Men's Basketball Announces 2010-11 Schedule
8/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 26, 2010
2010-11 Men's Basketball Schedule 
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Sixteen home dates and the possibility of 15 games against opponents that advanced to postseason play last season highlight the 2010-11 University of Alabama men's basketball schedule, second-year head coach Anthony Grant announced Thursday.
Additionally, all 16 of the Crimson Tide's Southeastern Conference games will be televised including an appearance in ESPN's 'Super Tuesday' lineup against Kentucky Jan. 18 in Coleman Coliseum.
"We have assembled an exciting and demanding non-conference schedule," Grant said. "Seven of our 14 potential non-conference opponents advanced to the postseason last year, including five teams that finished with an RPI in the top 50. We feel these early season challenges will prepare us for the always rigorous SEC schedule."
The Tide hosts Alabama-Huntsville in an exhibition contest Nov. 8 providing the first glimpse of the 2010-11 squad. Four days later UA begins regular season action against Florida A&M in Coleman Coliseum followed by a visit from Troy, a 2010 NIT participant on Nov. 15. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands follows, with a first-round game against Seton Hall Nov. 19 and a second-round contest against either Iowa or Xavier, which has advanced to the 'Sweet 16' in three straight seasons. Alabama's final game in the islands will come against either Clemson, Old Dominion, Saint Peter's or Long Beach State.
Alabama is no stranger to the Paradise Jam, winning the event in 2006 in a field that featured Anthony Grant's VCU team.
The Tide returns to the mainland to host in-state foes Alabama A&M and South Alabama before returning to the road to face Providence and defending Big Ten Champion Purdue. A home date against Southeastern Louisiana follows next before the Tide faces Oklahoma State in the Sonic All-College Classic in Oklahoma City.
Visits from Lipscomb and Pepperdine close out the 2010 portion of the schedule on Dec. 21 and 28, respectively. Those two games will feature familiar faces as Lipscomb is coached by Scott Sanderson, the son of former Alabama head coach Wimp Sanderson while Pepperdine is coached by Tom Asbury, an assistant coach for the Tide from 2004-07.
A home date with Toledo ushers in 2011 on Jan. 3 before the SEC schedule begins at Mississippi State Jan. 8. The Tide's first home SEC date comes four days later with South Carolina visiting Tuscaloosa. In addition to SEC Western Division rivals Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi and Mississippi State, Alabama will face Kentucky and Georgia from the Eastern Division in Coleman Coliseum. The Tide will visit Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Florida in the Eastern Division.
After 16 conference games, Alabama and the other 11 SEC programs will meet in Atlanta for the 2011 SEC Tournament March 10-13 at the Georgia Dome.
