Alabama
Eastern Kentucky
Alabama Men’s Basketball Faces Eastern Kentucky at Coleman Coliseum
12/22/2023 4:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Crimson Tide return home for its first game at home since Dec. 4
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team will play its first home game in over two weeks as Alabama hosts Eastern Kentucky, Dec. 23, at Coleman Coliseum.
The Crimson Tide's matchup against the Colonels features two of the top offenses in the country, as the Tide are fifth in the nation in points per game (90.5 ppg) while the Colonels are No. 16 with an average of 86.3 points per contest.
Alabama continues to have one of the best offenses in the country, as the Tide ranks No. 1 in the country, according to KenPom. Alabama has scored 955 points, which ranks No. 5 in the country and the most in program history through the first 11 games of the season, surpassing last year's team (920 points).
The Broadcast
Saturday's game is set for a 3 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on the SEC Network with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (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, 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 one of six schools in the country that has two players on its current roster that has scored at least 1,500 points throughout their career in Aaron Estrada (1,629 points) and Mark Sears (1,578 points)
- In Alabama's five losses, its opponents have a combined record of 48-8 and a winning percentage of .857 with four opponents in the AP Top-25 (#1 Purdue, #12 Creighton and #4 Arizona) and Ohio State receiving votes
- Alabama has posted the toughest non-conference schedule, as its opponents have compiled a .752 winning percentage (.752), posting a combined 88-29 record, which ranks No. 1 in the nation
- UA is making 20.1 free throws per contest, which ranks No. 5 in the country
- The Crimson Tide owns the No. 1 ranked offense, according to KenPom
- The Tide is averaging 90.5 points per game, which ranks No. 5 in the country
- UA has an effective field goal percentage of .560, which ranks No. 36 in the country
- Mark Sears is one of four players in Division I and the only Power 5 player in the country that has at least 220 points, 25 three-pointers, 40 assists and 50 rebounds this season
- Sears ranks No. 15 in the nation in scoring (20.4 ppg) and No. 38 in total points (224)
- One of the best players in the SEC, Sears ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring, No. 4 in field goal percentage (54.5), and No. 9 in assists (3.6 apg)
- Grant Nelson is shooting 93.2 percent from the free throw line, which ranks No. 17 in the country
- Alabama's trio of Estrada, Nelson and Sears have each scored over 1,000 points throughout their college career, which is tied for the third most in the country (St. John's & TCU with four each)
About Eastern Kentucky
- Eastern Kentucky was picked to finish first in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll
- ASUN coaches picked Devontae Blanton as the Preseason Player of the Year and chose Isaiah Cozart as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
- EKU men's basketball is branded as the "Most Exciting 40 Minutes In Sports." The goal is to lead the country in scoring, 3-pointers made, assists, steals and forced turnovers.
- The Colonels set a program-record with 13 blocks against Troy (Nov. 27)
- Cozart leads the nation in blocks (4.90 bpg) and offensive rebounds (4.90 rpg).
- Alabama and EKU rank among the top-20 offenses in the nation. The Tide are fifth in the country (90.5 ppg) while the Colonels are No. 16 with an average of 86.3 points per contest.
- Four Colonels rank among the top-20 in the ASUN Conference in rebounding. Isaiah Cozart (9.70) is first, Michael Moreno (6.36) is No. 10, John Ukomadu (6.09) is No. 13 and Devontae Blanton (5.90) is 14th.
- EKU is one of 10 teams that returns 70 percent or more of its points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks
- Three Colonels rank among the top-15 in the ASUN in assists. Leland Walker (4.45) is sixth, Devontae Blanton (3.10) is 11th and Tayshawn Comer (3.09) ranks 12th
- The Colonels are 55-17 (.764) under A.W. Hamilton when scoring 80-plus points
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