Alabama
Kentucky
Alabama Begins Crucial Two-Game Road Swing on Saturday at Kentucky
2/16/2018 12:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tide and Wildcats set to play in front of national audience on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama will begin a two-game road swing when it takes on the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on CBS. It will mark the only meeting between the two teams this season.
Alabama is coming off its second consecutive victory and seventh win over the last 10 games when it took an 80-65 victory over LSU on Tuesday night. The win gave the Crimson Tide a series sweep over the Tigers and marked the fifth straight win in the series.
Four Alabama players scored in double figures against the Tigers, led by junior forward Donta Hall who collected team highs of 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the victory. Freshman Collin Sexton collected 15 points and a game-high six assists, while sophomore Braxton Key (12 points) and freshman John Petty (11 points) both reached double figures in the victory.
THE BROADCAST
• Tuesday's game will air on CBS with Andrew Catalon (play-by-play) and Steve Lappas (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 noon CT on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
OPENING TIP
• Over his last two games, junior Donta Hall is averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. At the same time, the junior forward is shooting 80.0 percent from the field (16-of-20), while 11 of his 16 made field goals have been dunks. He currently leads the SEC with 60 dunks this season.
• Saturday's game at Kentucky features two of the youngest teams in the nation. Ken Pomeroy ranks Alabama's experience at 348 out of 351 teams in the nation, while the Wildcats ranks last in the NCAA at 0.19 years of experience. According to his formula which is determined by a player's eligibility class (a freshman has zero years of experience, a sophomore has one year of experience, etc.), Alabama owns a 0.76 rating, which is the least experienced team in school history. The previous record in the rankings, which began in 2007, was the Tide's 2012 squad which was ranked No. 322 with 1.01 years of experience.
• Alabama boasts a 5-1 record against teams in the CBS.com top-21 RPI (as of Feb. 15). The Tide has beaten No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Rhode Island, No. 13 Tennessee, No. 18 Texas A&M and No. 21 Oklahoma.
• The Tide leads the SEC in Quadrant 1 wins with six such victories this season. Only five teams have more Q1 wins than UA: Kansas (9), Villanova (8), Virginia (8), Xavier (8) and North Carolina (7).
• In league games, Alabama ranks as the top defensive team in the SEC. Through 13 conference games, Alabama leads the league in scoring defense (64.5), field goal percentage defense (.388) and blocks per game (5.6), while ranking second in steals (7.0) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.297).
• Alabama owns a record of 5-1 against Associated Press top-25 teams, including having won five consecutive games over ranked opponents following the 78-50 win over then-No. 15 Tennessee. It's the first time in program history the Tide has won five games over AP top-25 teams in a single season, bettering the four ranked victories accomplished four other seasons (1982-83, 1986-87, 2001-02, 2015-16).
• Alabama will travel to take on rival Auburn on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network. It will be the second game between the two teams this season. The Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers, 76-71, back on Jan. 17 in the first meeting between the teams this season.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama used a dominating 26-3 second half run to pull away from LSU, 80-65, last Tuesday night in Coleman Coliseum. With the win, the Crimson Tide claimed its second straight win and seventh victory over its last 10 contests.
• The Tide is averaging 73.5 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 5.3 points per contest (73.5-68.2). As a team, Alabama is connecting on 46.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Tide owns +1.0 advantage on the boards, 36.5-35.5 per game. Additionally, Alabama ranks first in the SEC and is sixth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.0).
• In addition to blocking shots, the Alabama defense is allowing opponents to shoot 40.5 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from deep, while also averaging 6.8 steals a contest.
• In league games, Alabama ranks as the top defensive teams in the SEC. Through 13 conference games, Alabama leads the league in scoring defense (64.5), field goal percentage defense (.388) and blocks per game (5.6), while ranking second in steals (7.0) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.297).
• The Tide ranks 10th in the SEC in league games only in free throw percentage at 71.1 percent, which is an improvement from shooting 67.8 percent at the line for the season during the entire season, which ranks 13th in the SEC. Furthermore, Alabama ranks 42nd nationally in free throws attempted (571) and is 81st in the nation in free throws made (387). In fact, just over 21 percent of Alabama's point total (403 of 1,912 points) has come from the charity stripe.
• Four players are averaging double-figure scoring for the Tide, led by freshman Collin Sexton's 18.3 ppg. That number not only tops the team, but also ranks third in the SEC and 95th nationally. Sexton also tops the team in assists (3.5 apg) and field goals made (132) and attempted (303). Freshman John Petty ranks third on the team with 10.8 ppg and tops UA in threes made (67) and attempted (176), while his 2.6 treys made per game is fourth-best in the SEC.
