Alabama
Rhode Island
Alabama Men’s Basketball Hosts Rhode Island in Wednesday Night Showdown
12/5/2017 12:39:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Crimson Tide and Rams set to tip at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team will close out its three-game homestand when it welcomes Rhode Island on Wednesday night in Coleman Coliseum. The contest will tip at 7 p.m. CT and will be televised on SEC Network+. It will mark the last home game played at Coleman Coliseum until the Tide hosts Texas A&M on Dec. 30 (5 p.m. CT) in the SEC opener.
PROMOTIONS
• GREEK NIGHT - Free Pizza to all fraternities and sororities while supplies last, Greek Points
• ALABAMA ATHLETICS TOY DRIVE - $5 ticket with toy donation
• GIVEAWAY – Free beanie to the first 500 students in attendance
THE BROADCAST
• Sunday's game will air on SEC Network+ with Eli Gold (play-by-play) and Wimp Sanderson (analyst) on the call.
• The radio broadcast can be found on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, with the pregame show beginning at 6 p.m. CT on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
OPENING TIP
• Alabama is receiving votes to be ranked nationally in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top-25 polls, which were both released on Monday afternoon. The Tide received 21 votes in the AP poll and is ranked No. 32 in the nation, while UA received six votes and is No. 40 in the nation in the Coaches poll.
• The Tide is facing arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation. Having already played the likes of Minnesota, BYU, UCF, Louisiana Tech and UT Arlington to name a few, Alabama will close the non-league slate with Rhode Island, at Arizona this week, then neutral-site game against Mercer and Texas all before Christmas.
• Donta Hall leads the nation in field goal percentage, connecting on 77.8 percent (42-of-54) from the field this season, including going a perfect 9-of-9 vs. UCF last Sunday. Hall, who has a team-high 21 dunks this season, also ranks second in the SEC and 18th nationally in blocks per game (2.8).
• Alabama enters Wednesday night's game ranked No. 6 in the ESPN.com RPI, while Rhode Island is ranked No. 7 in the same poll. According to ESPN, the Tide's non-league slate is ranked No. 10 in the nation through eight games.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama fell to 6-2 on the young season following a narrow 65-62 loss to UCF last Sunday. It was the first home defeat for the Tide on the year. The Tide's two losses (lost to then-No. 14 Minnesota, 89-84, on Nov. 25) have been by a combined eight points.
• Through its eight contests, the Tide is averaging 80.4 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 9.9 points per contest (80.4-70.5). As a team, Alabama is connecting on 50.7 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc. The Tide also owns a narrow +0.4 rebounding advantage (37.0-36.6) and averaging 14.4 assists per contest. Additionally, Alabama tops the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.6).
• Defensively, Alabama is allowing opponents to shoot 41.4 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from deep. In addition, the Tide is averaging 6.6 steals a contest. Despite struggling at the foul line this season (shooting 63.3 percent on the year, the Tide ranks second in the league and 45th nationally in free throws attempted (207).
• Four players are averaging double-figure scoring for the Tide, led by freshman Collin Sexton's 22.1 ppg. Sexton also tops Alabama in assists (4.0 apg). Freshman John Petty ranks second on the team with 12.3 ppg and tops UA in threes made (24) and attempted (62), while his 3.0 treys made per game is third-best in the SEC.
• Sophomore Donta Hall leads the nation in field goal percentage (.778, 42-of-54), while also leading Alabama in dunks (21), rebounds (6.8 rpg) and blocks (2.8 bpg). Hall is tied for third on the team with sophomore guard Dazon Ingram in points per game, both averaging 11.8. Ingram also ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.4 rpg) and assists (3.1 apg) a game.
SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND
• Alabama and Rhode Island will meet for just the second time in series history when the two teams square off on the hardwood on Wednesday night. The only other meeting between the teams took place on Dec. 29, 1992 when they met in the Cable Car Classic in Santa Clara, Calif. The Crimson Tide walked away from that game with a narrow 79-78 victory.
• Rhode Island comes into Wednesday night's contest coming off a 75-68 victory over rival Providence last Saturday. Fatts Russell led five Rams in double figures with 20 points in 24 minutes off the bench. Rhode Island connected on 20-of-23 free throws in the win, while the Friars connected on just 10-of-21 from the charity stripe.
• Senior Jared Terrell leads the Rams with 17.9 points per game, while fellow classmate E.C. Matthews, who has been sidelined the last five games with a wrist injury, is second on the team with 14.0 ppg. Andre Berry also averaged double figures at 10.4 points per contest. Guard Stanford Robinson leads the squad in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and steals (3.0 spg), while adding 9.9 ppg.
• As a team, Rhode Island is averaging 77.7 points per game, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from deep. The Rams are being outrebounded by the competition 31.4-33.0 (-1.6), but makes up for that deficit by averaging 9.4 steals per game.
• Rhode Island was the preseason choice to win the Atlantic 10, according to the league's head coaches and media. In addition, senior guards E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell were named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 Team. Matthews was a first-team selection, while Terrell earned spots on both the second team and the all-defensive team. The senior guards – who helped lead Rhode Island to the 2017 Atlantic 10 title – have combined to score 2,701 points, the second most among active teammates in the country.
ALABAMA NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
• The Crimson Tide is receiving votes to be ranked in both the Associated Press and the USA Today/Coaches Polls this week. Alabama's 21 votes in the AP poll is good for 32nd nationally, while the six votes in the coaches poll leaves the Tide No. 40 nationally.
• According to ESPN.com's latest RPI rankings, the Tide checks in at No. 6 in the nation and boasts the No. 10 non-conference strength of schedule. Alabama still has games remaining against Rhode Island, at Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma in the non-league slate. Meanwhile, CBSsports.com has the Tide at No. 18 in its RPI, while KenPom.com ranks UA No. 21.
• Alabama has been receiving votes to be ranked throughout the early part of the season, and was ranked as high as No. 24 nationally by the AP poll (week 4).
• Alabama was rated No. 24 by Blue Ribbon's Preseason Top 25, while NBC Sports ranked Alabama No. 23 nationally in its preseason rankings.
NUGGETS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Donta Hall tops the SEC in field goal percentage at 77.8 percent (42-of-54), is second in blocks per game (2.8 bpg) and 12th in rebounding (6.8 rpg). Hall tops the Tide with 21 dunks which equates to exactly 50 percent of his made field goals this year.
• Collin Sexton leads the SEC in scoring average (22.1 ppg) and also ranks among the league leaders in field goal percentage (T-8th, .485), steals (T-9th, 1.4) and assists (10th, 4.0).
• John Petty leads the league and ranks 40th in the nation in threes attempted (62), and ranks second in the SEC and 50th nationally in threes made (24).
• Sexton is the second-leading scorer among all freshman in power five conferences. Oklahoma's Trae Young leads the category with 28.7 ppg, Sexton is second at 22.1 ppg, while Duke's Marvin Bagley III ranks third at 22.0 ppg.
• Freshman Herbert Jones has drawn 10 charges already this season. Since the stat was kept at Alabama, the most charges for an entire season by a single player was Braxton Key who drew 14 charges in 2016-17, followed by Retin Obasohan's 10 charges taken in 2014-15.
• As a team, Alabama leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.8).
• Last season, Alabama scored 82 points or more in only four games, with one of those games going to quadruple overtime (won 90-86 at South Carolina). The Tide has achieved the feat in four of its first eight games this year.
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