No. 6/8 Alabama Ready to Take on Memphis Tuesday Night in First True Road Contest this Year

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 6/8 Alabama will put its four-game winning streak on the line when it travels to Memphis, Tenn., to take on the Memphis Tigers Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. Despite playing then-No. 3 Gonzaga in Seattle in what was termed a "semi-away" contest, the game against the Tigers will mark the Crimson Tide's first true road game of the 2021-22 campaign

Alabama is coming off back-to-back games over top-15 programs when it defeated then-No. 3/3 Gonzaga (91-82) on Dec. 4 followed by a narrow win over then-No. 14/13 Houston (83-82) on Dec. 11 in Tuscaloosa. It is the first time since February of 2000 that the Tide has achieved the feat (defeated then-No. 11 Auburn, 68-64, on Feb. 22, followed by an 80-75 win over then-No. 7 Tennessee on Feb. 26 in 2000).

At 8-1 on the year, Alabama is off to its best start to a season since beginning the 2006-07 campaign with a 13-1 record.

The Broadcast

Tuesday night's game will be available on ESPN with Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) on the call
The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call and Top Stipe (engineer) turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Coach Oats Previews Memphis

On what he saw from the Houston film and team mindset entering Memphis game:

"Obviously, defensive rebounding was a major problem against Houston. Memphis actually has a higher offensive rebounding rate than Houston did, so that's a huge point of emphasis. We've had a couple of days in between games. We knew Houston was a really good rebounding team, we still didn't do a very good job with it. Memphis' talent level is really high. Maybe the most talented team, like one through 11, that we've seen all year. And they're going to get this thing righted at some point. I think we're going to get their best shot. It's a home game for them and they're desperate, so our guys have got to understand that. I think we're playing pretty good basketball, but we still have a lot to improve on. We have to continue to keep getting better. We already know it doesn't take much to slip and it was not that long ago that we lost to Iona. We got to try and stay humble. Keep playing hard. Clean up what we got to clean up. We've got a great opportunity to get another quality win on the road here at Memphis."

On playing in the FedExForum and in front of a hostile crowd at Memphis:

"I've never coached there in that building. I've been there for some Memphis Grizzlies playoff games. It's a nice place. It's a good opportunity for guys to play in an NBA arena. The arena we played in Seattle, there is not an NBA team there, but it's an NBA-level arena. That place (Climate Pledge Arena) was packed with 18,000 fans that were rooting against us, so it was essentially a road game for us. So, we're going to have a similar environment here Memphis. This is going to be a true road game. That's their actual home arena they play in. We're looking forward to it. We like playing big games in that type of environment against some NBA-level talent."

Notes You Need To Know

The Tide comes into the game ranked No. 6 by the Associated Press and No. 8 in the Coaches Poll according to the most recent national rankings, which were revealed on Monday afternoon. It's the first time Alabama has been inside the AP Top-10 in the month of December dating back to the 2006-07 season when the Tide rose to No. 4 nationally the week of Dec. 4, 2006.
Alabama is ranked No. 11 according to the most recent NCAA NET and Ken Pomeroy rankings (as of 12/13). According to the NET rankings, UA owns a perfect 2-0 record vs. Quad 1 opponents while its average opponent NET ranking is No. 1 in the nation. Even more telling is the fact that the Tide is the only team ranked among the top 190 of the latest NET Ranking that has yet to play a game against a Quad 4 opponent.
According to the NET rankings, UA owns a perfect 2-0 record vs. Quad 1 opponents while its average opponent NET ranking is No. 1 in the nation. Even more telling is the fact that the Tide is the only team ranked among the top 190 of the latest NET Ranking that has yet to play a game against a Quad 4 opponent.
At 8-1 on the year, Alabama is off to its best start to a season since beginning the 2006-07 campaign with a 13-1 record.
The Crimson Tide leads the SEC in several categories: scoring offense (86.0), three pointers made (89), threes made per game (9.9), three-point field goal percentage defense (.270) and defensive rebounding (29.7). Nationally, Alabama ranks among the top 40 in the following: scoring offense (7th), total rebounds per game (42.2/17th), defensive rebounding (19th), threes made per game (31st), three-point field goal percentage defense (37th), blocked shots per game (5.1/37th) and field goal percentage (39th/.481).
According to KenPom.com, the Tide ranks among the top 25 in the nation in both offensive (8th) and defensive (29th) efficiency in the most recent KenPom rankings (as of 12/12). UA also ranks No. 19 in the nation adjusted tempo (73.0) and 14th in average possession length (15.3), according to the same site
This year's schedule boasts of 12 games (nine teams) that are ranked in the latest AP Top 25 poll. Of the Tide's six games in the month of December, four come against nationally-ranked opponents (then-No. 3 Gonzaga, then-No. 14 Houston, No. XX Colorado State on Dec. 21 and No. 13 Tennessee on Dec. 29).
The Tide enters the contest ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 7 in the nation in scoring offense at 86.0 points per game. UA also lead the league and ranked No. 31 in the nation in threes made per game (9.9).
Guard Jaden Shackelford leads the SEC in threes made per game (4.0), total threes made (36) and three-point field goal percentage (.456) coming into the Memphis game. Nationally, those numbers rank fifth, 11th and 28th, respectively.
UP NEXT: The Crimson Tide will return home on Saturday, Dec. 18 when it welcomes in-state foe Jacksonville State to Coleman Coliseum. That contest will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

