Alabama
South Carolina
Alabama Returns to the Road to Square Off at South Carolina Tuesday Night
2/25/2019 1:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Crimson Tide and Gamecocks will tip at 6 p.m. CT (7 p.m. ET) on ESPN2
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama closes the month of February with its lone road game in the current four-game stretch when it travels to Columbia, S.C., to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Tuesday's contest, which will the first and only meeting between the two teams this season, will tip off at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on ESPN2.
Alabama and South Carolina will meet for the 46th time overall, with the Crimson Tide owning a 29-16 edge in the series history. Alabama has won three straight contests over the Gamecocks and has captured victories in five of the last six meetings between the two teams. In the only meeting last season, Alabama captured a 76-62 victory over USC. The Tide also won the last time it came to Colonial Life Arena, capturing a memorable 90-86 win in quadruple overtime on Feb. 7, 2017.
The Crimson Tide snapped a three-game losing streak with a 68-61 victory over Vanderbilt last Saturday night. After the Commodores opened the game with a bucket, Alabama scored 18 of the next 20 points to take a commanding 18-4 lead and never looked back. The Tide led for 39 minutes and by as many as 23 points before settling for the seven-point win.
THE BROADCAST
• Tuesday's game will air on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Paul Biancardi (analyst) on the call.
• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.
NOTES YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Coming into Saturday's game at South Carolina, the Tide is ranked No. 53 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings (as of Feb. 25) and own the No. 31 overall strength of schedule. Alabama is 9-10 against Quadrant 1 (2-7) and Quadrant 2 (7-3) opponents this year. The nine wins against Q1 and Q2 teams ranks fifth-best in the SEC. The Crimson Tide trails only LSU (14-4), Kentucky (12-4), Mississippi State (12-7) and Tennessee (10-3) in combined Q1 and Q2 victories. Furthermore, Alabama's seven Q2 wins (7-3) is tied for the most wins among the SEC in the category and is tied for fourth-most nationally. Finally, the Tide's 19 combined games vs. Q1 and Q2 opposition is tied for the most in the SEC, while its eight contests against Q3 (4-1) and Q4 (3-0) are tied for the fewest in the conference.
• The 70-point mark seems to be a key for the Crimson Tide team this season. On the year, Alabama has a record of 15-3 when scoring 70 or more points in a game. However, the Tide is 1-8 this season when scoring less than 70 points in a contest, with last Saturday's contest being the first game UA has won when it fails to reach 70 points in a game this season.
• The Crimson Tide owns a 10-3 record under the arched roof of Coleman Coliseum, with two of those defeats coming on buzzer-beating three-pointers. Most recently, Alabama fell to Texas A&M on Jan. 12 when TJ Starks drained an improbable shot from beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded, lifting the Aggies to an 81-80 victory. The other occurrence came back on Dec. 4 when Georgia State's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Panthers an 83-80 victory.
• The Alabama reserves have been a strength of this year's team, averaging more than 25 points per contest (25.2) entering the contest at South Carolina. For the year, the Crimson Tide bench has been outscored just five times and is outscoring its counterparts by nearly seven points per contest (25.2-18.3).
• The Tide is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation but has struggled as of late in the category. Through its first 18 games, Alabama outrebounded the opposition 17 times and went 12-6 over the stretch. However, UA has won the battle of the boards only once in its last eight games and has gone 4-5 in those contests.
• Despite the recent struggles, Alabama ranks sixth in the SEC and 76th nationally in rebounding margin (+3.6), outrebounding the opposition by an average of 37.2-33.6. In SEC games only, the Tide has outrebounded seven of its league opponents and ranks fifth in the league in rebound margin at +1.5 (36.1-34.6).
• In the 68-61 win over Vanderbilt last Saturday night, Alabama claimed its first win this season when scoring fewer than 70 points. For the year, the Crimson Tide is 1-8 on the year when it does not hit the 70-point mark, but boasts a 15-3 record when scoring 70 or more points this season.
• Alabama begins a two-game homestand when it welcomes No. 13 LSU to Coleman Coliseum for Senior Day. The contest, which will be televised on ESPN and tip at 11 a.m. CT, will be the second match-up between the two teams this season. LSU claimed an 89-79 victory over Alabama on Jan. 8 in Baton Rouge, La.
ABOUT ALABAMA
• Alabama snapped a season-long three-game losing skid when it captured a 68-61 victory over Vanderbilt last Saturday night. After the Commodores scored the first basket of the game, the Crimson Tide outscored 18-2 over the next six-plus minutes to take an 18-4 lead. Alabama would not trail again and led by as many as 23 points before settling for the seven-point win.
• Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads a balanced scoring attack that features eight Alabama players averaging at least 5.5 points per game, while 10 players are averaging double-digit minutes. Three UA players average in double figures as Lewis' 14.2 points per game tops the Tide and ranks 11th in the SEC. Senior Donta Hall ranks second on the team at 10.9 ppg, while sophomore John Petty Jr. is collecting 10.5 points per game.
• Lewis leads UA in assists (2.9 apg), minutes (31.3) and free throw shooting (77-of-97, .794), while ranking second in steals (22), threes made (46) and attempted (123). Meanwhile, Hall tops the team in total dunks (53), rebounds (8.5 rpg), blocks (1.9 bpg), double-figure contests (19) and double-doubles (11). He currently ranks among the league leaders in double-doubles (1st), rebounding (3rd) and blocked shots (7th). Petty leads the Tide in three-point field goals made (47) and attempted (139) and ranks second on the team in minutes (28.9) and in rebounding (4.1).
