With its biggest tests now behind it, Alabama basketball will look to regroup with another strong push to finish off its regular-season schedule. The Crimson Tide fell a spot to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25 following its 68-65 loss at Missouri on Saturday but still holds a three-game lead in the SEC standings. Following its first conference defeat of the season, Alabama will look to rebound during a road matchup against South Carolina on Tuesday. The Gamecocks are coming off a 75-59 defeat to Mississippi State but took down then-No. 22 Florida last week.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Tuesday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (15-5, 10-1 in the SEC) vs. South Carolina (5-7, 3-5)
When: 5:30 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Feb. 9
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
Watch: SEC Network (play-by-play: Tom Hart, analyst: Jon Sundvold)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Herbert Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 11.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 46.4% FG, 48.4% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 13.9 ppg., 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 39.4% FG, 33.9% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 13.1 ppg., 5.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45.1% FG, 40.2% 3-pt
Joshua Primo: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, freshman
Stats: 8.1 ppg., 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 43.8% FG, 41.1% 3-pt
Alex Reese: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, senior
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 35.0% FG, 25.3% 3-pt
South Carolina projected starting five
Jermaine Couisnard: 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 11.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 29.5% FG, 28.8% 3-pt
Seventh Woods: 6-foot-2, 184 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 5.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 39.7% FG, 16.7% 3-pt
AJ Lawson: 6-foot-6, 177 pounds, junior
Stats: 17.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 43.8% FG, 36.3% 3-pt
Justin Minaya: 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 7.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 42.4% FG, 28.0% 3-pt
Wildens Leveque: 6-foot-10, 242 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, 50.0% FG
Injury report
After battling a back/hip injury the past few games, Herbert Jones’ status for Saturday’s matchup against South Carolina is still up in the air. The senior forward has yet to miss a game this season but has seen a dip in performance in his last three outings, averaging a combined 6.0 points against Oklahoma, LSU and Missouri.
During his Monday Zoom call with reporters, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said Jones was held out of the live portion of practice the past two days. According to Oats, Jones has been able to participate in some skill work off to the side and also went through a workout in the pool Monday morning. The forward will take part in a skill workout when the team arrives in Columbia, S.C. later in the evening. From there, he will be evaluated Tuesday morning before it is determined if he will be available for Alabama’s game against South Carolina.
Jones played 22 minutes during Alabama’s 68-65 defeat at Missouri over the weekend, recording 7 points and five rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward leads the Tide in rebounds (6.0 per game), steals (1.8 per game), blocks (1.0 per game) and 3-point percentage (48.4). He ranks third on the team averaging 11.9 points per game.
Despite Jones’ importance to the Tide, Oats said Monday that the team has considered sitting him out for a game in order to help aid in his recovery.
“We’ve had that discussion for a week and a half now, but it keeps getting better,” Oats said. “He keeps feeling like he wants to play, and it’s hard to tell a kid he’s not going to play when the injury is definitely getting better. There’s no guarantee that it will get better sitting, it’s just you avoid him getting hit if he doesn’t play.”
Notes and quotes
— Alabama is coming off its first SEC loss of the season, falling 68-65 at Missouri over the weekend. The Tide trailed by as many as 22 points with 13:05 remaining but went on a 21-2 run to cut the lead to a single point with 1:11 remaining before ultimately coming up short in its comeback bid. Monday, Oats challenged his team to match the same sense of urgency it showed late against Missouri over the span of a full game Tuesday night.
“We’ve got to play a little harder,” Oats said. “That’s been our point. We’ve got to start games better. This South Carolina game is going to test our toughness. Coach [Frank] Martin is obviously one of the best coaches in the country in getting his guys to play hard, play tough, be physical. … If you’re not tough, they’re going to run you off the floor.”
— Tuesday night’s game at South Carolina will snap Alabama’s streak of playing 12 consecutive matchups against opponents ranked in the top 65 of KenPom.com’s ratings. South Carolina, which comes in at No. 84 in the rankings, is one of four straight seemingly-manageable opponents the Tide will face in a row as it will host No. 90 Georgia on Saturday before traveling to No. 124 Texas A&M on Feb. 17 and hosting No. 130 Vanderbilt on Feb. 20.
Still, Oats warned against taking South Carolina lightly, pointing out that the Gamecocks upset Florida on the road last week.
