No. 2/2 Alabama Returns Home to Face Mississippi State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama men's basketball will play its first game at Coleman Coliseum in 11 days, as the Crimson Tide hosts Mississippi State. The Tide enters this week's play with its highest ranking in over 20 years, ranked No. 2 in the AP Top-25 Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The Alabama-Mississippi State matchup features two of the top defenses in the SEC as Alabama ranks No. 3 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.369) and the Bulldogs rank No. 16 in the country (.390).

The Broadcast

Wednesday's game is set for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on the SEC Network with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst) on the call.

The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Notes You Need To Know

Alabama is ranked No. 2 in the AP Top-25 Poll, its highest AP ranking since 2002-03 (Ranked No. 1)
Alabama is ranked No. 2 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, its highest-ever ranking since USA Today took over in the 1991-92 season
Alabama became the third team in the last 50 years to start SEC play by winning each of its first seven contests by double figures (+21.0 scoring margin) joining Kentucky (1994-95) and Florida (2012-13)
Alabama has six Quad 1 wins this season, which is tied for third-most in the country behind Purdue and Kansas (7 wins)
The Crimson Tide is one of five teams with an unbeaten record on the road this season, beating opponents by a scoring margin of +12.5
The Tide is one of 10 teams and the only Power 5 team left this season with an unbeaten record in conference play
Alabama is looking to improve to 8-0 in SEC play for the second time under Coach Nate Oats (2020-21). Prior to Oats' arrival, the Tide had not started SEC play 7-0 since the 1986-87 season.
Alabama is 14-12 against AP Top 25 teams during Nate Oats' tenure
Alabama has posted five wins over top-25 opponents in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history, going 10-5 over the span
Brandon Miller is averaging 19.8 points per game, the most by any freshman in the country and No. 23 overall
Miller is the only freshman in the country to rank in the top 75 in points and rebounds per game (No. 71)
Miller is one of 11 players in Division I, the only player in the SEC and the only freshman in the country that has scored 375 points and recorded 155 rebounds this season

About Mississippi State

Through 19 games, the Bulldogs are among the nation's best surrendering 58.3 points per game (2nd SEC, 6th nationally) 39.0 opponent percent field goal percentage (4th SEC, 16th nationally).
Historically at State, the 58.3 PPG allowed is the program's second-lowest 19-game average in the modern era since 1955-56, which was Babe McCarthy's first season.
State's defense limited its first 10 opponents to 60 points or less. The Bulldogs were joined by 2011-12 Virginia as the only teams during the 2000s to limit their first 10 opponents to 60 points or less.
First year head coach Chris Jans was the only men's basketball coach at State to win his opening 11 contests. The previous mark was held by E.C. Hayes, who completed the 1911-12 season at 9-0 and won the opening game of the 1912-13 campaign.
Mississippi State and Alabama features two of the best defenses in the SEC as Alabama ranks No. 3 in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.369) and the Bulldogs rank No. 16 in the country (.390)
The 186 steals and 9.8 steals per contest (2nd SEC, 11th nationally) is the second-highest total for State through 19 games going back to the 1979-80 season.
In 38 halves of hoops on the season, State has allowed 25 points or fewer on 12 occasions and limited the opposition to under a 30 percent shooting clip nine times

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