• Junior Tevin Mack, who scored a season-high 25 points in the win over Georgia, is averaging 9.1 ppg, while junior Dazon Ingram (7.7 ppg), senior Riley Norris (6.5 ppg) and sophomores Herbert Jones (6.1 ppg) and Alex Reese (5.5 ppg) are all averaging at least 5.5 points per contest. Ingram tops the team in three-point shooting (15-of-35, .429), while Norris is second (25-of-62, 40.3 percent) over his 19 games played. Meanwhile Jones, who is considered one of the top defenders in the Southeastern Conference, tops UA with 17 charges taken and in total steals (25).
• As a team, Alabama enters Tuesday's contest as one of the top rebounding teams in the nation. The Tide has been outrebounded in just eight of its 27 games on the year and ranks sixth in the SEC and 76th nationally with a 3.6 advantage on the glass (37.2-33.6). UA is shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from beyond the arc on the year, while outscoring the competition by 1.7 points per game (73.5-71.8). Additionally, the Tide is 14th in the nation in blocks per game (5.0).
• Through 13 games in conference play, Lewis leads the team in scoring at 13.4 ppg, while Petty is averaging 10.8 ppg and has knocked down 36.8 percent of his shots from beyond the arc (25-of-68). Meanwhile, Hall is averaging nearly a double-double at 10.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game – a number that tops the SEC in conference games only. Ingram leads the Tide in assists (2.9) while ranking in a tie for second with Lewis in total steals (10).
• As a team in league play, Alabama is one of six teams separated by two games entering the final two weeks of the regular season. The Tide owns a 7-7 record in league play with four games remaining, including two of the next three which will be played in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is averaging 71.4 points per game in conference play, while outrebounding teams by +1.5 (36.1-34.5). The Tide is shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc and 67.6 percent from the charity stripe in SEC play. The Tide ranks third in the SEC in league games in three-point field goal percentage defense (.327), defensive rebounds (25.9) and blocked shots (4.6), fourth in rebounding offense (36.1) and fifth in scoring defense (72.1), rebounding margin (+1.5).
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
• South Carolina comes into its contest against Alabama in a tie for fourth place in the Southeastern Conference standings, having won three of its last five games with each victory coming at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks are coming off a 76-61 defeat at Mississippi State last Saturday night. South Carolina held a 36-29 leads at the half but was outscored 47-25 over the final 20 minutes.
• The Gamecocks finished the non-conference portion with a 5-8 record, but have won nine of their 14 SEC contests thanks in large part to consistent shooting from beyond the arc. South Carolina tops the SEC in league games only in three-point field goal percentage at 42.3 percent, while ranking in a tie for third in three-pointers made per game (8.4).
• Three South Carolina players average in double figures, led by senior Chris Silva and freshman A.J. Lawson won are both averaging 14.0 points per game. Senior Hassani Gravett is also collecting 11.1 ppg on the year, while topping the team in three-pointers made (54) and attempted (127). Silva leads the Gamecocks in rebounds (7.2 rpg) and blocks (2.1) per game, while Lawson is the team leader in assists (2.9) and steals (1.2) a game.
• As a team, the Gamecocks are narrowly outscoring the competition by +0.1 points per game (74.1-74.0) and outrebounding foes by +0.2 boards a contest (36.6-36.4). South Carolina is shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc which ranks third in the league.
• South Carolina is led by seventh-year head coach Frank Martin. Martin, who led the Gamecocks to a Final Four run in 2017, owns a record of 127-103 (.552) during his tenure with the Gamecocks and is 244-157 (.608) now in his 12th season as a head coach (spent five years at Kansas State).
NCAA TOURNAMENT RESUME
• UA enters the game with a NET Ranking of No. 53 nationally, while owning the No. 32 overall strength of schedule in the latest release (as of Feb. 25). Of the Tide's remaining four regular season contests, each are projected to be against Q1 and Q2 opposition (Quadrant 1 remaining opponents – vs. LSU on March 2, vs. Auburn on March 5 and at Arkansas on March 9; Quadrant 2 remaining opponents – at South Carolina on Feb. 26).
• Heading into Tuesday night's game at South Carolina, Alabama is a combined 9-10 against Q1 and Q2 teams, owning 2-7 mark against Quadrant 1 opponents and a 7-3 record vs. teams in Quadrant 2 this season. Combined, UA's nine wins against Q1 and Q2 opposition this year trails only LSU (14), Kentucky (12), Mississippi State (12) and Tennessee (10) . Alabama is tied with Auburn at nine such wins and leads Ole Miss and South Carolina, both with seven combined Q1 and Q2 wins.
• Alabama's seven Q2 wins is tied for tops in the SEC with LSU and Auburn. Even more impressive is the Quadrant 2 win total ranks as the fourth-most in the nation.
• Alabama has a combined 19 games against Q1 and Q2 opposition which is tied for the most in the SEC. Meanwhile, the Tide has played just five games against Quadrant 3 teams (4-1) and three games against Quadrant 4 teams (3-0). The number of Q4 opponents is tied for the lowest number among all SEC schools (tied with LSU), while the combined eight games against Q3 and Q4 opponents is tied with three others for the fewest number of contests played and those teams.
• Alabama owns a 3-1 record against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and is 4-1 when playing teams ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll this season. The three wins ranks third in the SEC for most wins against ranked opponents (Kentucky has five, LSU has four). Furthermore, the Tide's .750 winning percentage against ranked opponents leads the SEC, ahead of Kentucky (5-2, .714) and LSU (4-2, .667).
For all the latest information on the team, follow AlabamaMBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
