Alabama
Florida
Alabama Men’s Basketball Hosts Florida Tuesday on Senior Night
2/26/2018 3:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tide and Gators will tip off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama will play its final home game when it welcomes the Florida Gators for Senior Night on Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Fans are encouraged to be in Coleman Coliseum by 5:45 p.m. CT, as head coach Avery Johnson and the Crimson Tide will honor the 2018 Senior Class prior to tipoff.
Tuesday's contest will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season. In the first meeting back on Feb. 3, Alabama outscored Florida, 41-17, in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit and result in a 68-50 victory for the Tide. With the win, Alabama has won back-to-back contests at Florida for the first time since the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
Most recently, Alabama dropped its third consecutive contest – its longest losing streak of the season – when it fell at home to Arkansas, 76-73, on Saturday night in Coleman Coliseum. It was just the third home loss of the season for the Tide under the arched roof (12-3) and the second home loss in SEC play (6-2).
Sophomore Braxton Key led the Tide with 16 points to go along with five boards, while freshman Collin Sexton added 15 points and a game-high six assists. Both John Petty (14 points) and Dazon Ingram (13 points) finished in double figures in the loss.
THE BROADCAST
• Tuesday's game will air on ESPN with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Sean Farnham (analyst) and Laura Rutledge 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 5 p.m. CT on the Crimson Tide Sports Network.
OPENING TIP
• The Crimson Tide will be looking for back-to-back wins over the Gators for the first time since capturing consecuitve victories in the 1997 (won, 80-66 on March 6, 1997) and 1998 (won, 80-66 on Feb. 14, 1998) seasons. Moreover, Alabama has not defeated Florida twice in the same season since doing so 27 years ago during the 1990-91 campaign (won 68-58 on Feb. 1 and 62-60 on March 12).
• Alabama has won five games over AP Top-25 opponents this season, holding a 5-2 record against ranked foes. 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 owns wins over then-No. 5 Texas A&M, then-No. 17 Auburn, then-No. 12 Oklahoma, then-No. 23 Florida and then-No. 15 Tennessee this season. The only ranked opponents Alabama has lost two have both come on the road, coming to then-No. 14 Minnesota back on Nov. 25 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and most recently to No. 12 Auburn on Feb. 21.
• Alabama boasts a 3-1 record against teams in the ESPN.com RPI top 12 (as of Feb. 26). The Tide split its two games with No. 7 Auburn and defeated both No. 8 Rhode Island and No. 12 Tennessee.
• The NCAA selection committee is no longer using only RPI top 50, top 100, 200 and 201 and above as dividing categories. Instead, the new terminology will be quadrants 1, 2, 3 and 4 – something the helps bolster the Tide's 2017-18 tournament resume. Quadrant 1 RPI wins include home 1-30; neutral 1-50; away 1-75. Quadrant 2 include home 31-75; neutral 51-100; away 76-135. Entering the Florida game, Alabama is tied for fourth in the SEC in Quadrant 1 wins (5) while only four teams in the league in Q1 and Q2 wins combined with 10. Moreover, only 15 other teams in the nation have more Q1 victories than the Tide.
• In league games, Alabama ranks as one of the top defensive team in the SEC. Through 16 conference games, Alabama tops the SEC in blocks per game (5.6), ranks second in scoring defense (67.8) and field goal percentage defense (.399), while ranking third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.312) and third in steals (6.7).
• Alabama plays its final game of the regular season when it travels to take on Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon. It marks the second game played between the two teams this season. The Tide and Aggies opened the conference season back on Dec. 30 when Alabama captured a 79-57 victory over then-No. 5 Texas A&M in Coleman Coliseum.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
• Alabama lost its third straight contest when it fell at home to Arkanasas, 76-73, on Saturday. The Crimson Tide's current three-game skid is only its second losing streak of the season. The last occurrance game when Alabama dropped consecutive road games at Vanderbilt (Jan. 3) and at Georgia (Jan. 6).
• The Tide is averaging 73.3 points per game and outscoring the opposition by 3.7 points per contest (73.3-69.6). As a team, Alabama is connecting on 46.8 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Tide owns a -0.2 disadvantage on the glass this season (35.9-36.1) but owns a +6.2 advantage in points in the paint (34.8-28.6). Additionally, Alabama leads the SEC and is ranked sixth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.0).
• In addition to blocking shots, the Alabama defense is allowing opponents to shoot 41.0 percent from the field, which ranks 34th in the nation, and 31.9 percent from deep, which is 32nd-best in the country. The Tide is also averaging 6.7 steals a contest.
• In league games, Alabama ranks as one of the top defensive teams in the conference. Through 16 SEC games, Alabama leads the league in blocks per game (5.6), ranks second in scoring defense (67.8) and field goal percentage defense (.399) and ranks third in three-point field goal percentage defense (.312) and steals (6.7).
• Alabama ranks 40th nationally in free throws attempted (684) and 93rd in the nation in free throws made (448). Just over 21 percent of Alabama's point total (448 of 2,127 points) has come from the charity stripe. That number could be more, however, the Tide's 67.5 percent foul shooting ranks 301st in the nation.
