Men's Basketball Set to Travel to Vanderbilt
2/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2011
| Alabama Basketball Preview - at Vanderbilt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alabama (15-7, 7-1 SEC) at Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-4 SEC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama men's basketball team continues its trip through the Volunteer State on Thursday when it faces Vanderbilt in Nashville. The game is slated to begin at 8 p.m. CST on ESPN2 and the radio affiliates of the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
The Crimson Tide has won 10 of its last 11 games after defeating Tennessee, 65-60, in overtime on Saturday evening to improve to 15-7 overall and an SEC best 7-1 in league play. Alabama's 7-1 start to SEC play is its best start since the 2001-02 team got off to a 7-1 start as well.
Alabama's defense, which has been its strong point all season, is allowing just 57.1 points per game, the third-best average in the nation. In the Tide's last 11 games, only three opponents (Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi State) have scored more than 60 points in regulation.
Alabama will have its hands full on Thursday as Vanderbilt (16-6, 4-4 SEC) leads the SEC in scoring and is 25th nationally with 77.9 points per game. It will be even more difficult on the road as the Commodores average 82.7 points per home contest.
"They've got a very versatile group in terms of putting the ball in the hole," UA head coach Anthony Grant said of Vanderbilt's offense. "They can beat you on the perimeter, they can beat you inside and they are a very physical team. They are a big team so obviously they present some challenges for us on the defensive side."
On the offensive side of the ball, JaMychal Green has led Alabama in SEC play with 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in SEC games. Green has been efficient in his career against Vanderbilt averaging a double-double in three career games. In addition to Green, sophomore Tony Mitchell is coming off a career-high 24 points at Tennessee and is averaging 23.5 points in his last two games.
Trevor Releford, who is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, has averaged 11.3 points on 49.3 percent shooting with 3.6 assists per game against SEC foes. In SEC road games he is averaging 14.4 points per game.
The Tide will be aiming for its first 8-1 start to SEC play since the 1986-87 season when the squad got off to an 8-1 start en route to a 16-2 league record and the regular-season and tournament championship.
Alabama leads the all-time series with Vanderbilt by a 66-63 margin but has not won in Memorial Gym since Feb. 3, 1990.
Following Thursday's game, the Tide will return home to face Mississippi on Saturday Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. on the SEC network.
