and then posting an 83-68 win over Iowa State in the championship game of the Las Vegas Classic on Dec. 23, 2007.
Defensive Prowess
It is no coincidence that the tightening of the Alabama defense has led to four straight wins. Over the course of the four wins, the Tide defense has held opponents to 51 points per game and 31 percent shooting. All four opponents have been held under 60 points and two of the four were held under 50 points. Overall, the Alabama scoring defense ranks second in the SEC at 59.4 points per game. The UA field goal percentage defense ranks third in the league, holding opponents to a 36 percent shooting clip. Alabama is even stingier from beyond the arc, holding teams to a league-leading 25 percent from downtown.
Four-Game Streak
Alabama opened its season with a 1-2 record in its first three games but now has won its last four to improve its overall record to 5-2. In the first three games the Tide was allowing 70.7 points per game but over the course of the last four games UA has stymied the opposition to just 51 points per clip. Alabama has also made an improvement on the glass. In the first three games UA was getting out-rebounded by nearly four boards a night. Now UA holds nearly a 15-board advantage per contest over the last four games. The improvement has also shown up at the free throw line. Over the course of the last four wins the Tide is shooting 76 percent from the charity stripe while during its first three games, UA shot 64 percent from the line. Individually, senior Alonzo Gee has come alive in the last four games by pacing the squad with 15.5 points per game. In the first three games the senior guard was averaging six points a night. Senario Hillman has chipped in 15.3 points per game over the four game span.
20-Point Games = Wins
Among current players on the Alabama roster the Crimson Tide has had an individual score 20 or more points 25 times. UA sports an 18-7 overall record when the Tide has a 20-point scorer over that span. Alonzo Gee leads the team with 14 20-point performances. In those games the Tide is 11-3. Ronald Steele closely follows with 10 20-point games. In those contests UA is 6-4.
Double-Doubles = Wins
Among current players on the Alabama roster the Crimson Tide has had an individual record a double-double 11 times, going 9-2 in those games. Senior guard Alonzo Gee leads the way with eight double-doubles. In those games the Crimson Tide is 7-1 overall. Demetrius Jemison has tallied two double-doubles and in those games UA is a perfect 2-0. JaMychal Green tallied a double-double in a loss against Mercer.
Tide Continues Eight-Game Homestand
The Alabama men's basketball team is in the midst of an eight-game homestand. The homestand spans all the way into January when the Crimson Tide finally leaves to play the Clemson Tigers on Jan. 6. The contest against Clemson will close out non-conference play for the Tide. The homestand opened on Dec. 2 against Alabama A&M.
Steele Makes History
Alabama senior point guard Ronald Steele eclipsed the 1,000 point mark by scoring 11 points against Alabama A&M. Steele became the 42nd player in Alabama history to record 1,000 points as he enters the game against Texas A&M with 1,016 career points. In addition to joining the 1,000-point club, Steele becomes just the second player in school history to record over 1,000 points and 400 assists. Steele has 413 assists coming into Sunday's game, joining Robert Scott (1977-80) and his 1,321 points and 444 assists.
Veteran Squad Returns
Head Coach Mark Gottfried returns a veteran squad as eight of the 12 members of the Crimson Tide are upperclassmen. The eight upperclassmen have played in a combined 493 games in a Crimson Tide uniform. Senior Alonzo Gee leads all players with 102 games played, starting in 78. Senior Brandon Hollinger follows with 100 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 42 current and former members of the Crimson Tide are in the prestigious scoring club while Gee ranks 30th overall with 1,230 points. Jack Kubiszyn (1,224) and Derrick McKey (1,231) are next on the list.
Steele Record Watch
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 (414), first in assists in a single game (18) and fifth in assists per game in a career (4.31 average) The Birmingham, Ala., native is first in free throw percentage for a career (.871) and a season (.892), and ranks third in career three-point field goal percentage (.414) 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 271 career victories, Gottfried ranks second among coaches who have been on the bench 13 years or less in Division I, trailing only the 309 wins of Tom Izzo of Michigan State.
Gottfried Gets 200th Win at Alabama
The win over Chaminade was Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried's 200th victory at Alabama. Gottfried now has a 203-126 record in his 11th season with the Crimson Tide. With his 200th win at Alabama, Gottfried joined an exclusive club of 200-game winners at Alabama. Wimp Sanderson (267), Hank Crisp (264) and C.M. Newton (211) are the only other coaches in school history to reach the 200-win mark with the Tide.
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 since 1984
• 126 All-SEC players
• Ranks second all-time in SEC wins behind Kentucky
Alabama Picked to win the 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 were 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 brought with him some lofty prep credentials and has instantly impressed at the collegiate ranks. Green has played 20 or more minutes in five of the seven games this season. Green tallied back-to-back double-digit point performances to open his UA career. 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.
Next Time Out
Alabama will continue its eight-game home stand with a mid-week contest against Tennessee State. The Crimson Tide will face the Tigers on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 7:00 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum. The game will be televised on Comcast Sports Southeast.