• Junior Donta Hall leads the Tide in field goal percentage (.745, 120-of-161), which would lead the country but he's just shy of meeting the minimum requirement of 5.0 or more field goals made per game (Hall is at 4.80 made per game). Hall also tops the team in dunks (60), rebounds (7.2 rpg) and blocks (2.3 bpg), while ranking second with 11.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Dazon Ingram is averaging 10.0 ppg, and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg) a game. Meanwhile, Ingram's 5.2 defensive rebounds per contest is third-best in the SEC.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama used a dominating 26-3 second half run to pull away from LSU, 80-65, last Tuesday night in Coleman Coliseum. With the win, the Crimson Tide claimed its second straight win and seventh victory over its last 10 contests.
• The Tide is averaging 73.5 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 5.3 points per contest (73.5-68.2). As a team, Alabama is connecting on 46.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc. The Tide owns +1.0 advantage on the boards, 36.5-35.5 per game. Additionally, Alabama ranks first in the SEC and is sixth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.0).
• In addition to blocking shots, the Alabama defense is allowing opponents to shoot 40.5 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from deep, while also averaging 6.8 steals a contest.
• In league games, Alabama ranks as the top defensive teams in the SEC. Through 13 conference games, Alabama leads the league in scoring defense (64.5), field goal percentage defense (.388) and blocks per game (5.6), while ranking second in steals (7.0) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.297).
• The Tide ranks 10th in the SEC in league games only in free throw percentage at 71.1 percent, which is an improvement from shooting 67.8 percent at the line for the season during the entire season, which ranks 13th in the SEC. Furthermore, Alabama ranks 42nd nationally in free throws attempted (571) and is 81st in the nation in free throws made (387). In fact, just over 21 percent of Alabama's point total (403 of 1,912 points) has come from the charity stripe.
• Four players are averaging double-figure scoring for the Tide, led by freshman Collin Sexton's 18.3 ppg. That number not only tops the team, but also ranks third in the SEC and 95th nationally. Sexton also tops the team in assists (3.5 apg) and field goals made (132) and attempted (303). Freshman John Petty ranks third on the team with 10.8 ppg and tops UA in threes made (67) and attempted (176), while his 2.6 treys made per game is fourth-best in the SEC.
• Junior Donta Hall leads the Tide in field goal percentage (.745, 120-of-161), which would lead the country but he's just shy of meeting the minimum requirement of 5.0 or more field goals made per game (Hall is at 4.80 made per game). Hall also tops the team in dunks (60), rebounds (7.2 rpg) and blocks (2.3 bpg), while ranking second with 11.4 points per game. Sophomore guard Dazon Ingram is averaging 10.0 ppg, and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg) a game. Meanwhile, Ingram's 5.2 defensive rebounds per contest is third-best in the SEC.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
• Saturday's game marks the 148th game played between Alabama and Kentucky – the fifth-most games played against any one opponent in UA men's basketball history. The Wildcats own a 110-37 edge in the all time series, including having won eight straight games overall, 10 of the last 11 and 15 of the last 17 contests between the two teams.
• Saturday's game will mark the only meeting between the two teams this season. It's the first time since the 2013-14 season that the teams will only play once during the season.
• Kentucky is the only team – and one of the few teams in the nation – who has less years of experience than Alabama, according to the KenPom.com rankings. The Wildcats rank No. 351 out of 351 in the category with 0.18 years of experience. The Crimson Tide ranks 348th in the nation at 0.77 years of experience.
• Kentucky head coach John Calipari comes into Saturday's game with an all-time record of 711-202 (.779) in his 26th season at the helm of the men's basketball program. Now in his ninth season at UK, Calipari owns a record of 266-61 (.813). Calipari has led his teams to great success, having secured 24 consecutive 20-win seasons coming into the 2017-18 campaign.
• The Wildcats are led by freshman forward Kevin Knox, who comes into Saturday's contest against Alabama leading the team in scoring at 15.2 points, while also topping this year's squad in minutes (32.9 mpg), field goals made (134) and attempted (295) and three-pointers made (42) and attempted (119). Freshman guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages 12.9 ppg and a team-leading 4.5 apg, while freshmen Hamidou Diallo (11.2 ppg) and PJ Washington (10.0 ppg) are also averaging double figures.
• As a team, Kentucky is outscoring the competition by an average of 4.9 points per contest (75.6-70.7) and owns a +4.6 advantage on the boards (38.8-34.2). The Wildcats lead the SEC in three-point field goal percentage defense (.291) and ranks second in rebounding offense (38.8 rpg).
