Following its comeback win over Furman earlier in the week, Alabama basketball will look to keep up its momentum Saturday as it hosts Western Kentucky at 1 p.m. inside of Coleman Coliseum. The game is a replacement for Alabama’s canceled matchup against No. 6 Houston.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Saturday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (4-2) vs. Western Kentucky (5-2)
When: 1 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 19
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa Alabama
Watch: ESPNU (play-by-play: Mike Morgan, analyst: Daymeon Fishback)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline: Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 11.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 47.3% FG, 35.0% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 12.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 34.5% FG, 33.3% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 39.7% FG, 28.2% 3-pt
Herbert Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 45.9% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Jordan Bruner: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, graduate student
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 46.2% FG, 28.6% 3-pt
Western Kentucky projected starting five
Kenny Cooper: 6-foot, 190 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 3.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 17.9% FG, 18.2% 3-pt
Taveion Hollingsworth: 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, senior
Stats: 16.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 47.1% FG, 27.8% 3-pt
Josh Anderson: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, senior
Stats: 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 53.7% FG, 40.0% 3-pt
Carson Williams: 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 5.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 37.8% FG, 44.4% 3-pt
Charles Bassey: 6-foot-11, 235 pounds, junior
Stats: 16.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 0.7 apg, 57.8% FG, 15.4% 3-pt
Notes and quotes
— Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey enters the game leading the nation in total blocked shots (28) and total rebounds (79). The Lagos, Nigeria native is thought of as a potential lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft.
“I felt like I was watching an NBA player when I was watching Western Kentucky film,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “I think the guy is going to have a long career in the NBA. He’s long, he’s athletic, he plays real hard, he runs the floor great, he’s got great skill. So we’ve got our hands full. Our bigs know he’s as good as any big we’ll see all year.”
— Alabama guard Juwan Gary had a career-best 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting during Alabama’s comeback win over Furman earlier this week. The redshirt freshman missed all of last season with an ACL injury and told reporters Friday that he just started getting comfortable with his knee a month ago.
— Oats has spoken glowingly of Gary’s defensive effort and the energy he brings to the court. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound guard served as a sparkplug for Alabama against Furman and hopes to be a positive influence on his teammates moving forward.
“That’s all I can just bring in as a player,” Gary said. “Just bring in the energy, rebounding, just being a person to play hard and give all I’ve got. So just a blue-collar person. I feel like my energy fits the flow of the game. If my team can feed off my energy, I feel like we can have a good game and a good run in the season.”
— Two days after Early Signing Day, Oats was asked about four-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry, who was also recruited to play basketball at Alabama. Oats said McKinstry will not join the basketball team this season as he focuses on football in January. However, the head coach said the 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard has a place on the team moving forward.
“He's a really hard-playing, athletic talented kid,” Oats said. “We could definitely use some toughness on the basketball team."
— Western Kentucky features an experienced roster as four of its five starters are seniors. Oats said he expects the Hilltoppers to come into Coleman Coliseum and provide a challenge Saturday.
“It’s a tough, veteran, talented team,” Oats said. “They’re going to give us everything we can handle. We scheduled hard for a reason. I think it’s good to play quality teams. We anticipated Houston being top 25 and they ended up being top 10. Then they lost a few weeks due to COVID. We wanted to replace them with as quality of an opponent as we could find.”
— Crimson Tide starting guards John Petty Jr., Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly have combined to average 36.6 of the Tide’s 76.3 points per game average. That’s 47.9 percent of the team’s total output.
— Western Kentucky is 28-48 all-time against current SEC teams. However, the Hilltoppers won three of the last four SEC meetings with two victories over Arkansas and one over Ole Miss.
— Western Kentucky head coach Rick Stansbury coached at Mississippi State from 1998-2012. He took the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournaments and five NITs during his tenure in Starkville, Miss.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Saturday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (4-2) vs. Western Kentucky (5-2)
When: 1 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 19
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa Alabama
Watch: ESPNU (play-by-play: Mike Morgan, analyst: Daymeon Fishback)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline: Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 11.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.8 apg, 47.3% FG, 35.0% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 12.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 34.5% FG, 33.3% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 39.7% FG, 28.2% 3-pt
Herbert Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 13.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 45.9% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Jordan Bruner: 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, graduate student
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 46.2% FG, 28.6% 3-pt
Western Kentucky projected starting five
Kenny Cooper: 6-foot, 190 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 3.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 17.9% FG, 18.2% 3-pt
Taveion Hollingsworth: 6-foot-2, 165 pounds, senior
Stats: 16.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 47.1% FG, 27.8% 3-pt
Josh Anderson: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, senior
Stats: 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.9 apg, 53.7% FG, 40.0% 3-pt
Carson Williams: 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 5.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.1 apg, 37.8% FG, 44.4% 3-pt
Charles Bassey: 6-foot-11, 235 pounds, junior
Stats: 16.4 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 0.7 apg, 57.8% FG, 15.4% 3-pt
Notes and quotes
— Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey enters the game leading the nation in total blocked shots (28) and total rebounds (79). The Lagos, Nigeria native is thought of as a potential lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft.
“I felt like I was watching an NBA player when I was watching Western Kentucky film,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “I think the guy is going to have a long career in the NBA. He’s long, he’s athletic, he plays real hard, he runs the floor great, he’s got great skill. So we’ve got our hands full. Our bigs know he’s as good as any big we’ll see all year.”
— Alabama guard Juwan Gary had a career-best 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting during Alabama’s comeback win over Furman earlier this week. The redshirt freshman missed all of last season with an ACL injury and told reporters Friday that he just started getting comfortable with his knee a month ago.
— Oats has spoken glowingly of Gary’s defensive effort and the energy he brings to the court. The 6-foot-6, 218-pound guard served as a sparkplug for Alabama against Furman and hopes to be a positive influence on his teammates moving forward.
“That’s all I can just bring in as a player,” Gary said. “Just bring in the energy, rebounding, just being a person to play hard and give all I’ve got. So just a blue-collar person. I feel like my energy fits the flow of the game. If my team can feed off my energy, I feel like we can have a good game and a good run in the season.”
— Two days after Early Signing Day, Oats was asked about four-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry, who was also recruited to play basketball at Alabama. Oats said McKinstry will not join the basketball team this season as he focuses on football in January. However, the head coach said the 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard has a place on the team moving forward.
“He's a really hard-playing, athletic talented kid,” Oats said. “We could definitely use some toughness on the basketball team."
— Western Kentucky features an experienced roster as four of its five starters are seniors. Oats said he expects the Hilltoppers to come into Coleman Coliseum and provide a challenge Saturday.
“It’s a tough, veteran, talented team,” Oats said. “They’re going to give us everything we can handle. We scheduled hard for a reason. I think it’s good to play quality teams. We anticipated Houston being top 25 and they ended up being top 10. Then they lost a few weeks due to COVID. We wanted to replace them with as quality of an opponent as we could find.”
— Crimson Tide starting guards John Petty Jr., Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly have combined to average 36.6 of the Tide’s 76.3 points per game average. That’s 47.9 percent of the team’s total output.
— Western Kentucky is 28-48 all-time against current SEC teams. However, the Hilltoppers won three of the last four SEC meetings with two victories over Arkansas and one over Ole Miss.
— Western Kentucky head coach Rick Stansbury coached at Mississippi State from 1998-2012. He took the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournaments and five NITs during his tenure in Starkville, Miss.
