Tide Hosts LSU in Sold Out Game
2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA ?? The University of Alabama basketball team hosts fellow Western Division team LSU Saturday at 2 p.m. CT in a sold out game in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide is 12-9 overall and 1-5 in league play while the Tigers are 8-12 overall and 1-5 in the league.
No tickets remain as the game officially sold out on Thursday, giving Alabama back-to-back Saturday home sell outs as all the tickets were sold for the January 26 Auburn game as well. Fans without tickets can watch the game on television on the Raycom Sports network with Larry Conley and Bob Neal announcing. Or they can listen to it on the radio on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart and Bryan Passink. A list of affiliates carrying the game on radio can be found on Alabama athletic website, www.rolltide.com which also has an audio link. The CTSN's broadcast can be heard on Sirius channel 143. LSU's radio crew's broadcast is on XM 199.
Fans attending the game in person are reminded that parking in the Coleman Coliseum lot is by reserved parking permit and that the university provides a free shuttle that will drop fans off at the door. The Crimson Ride shuttle begins one hour before tip-off of all home men's basketball games and takes fans from the Soccer Lot off University Boulevard to the Coliseum and then returns fans after the game.
Saturday's game is the first of two regular season meetings between Alabama and LSU as they'll play again in Baton Rouge, La., on March 5. This series dates to Baton Rouge, circa 1916. This is the 159th meeting between Alabama and LSU in basketball in a series Alabama leads 94 wins to 64 by LSU. Alabama has won the last three games in the series, including a sweep of the Tigers at home and on the road last season.
"We've always had great games with LSU, and I'm sure this year will be no different," said Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried who, as a member of the Crimson Tide team from 1985-87 played in this series as well, starting in all seven games and going 6-1 against LSU, including a win in the SEC tournament championship game to win the 2002 championship his senior year in 1987.
"They are a little bit different team with Chris Johnson back playing. He's a tremendously talented guy, and as their injured players get healthy they are obviously going to get better. They had a big win at Auburn. That was very impressive. (Quintin) Thornton had a great game. So we just need to make sure we just keep playing extremely hard which is one thing our guys have done."
Alabama is led in scoring and rebounding by 6-foot-9 junior power forward Richard Hendrix who is averaging 19.4 points and an SEC-leading 10.2 rebounds. He is one of three Crimson Tide starters who average in double digits as junior guard Alonzo Gee, who scored his 1,000th Alabama career point against Tennessee on Tuesday among his 27 points in that game, is averaging 16.4 points to go with 7.8 rebounds. And senior guard Mykal Riley is averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. Alabama's probable starting lineup should also include junior Brandon Hollinger at the point guard (6.7 points, 3.3 assists) and sophomore forward Demetrius Jemison (5.0 points and 4.9 rebounds).
LSU's projected starting lineup includes junior guard Marcus Thornton who scored 38 points Wednesday night in LSU's win at Auburn, marking his fifth game in a row to score 20 or more points. It's the most points any player has scored in the SEC in 13 years. His game included eight 3-point shots including the game winner with less than four seconds remaining. Thornton is averaging 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds. Other guards include 6-foot-6 junior Garrett Temple (6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and 6-foot-5 sophomore Alex Farmer (2.8 points, 1.4 rebounds). The forwards are Quintin Thornton who is coming back from a torn pectoral muscle and has started in the last four games after sitting out (2.7 points, 3.2 rebounds) and freshman Anthony Randolph (14.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) who had his 10th straight game where he's scored in double digits on Wednesday night at Auburn.
The LSU game marks the third and final game of a three-game home stand for Alabama. Alabama hits the road for both games next week, playing at Mississippi State on Wednesday and at Kentucky on Saturday.