• Three players are averaging double-figure scoring for the Tide, led by freshman Collin Sexton's 18.2 ppg. That number not only tops the team, but ranks second in the SEC. Sexton also tops the team in assists (3.5 apg) and field goals made (147) and attempted (336). Freshman John Petty ranks third on the team with 10.8 ppg and tops UA in threes made (75) and attempted (201), while his 2.6 treys made per game is fourth-best in the SEC.
• Junior Donta Hall leads the Tide in field goal percentage (.742, 132-of-178), 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 4.71 makes per game). Hall also tops the team in dunks (64), rebounds (7.1 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg), while ranking second with 11.1 points per game. Sophomore guard Dazon Ingram is averaging 10.0 ppg, and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and assists (2.7 apg) a game. Meanwhile, Ingram's 4.9 defensive rebounds per contest leads the team and ranks sixth in the SEC.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
• Alabama and Florida will meet for the 143rd time in series history – the eighth most times the Tide has played any one opponent. Alabama leads the all-time series, 75-67. However, Florida has won 12 of the last 14 and 23 of the last 28 games between the two teams
• Despite the Florida streak, the Crimson Tide has won two of the last three games between the two teams, with both of those wins coming in Gainesville. Most recently, Alabama captured a 68-50 victory over the Gators back on Feb. 3 in the first meeting between the two teams. Prior to that win. The Tide secured a 61-55 win at the O'Connell Center on Feb. 13, 2016 to snap an 11-game losing streak to the Gators.
• Florida has won six consecutive games over Alabama at Coleman Coliseum, which is the longest current streak by any SEC team. Alabama's last win over the Gators in Tuscaloosa came nearly 12 years to the day on Feb. 26, 2006 in which the Tide secured an 82-77 win over then-No. 22 Florida.
• Florida head coach Mike White is in his third year as head men's basketball coach. White, who was officially hired on May 7, 2015, was named the 2014-15 Conference USA Coach of the Year and came to Gainesville after leading Louisiana Tech to a 101-40 record (.716) from 2010-14, including three straight conference championships. He owns a 66-35 (.653) record in three seasons at Florida and is 167-75 (.690) in his seven seasons as a head coach.
• Florida boasts four players who average in double figures and three others who are averaging at least 30 minutes per game coming into Tuesday's contest. Junior Jalen Hudson tops the team with 15.0 points per game and 66 made threes, while also averaging 4.1 rebounds per contest. Graduate transfer Egor Koulechov tops the team with 6.7 rpg to go along with 13.7 ppg. Point guard Chris Chiozza is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg and leads the Gators in assists (6.2 apg), steals (1.9 spg) and minutes (32.2 mpg). Junior KeVaughn Allen also averages double figures with 11.2 points a game.
• Chiozza (32.2), Allen (31.0) and Koulechov (30.9) each average over 30 minutes per game, while only five players average 12 minutes or more for this year's Florida team.
ALABAMA-FLORIDA – SERIES NOTES
• Tuesday's game will mark the 143rd meeting on the hardwood between Alabama and Florida, which is the eighth-most games UA has played against any one opponent. The Tide owns a 75-67 edge in the all-time series.
• Tuesday's contest will mark the second meeting between the two teams this season. In the first meeting, Alabama outscored Florida, 41-17, in the second half to overcome a six-point halftime deficit and result in a 68-50 victory for the Tide. With the win, Alabama has won back-to-back contests at Florida for the first time since the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
• The last time Alabama defeated Florida at home came on Feb. 26, 2006. The Tide has lost six straight and eight of the last 10 to the Gators at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama owns an all-time record of 48-20 when playing Florida in Tuscaloosa and is 27-10 in games against the Gators in Coleman Coliseum.
• Alabama's snapped an 11-game losing streak to the Gators with a 61-55 win at the Stephen O'Connell Center on Feb. 13, 2016. With that win, Alabama also snapped a 10-game losing streak when playing Florida in Gainesville. Prior to the victory, the last time the Tide won on the Gators home floor came on Feb. 25, 1995.
• Despite winning two of the last three games over the Gators, Alabama has still dropped 12 of the 14 and 23 of the last 28 games played between the two teams.
• Fourteen of the last 19 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.
SELLING OUT COLEMAN
• There has been a lot of excitement surrounding Alabama basketball this year, and that is reflected in the home attendance average this season.
• After selling a record number of season tickets heading into the 2017-18 campaign, UA is heading for a record-setting average attendance. If that is achieved, it would mark the second time in head coach Avery Johnson's three years at the Capstone that there has been a new attendance record set.
• With one home game remaining in the regular season, Alabama is averaging 13,460 fans per game, which would top the record of 13,110 fans per game set in Johnson's first season (2015-16).
• UA had five sellouts this year and 14 full capacity crowds in Johnon's three seasons at Alabama.
• Below is a breakdown of the top five single-season attendance records at Coleman Coliseum:
SEASON OVERALL ATTENDANCE AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
1. 2017-18 215,358 13,460
2. 2015-16 196,655 13,110
3. 2011-12 199,749 12,484
4. 1990-91 149,380 12,448
5. 2006-07 196,552 12.284
6. 1976-77 133,130 12,103
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