Men's Basketball Travels to Arkansas
2/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Alabama Basketball Preview - Alabama at Arkansas
Alabama (17-9, 6-6 SEC) at Arkansas (17-10, 5-7 SEC)
Crimson Tide Basketball Central
Basketball Home | Season Statistics | Roster | Media Guide | TideTV - Watch the games online! | SEC Basketball | NCAA BasketballFeb. 22, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -
The University of Alabama men's basketball team plays its next-to-last Southeastern Conference road game of the season on Thursday when it faces Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The contest, broadcast by ESPN2 and on the radio affiliates of the Crimson Tide Sports Network, is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. CST in Bud Walton Arena.
The Crimson Tide has won four of its last six games to improve to 17-9 on the season and an even 6-6 in SEC action after defeating Tennessee, 62-50, at home on Saturday. The Tide is 2-4 in SEC road games this season and is one of just four SEC teams to have multiple road wins in the league.
The Razorbacks have dropped four of their last five outings to fall to 17-10 overall and 5-7 in the SEC. However, the squad has lost just once this season in Bud Walton Arena.
"There's been a lot said about their success at home and we are fully aware of that," UA head coach Anthony Grant said of facing Arkansas on its home court. "Anytime you go on the road, you know you're going to be in a hostile environment and Arkansas in my opinion is one of the best environments in our league if not in our country. We understand that we have to be able to control the things we can control."
Alabama won the first meeting this season, 72-66, behind 18 points from Trevor Releford and a 50 percent shooting effort from the field for the team.
"It was the kind of game where we were comfortable because they do a lot of the things that we do in terms of style of play," junior Andrew Steele said of the first meeting between the two teams. "We understand they are a tough team, I think we only won by six and we are going to their home building where they just lost a game to a good Florida team so we understand it's going to be a tough challenge for us."
In the Tide's last outing, Steele had one of his top games at UA with 10 points, a career-high seven assists and five steals as the Tide recorded 15 steals as a team.
That effort helped the Alabama defense solidify its position as one of the top in the nation by allowing a 58.1 points per game this season, the 11th best average in the nation and the second best in the SEC. Only nine of UA's 26 opponents, including Arkansas, have even reached the 60-point mark in regulation this season and four have failed to score 50 points.
Offensively, UA's bench has stepped up with the reserves averaging 28.2 points in the four games prior to the LSU game. In its last two games, UA's bench has held a 43-6 advantage and has outscored its opponent in each of the last seven games.
Arkansas is led by B.J. Young's 15.1 points per game. In the Razorbacks' 98-68 loss to Florida, Young scored a career-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting.
Following Thursday's game, the Tide will return to Coleman Coliseum to host Mississippi State on Saturday at 5 p.m.
