No. 1 Alabama Faces No. 10 Tennessee Wednesday in Top-10 Clash
2/14/2023 10:24:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Crimson Tide looks to improve to 13-0 in SEC play
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the second time in program history and first since 2002-03, the Alabama men's basketball program is ranked No. 1 in the nation and will take its top-ranking on the road to face No. 10/11 Tennessee Wednesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Tide looks to improve to 13-0 in the Southeastern Conference for just the second time in program history (Alabama finished the 1955-56 conference season with a perfect 14-0 record).
Alabama is looking for its 23rd win, which would set the program record for most wins through the first 26 games of the season. Two of the best defenses in the nation will square off as both defenses rank as the top-two in holding their opponents to the lowest effective field goal percentage this season (No. 1 Tennessee, 40.7 percent and No. 2 Alabama, 41.1 percent).Â
Two of the best offensive players in the SEC will also be on display as UA's Brandon Miller ranks No. 1 in the SEC in scoring (18.8 ppg) while UT's Zakai Zeigler ranks No. 2 in assists per game (5.4).Â
The Broadcast
Wednesday's game is set for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff and will be aired on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline) 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
- For the second time in program history and first since the 2002-03 season, Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the AP Top-25 Poll
- For the first time in program history Alabama is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches Top-25 Poll
- 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
- Alabama is 14-12 against AP Top 25 teams during Nate Oats' tenure
- Alabama has won 10 SEC games by double digits, which is the second-most in program history (The 1955-56 team won 11 SEC games by double-digits)
- Alabama is looking to improve to 23-3, which would be the program's best-ever record through 26 games, surpassing the 1975-76 season (22-4)
- Alabama's is looking to improve to 13-0 in SEC play for the second time in program history (1955-56 finished with a 14-0 record)
- The Tide is one of three teams and the only Power 5 team left this season with an unbeaten record in conference play (Oral Roberts in the Summit and Eastern Washington in the Big Sky)
- The Crimson Tide is one of two schools (Houston) to rank in the top-15 in both defense adjusted efficiency (No. 5) and in offense adjusted efficiency (No. 13) according to KenPom
- Alabama is one of two teams in the last 25 seasons to start SEC play 12-0, joining the 2011-12 Kentucky team, who went on to play in the national championship game
- Miller is the only player in Division I to score 470 points, record 200 rebounds and make 75 three-pointers this season
About TennesseeÂ
- The Vols occupy the No. 3 spot in the NCAA's NET ratings after holding steady at No. 2 from Jan. 3 through Feb. 8.
- Tennessee comes into Wednesday's contest vs. Alabama at 19-6 and 8-4 in SEC play after suffering consecutive losses at the buzzer at Vanderbilt (L, 66-65) and vs. Missouri  (L, 86-85) last week
- For the 12th straight week, the Volunteers own the best adjusted defensive efficiency in the country per KenPom, allowing only 86.6 points per 100 possessions
- During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in scoring defense (58.6 ppg) and assists per game (16.1)
- Zakai Zeigler averages a league-best 7.0 assists during SEC play while ranking among the league leaders in both assist/turnover ratio (2.31, 4th) and steals (2.04, 3rd)
- UT ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance (18,479)—one of three SEC teams in the top four
- UT boasts five total Quad 1 wins and the five teams that have beaten Tennessee are all ranked in the top 100 of the NET ratings: No. 8 Arizona, No. 40 Kentucky, No. 46 Florida, No. 67 Colorado and No. 97 Vanderbilt
- Per research by Knoxville News Sentinel writer Mike Wilson, Tennessee has been ranked in the top five of the AP poll 18 times in the past five seasons. Tennessee was ranked in the top five of the AP poll just 17 times in the prior 70 seasons
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