Men's Basketball Notebook - Oct. 20
10/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 20, 2011
Crimson Tide Ranked 17th in USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll
The University of Alabama men's basketball team is ranked 17th in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 preseason coaches poll, released Thursday. UA finds itself in 17th after amassing a 25-12 record and appearing in the NIT championship game last season while returning its top three scorers.
The Crimson Tide is one of four Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the preseason top 25 along with Kentucky (2), Vanderbilt (7) and Florida (10).
"Any time you have expectations, that's certainly a good thing," head coach Anthony Grant said of the preseason ranking. "When you have a level of excitement about your team, that creates a level of pride for us. At the same time you realize that's not going to win any games for you and it really doesn't matter where you are in the preseason. You've got to go out and perform and we've got a very short amount of time to get ready for a very tough schedule."
The ranking is UA's first preseason ranking since opening the 2006-07 season ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll.
First Week of Team Practice in the Books
Thursday's practice wrapped up the first week of official team practices and to date, head coach Anthony Grant has been pleased with what he has seen from his squad.
"The first week was productive," Grant said. "It's always good to get back on the court and we were able to get at least a part of our system in. Our guys have done a good job of understanding the things that we're trying to get done on a daily basis."
Whether it be from the team's six veterans or its fresh-faced newcomers, the third-year head coach has been pleased with the effort and intensity he has seen from his squad.
"We're not where we need to be," Grant said. "But overall I thought the effort - to do what we needed to do as a team - I think they did a good job with that in the first week."
That effort and focus has been evident to the veterans players as well.
"The biggest thing is everyone is giving 110 percent effort and listening to the coaches," sophomore guard Trevor Releford said. "We know that we've got to get better every day and that mentality is going to help prepare us for our first game."
However, there are still many areas in need of improvement, most notably getting the defense back to its 2010-11 form according to Releford.
"That's [defense] what we live off of," Releford added. "If we can get our defense back to where it was at and then better than last year, then we can really play to our potential."
Tide to Host Open Practice/Scrimmage
Fans in town for Saturday's football game are encouraged to come early to Coleman Coliseum to get a sneak peek of the 2011-12 men's basketball team. The Tide will be hold an open scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 22 on the Coliseum's main floor at 11:30 a.m.
"There's been a lot of interest in people wanting to watch this team and it's good for our guys to get that game feel, even though it's early," Grant said. "I don't expect us to be where we need to be, but it's good for our guys to get a feel for that atmosphere."
Doors to the Coliseum will open to the general public at 11 a.m. with the scrimmage starting at 11:30 a.m. and continuing until approximately 1:30 p.m. Following the scrimmage, the Crimson Tide will sign autographs for 45 minutes for the fans in attendance.
Season Ticket Mini-Plans Available
The University of Alabama athletic ticket office has announced the availability of two five-game mini-plans for the upcoming 2011-12 season in addition to its full season ticket packages. Mini-plans will go on sale on Monday, Oct. 24 at 8 a.m.
Both the Crimson and White Starting Five mini-plans are available for $85 with the Crimson plan including games against Georgetown, LSU, Arkansas, Auburn and Tennessee.
The White Starting Five features tickets to contests against VCU, Vanderbilt, Mississippi, Florida and Mississippi State.
Fans can purchase season tickets for all 16 home dates and the exhibition at one of two price options. For $246, a seat can be purchased along either sideline above the Tide Pride seating or along the baseline above the Tide Pride sections. For $165 a seat can be reserved in sections A,G,H,M,N and Z. Season tickets for UA faculty and staff are also available for $199.
The ticket office also offers season ticket plans aimed directly at young alumni and UA parents with both groups being able to purchase season tickets for $165. The young alumni pricing is limited to students that graduated after 2007 and a campus-wide identification number (CWID) will be needed to qualify for the offer. Parents of current UA students can also take advantage of the exceptional offer by furnishing their student's CWID when purchasing season tickets.
All season ticket packages will include a ticket to the Dec. 21 contest against Oklahoma State in Birmingham, Ala.
To purchase season tickets or mini-plans, contact the Alabama ticket office, located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum, at 205.348.BAMA or click here.