ALABAMA-KENTUCKY – SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game will mark the 148th meeting in series history between to two schools. It will mark the only meeting during the regular season between the two teams.
• The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide twice during the 2016-17 season. Alabama dropped a 67-58 decision to Kentucky in Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 11. The two teams met again in the SEC Tournament semifinals and the Wildcats captured a 79-74 come-from-behind victory on March 11.
• The 148 games played against one another stands as UA's fifth-most common opponent in program lore. Kentucky owns a 110-37 edge in the all-time series.
• The Tide is 10-56 all-time against the Wildcats in Lexington and owns a 6-24 mark against UK in Rupp Arena. Alabama has lost seven straight games when playing Kentucky in Lexington. The last time Alabama won at Rupp Arena came on Jan. 14, 2006 (won, 68-64).
• Alabama has only won twice in the last 15 games played at Rupp Arena.
• The Tide has dropped 15 of the last 17 games played against the Wildcats. The last UA victory over UK came on a 59-55 win on Jan. 22, 2013 in Coleman Coliseum.
• The series began in 1923.
TOPPLING THE TOP 25
• Alabama head coach Avery Johnson has led his teams to success when playing against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 during his three seasons at the Capstone.
• In 18 total games played against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, Johnson has led the Tide to a record of 10-8. That's a huge improvement, especially considering prior his arrival, Alabama had lost 21 consecutive games to nationally-ranked opponents.
• This season alone, the Crimson Tide boasts a record of 5-1 against Top-25 teams, including five consecutive wins over ranked opponents. Alabama has toppled then-No. 5 Texas A&M (79-57 on Dec. 30), then-No. 17 Auburn (76-71 on Jan. 17), then-No. 12 Oklahoma (80-73 on Jan. 27) and then-No. 23 Florida (68-50 on Feb. 3) and then-No. 15 Tennessee (78-50 on Feb. 10).
• The five wins over ranked opponents in a single season is a new program record. This year's record mark topped the four victories over ranked foes which was set in four different seasons (1981-82, 1986-87, 2001-02 and 2015-16).
• That number is not only a school record, but also ranks among the nation's leader. The Crimson Tide is one of just three schools who has five or more top-25 wins this season.
Ranked Wins School Home Road Neutral
6 Oklahoma 3 2 1
6 Texas Tech 4 1 1
5 Alabama 4 1 0
4 Duke 1 1 2
4 Florida 0 2 2
4 NC State 2 1 1
4 Oklahoma State 1 2 1
4 Texas A&M 1 2 1
4 Xavier 3 1 0
SEXTON CAMPAIGNING FOR FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
• Freshman guard Collin Sexton has played in 23 contests and shown why he was one of the most highly-touted recruits to come to Alabama in program history. He currently ranks third in the SEC with 18.3 points per game, while also topping the team with 3.5 assists per contest, 132 field goals made and 303 field goals attempted.
• Consider the following about Sexton's start to the season: Ranks third in the SEC and 95th nationally in scoring average ... ranks third in the SEC in both free throws made (127) and free throws attempted (165) – despite not playing in three games this year ... ranks 42nd nationally in free throws made and is 81st in the nation in foul shots attempted ... has 19 double-figure scoring games, 10 games of 20 or more points and two games of 30 or more points.
• Sexton broke the Alabama freshman scoring record when we went for 40 points against Minnesota on Nov. 25 – his fifth game with the Crimson Tide. The UA record was held by Alvin Lee who went for 36 points against Vanderbilt on Feb. 17, 1988. Furthermore, the last time a UA player went for 40 in a game came nearly 40 years ago, when Reggie King scored 43 against Virginia on March 12, 1979.
• After sitting out the season opener vs. Memphis (11/10), Sexton scored 22 points in his collegiate debut against Lipscomb on Nov. 14. The last time a true UA freshman scored that many points in his debut came on Nov. 24, 1978, when Eddie Phillips went for 25 points in his first career game in a 96-74 loss to Wagner.
• The Mableton, Ga., native scored 20 or more points in each of his first three games for the Tide (25 vs. Alabama A&M on Nov. 17 and 29 vs. UT Arlington on Nov. 21). In doing so, Sexton became the first freshman in the modern era to accomplish three consecutive 20-point games in his first three collegiate contests. Freshman were allowed to play with the varsity beginning in the 1975-76 season. Prior to that, Charles Cleveland, playing on the 1971-72 freshman team, scored 22 or more points in each of his first three games to begin the season.
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