About Alabama

Alabama is in its 109th season of basketball in 2021-22. The Tide's first season of hoops came in 1912-13. There was no season in 1943-44 due to World War II.
The Crimson Tide is led by three players who average double figures in Jaden Shackelford (19.1 ppg), Jahvon Quinerly (15.1 ppg) and Keon Ellis (11.2 ppg). The trio combines to account for 53 percent (45.4 of the 86.0 points per game average), 71 percent of the three-pointers made (63 of 89), 51 percent field goals made (141 of 279) and 50 percent of the total free throws made (64 of 127).
A pair of freshmen have also made their mark through the early portion of the schedule in guard JD Davison and center Charles Bediako. Davison, a consensus five star and McDonald's All-American, leads Alabama in assists (4.3 apg) while also ranking among the team leaders at 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest. Bediako has been a force on the inside, collecting 7.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a game. Sophomore Juwan Gary has also been coming on as of late and is averaging 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
As a team, Alabama is averaging 86.0 points per contest, which leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally, and outscoring the competition by an average of 13.8 points per game (86.0-72.2). The Tide is averaging 9.9 threes made per game, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from beyond the arc and 67.2 percent from the charity stripe. UA also owns a rebounding margin of +6.4 (42.2-35.8) for the year.
The Crimson Tide ranks 30th nationally in defensive efficiency entering the contest. For the year, Alabama has held opponents to an average of 72.7 points per game while limiting foes to 41.8 percent shooting from the field and just 28.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Alabama was picked to finish second in the league in voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members. Kentucky was the preseason favorite to win this year's regular season title, followed by the Tide, Arkansas, Tennessee and Auburn to round out the top five. Both Quinerly and Shackelford were named to the SEC Preseason First Team.
Alabama returns its top two scorers and 10 letterwinners from last season's SEC Championship team that went on to finish 27-6 overall and 16-2 in the SEC while claiming the 2021 SEC regular season and tournament championships.
UA won the program's eighth SEC regular season championship a year ago, finishing with a 16-2 league record which tied for the most wins in the conference in program history. In addition to claiming the 2021 crown, the Crimson Tide also claimed regular season titles in 1934, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1987 and 2002.
Alabama claimed its seventh SEC Tournament titles last year. It was the first tournament title by the Tide in 30 years, with the last coming in 1991. In all, the Tide has won 15 combined championships - the eight regular season titles ranking third-most and the seven tournament championships ranking second-best in the league.
The Tide holds an all-time record of 1,725-1,069-1 (.616), which includes an 815-629 (.565) record in SEC play. By capturing its 800th SEC win, Alabama joined Kentucky as the only two teams in conference history to reach the milestone. UA also became the third team in the SEC and 34th team in NCAA history to reach 1,700 program wins. Only Kentucky and Arkansas have more wins than the Crimson Tide.

About Memphis

Memphis comes into Tuesday's contest sporting a 5-4 overall mark on the season including a 4-1 mark in home contests this year. The Tigers opened the season by winning each of its first five contests and were ranked as high as No. 9/10 in the nation. However, since its 69-61 win over Virginia Tech on Nov. 24, Memphis has lost four consecutive games. Most recently, the Tigers dropped their first home game of the season, dropping a narrow 74-72 result to Murray State.
For the second time in three seasons, the Tigers welcomed the nation's top recruiting class. Along with five-star, top-five recruits Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren, the Tigers added four-star recruits John Camden, Johnathan Lawson, Josh Minott and Sam Onu. In all, the Tigers return seven letterwinners from last season's NIT championship team, including three starters. Those seven players account for 57.5 percent of the team's scoring from a season ago.
Memphis was picked to finish second behind Houston in the American Athletic Conference preseason, while junior Landers Nolley II and freshman Jalen Duren were voted to the Preseason All-Conference First Team. Duren was also selected as the Preseason Rookie of the Year. Additionally, senior DeAndre Williams and freshman Emoni Bates were voted to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
The Tigers are led by three players who average in double figures in Bates, Duren and senior Deandre Williams. Bates leads the team in scoring average (11.2 ppg), three-pointers made (13), threes attempted (42) and minutes per game (27.0). Meanwhile Duren is second in scoring (10.4 ppg) and tops Memphis in field goal percentage (65.5 percent), rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocked shots (3.0 bpg), where he also ranks 13th nationally.
Memphis comes in as one of the better defensive teams in the country. According to the latest KenPom.com rankings, the Tigers ranked 29th in the nation in defensive efficiency and second nationally in blocked shots per game (7.7). Memphis it outscoring the competition by an average of 7.9 points per game (76.1-68.2) while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep.
Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway is in his fourth season at the helm of his alma mater. He has compiled a record of 68-36 (.654), including leading the team to the 2021 NIT championship last season.

Nation's Best Backcourt?

The Alabama backcourt of Jaden Shackelford, Jahvon Quinerly, Keon Ellis and JD Davison is living up to its preseason hype of not only one of the top backcourts in the SEC, but arguably in the nation
Two members in Shackelford (Jerry West) and Quinerly (Bob Cousy) were each named to preseason natiional watch lists, Ellis was a JUCO All-American and Davison was a McDonald's All-American and one of the top players to ever sign at Alabama
The SEC has also recognized both Shackelford and Davison as the league's player and freshman of the week for the week of Dec. 6, respectively, marking just the second time in school history Tide players swept the awards
So far this season, the backcourt has shined, as Shackelford (19.1 ppg), Jahvon Quinerly (15.1 ppg), Keon Ellis (11.2 ppg) and JD Davison (9.8 ppg) are combining to average 55.2 points or 64 percent of the team's scoring output

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