Alabama
#20 UConn
No. 18/18 Alabama Faces No. 20/22 UConn in the Phil Knight Invitational Semifinals
11/25/2022 11:22:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Alabama and the Huskies meet for the second time in program history
PORTLAND, Ore. – Alabama will have its second straight top-20 matchup in as many days as the Crimson Tide face No. 20/22 UConn in the Phil Knight Invitational semifinals. The Tide await the winner/loser of the North Carolina/Iowa State matchup.Â
The Broadcast
Friday's game will be aired on ESPN with Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play) and Bill Walton (analyst) on the call.
The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Roger Hoover (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
- The Crimson Tide are looking to start the season 6-0 for the first time since 2012-13.
- Brandon Miller was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 21.
- Brandon Miller is averaging 21.0 points per game, the most by any freshman in the country and No. 20 overall.
- Miller is averaging 3.8 three-pointers per game, which ranks No. 8 in the country.
- Alabama ranks No. 1 in the country in rebounds per game (52.8), offensive rebounds per game (17.8) and rebound margin (19.2).
- Alabama's newcomers have scored 339 of the Tide's 420 points this season.
- Noah Clowney ranks No. 37 in the country averaging 10.5 rebounds per game and No. 1 in the SEC.Â
- Charles Bediako ranks No. 50 in the country averaging 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.
- Alabama has made 52 three-pointers this season, the most under Nate Oats in the first five games of the season.Â
- The Tide are making 10.4 three-pointers per game, which ranks No. 24 in Division I.Â
- Alabama welcomes the highest ranked recruiting class in program history, including McDonald's High School All-Americans Jaden Bradley and Brandon Miller, along with four-start prospects Noah Clowney and Rylan Griffen.Â
- The Tide rank No. 4 in the country in blocks per game (6.8).
- Ten years ago, Dan Hurley recruited E.C. Matthews from Romulus High School in Michigan to Rhode Island, where Alabama head coach Nate Oats was the head coach.
About UConnÂ
- The No. 20/22 UConn men's basketball team, riding a six-game winning streak, advances to the semifinals of the Phil Knight Invitational, taking on No. 18/18 Alabama
- UConn (6-0) is coming off an 83-59 victory over Oregon in Thursday's first round of the tournament, led by a 23-point effort from senior guard Tristen Newton. Junior Adama Sanogo leads the Huskies in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (7.7), while Newton (13.2), sophomore Jordan Hawkins (12.3), and redshirt freshman Alex Karaban (10.2) also average in double figures. Junior Andre Jackson Jr. hands out the most assists (4.7).
- Ten years ago, Dan Hurley recruited E.C. Matthews from Romulus High School in Michigan to Rhode Island, where Alabama head coach Nate Oats was the head coach.
- UConn Coach Dan Hurley is in his fifth season at the helm of the Huskies with an overall coaching record of 230-152 (.602) in 12+ seasons -- two at Wagner College, six at the University of Rhode Island and four-plus at UConn (79-47, .627). He has taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament and is a former Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
- Huskies' junior Adama Sanogo was selected as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year from a vote of the league's head coaches, who cannot vote for their own players. Sanogo was a All-BIG EAST First Team selection at the end of last season. Sanogo is the seventh UConn player to win the preseason honor, joining Corny Thompson (1981), Donyell Marshall (1993), Richard Hamilton (1998), Khalid El-Amin (1999), Emeka Okafor (2003) and Rudy Gay (2005).
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