“I think they’re dangerous,” Oats said. “I think they’ve got really good players. I think they get them to play really hard. They play fast. We’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
— If Jones is unable to play Tuesday night, one of the players Alabama will lean on to fill his role is Keon Ellis. The 6-foot-6, 170-pound junior college transfer has logged 20 or more minutes in each of his last three games, recording double-digit points in each contest.
“I just go out and just try to make the right plays,” Ellis said. “I tell myself before every game, just go out and make the right plays, be in the right spots, help my teammates if I’m the person that’s supposed to help them. Just going out and making the right plays and playing hard, and I think that just takes care of itself. Just being ready whenever my number’s called.”
Added Oats: “I was just looking at the analytics; he’s one of the highest leverage guys on the team, both sides of the ball, when he’s in the game. We’re gonna continue to get him more minutes.”
Here’s all the information you need to know about Tuesday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (15-5, 10-1 in the SEC) vs. South Carolina (5-7, 3-5)
When: 5:30 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Feb. 9
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.
Watch: SEC Network (play-by-play: Tom Hart, analyst: Jon Sundvold)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Herbert Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 11.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 46.4% FG, 48.4% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 13.9 ppg., 4.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 39.4% FG, 33.9% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 13.1 ppg., 5.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45.1% FG, 40.2% 3-pt
Joshua Primo: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, freshman
Stats: 8.1 ppg., 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 43.8% FG, 41.1% 3-pt
Alex Reese: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, senior
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 35.0% FG, 25.3% 3-pt
South Carolina projected starting five
Jermaine Couisnard: 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 11.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 29.5% FG, 28.8% 3-pt
Seventh Woods: 6-foot-2, 184 pounds, redshirt senior
Stats: 5.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 39.7% FG, 16.7% 3-pt
AJ Lawson: 6-foot-6, 177 pounds, junior
Stats: 17.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 43.8% FG, 36.3% 3-pt
Justin Minaya: 6-foot-6, 215 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 7.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 42.4% FG, 28.0% 3-pt
Wildens Leveque: 6-foot-10, 242 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.7 apg, 50.0% FG
Injury report
After battling a back/hip injury the past few games, Herbert Jones’ status for Saturday’s matchup against South Carolina is still up in the air. The senior forward has yet to miss a game this season but has seen a dip in performance in his last three outings, averaging a combined 6.0 points against Oklahoma, LSU and Missouri.
During his Monday Zoom call with reporters, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said Jones was held out of the live portion of practice the past two days. According to Oats, Jones has been able to participate in some skill work off to the side and also went through a workout in the pool Monday morning. The forward will take part in a skill workout when the team arrives in Columbia, S.C. later in the evening. From there, he will be evaluated Tuesday morning before it is determined if he will be available for Alabama’s game against South Carolina.
Jones played 22 minutes during Alabama’s 68-65 defeat at Missouri over the weekend, recording 7 points and five rebounds. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward leads the Tide in rebounds (6.0 per game), steals (1.8 per game), blocks (1.0 per game) and 3-point percentage (48.4). He ranks third on the team averaging 11.9 points per game.
Despite Jones’ importance to the Tide, Oats said Monday that the team has considered sitting him out for a game in order to help aid in his recovery.
“We’ve had that discussion for a week and a half now, but it keeps getting better,” Oats said. “He keeps feeling like he wants to play, and it’s hard to tell a kid he’s not going to play when the injury is definitely getting better. There’s no guarantee that it will get better sitting, it’s just you avoid him getting hit if he doesn’t play.”
Notes and quotes
— Alabama is coming off its first SEC loss of the season, falling 68-65 at Missouri over the weekend. The Tide trailed by as many as 22 points with 13:05 remaining but went on a 21-2 run to cut the lead to a single point with 1:11 remaining before ultimately coming up short in its comeback bid. Monday, Oats challenged his team to match the same sense of urgency it showed late against Missouri over the span of a full game Tuesday night.
“We’ve got to play a little harder,” Oats said. “That’s been our point. We’ve got to start games better. This South Carolina game is going to test our toughness. Coach [Frank] Martin is obviously one of the best coaches in the country in getting his guys to play hard, play tough, be physical. … If you’re not tough, they’re going to run you off the floor.”
— Tuesday night’s game at South Carolina will snap Alabama’s streak of playing 12 consecutive matchups against opponents ranked in the top 65 of KenPom.com’s ratings. South Carolina, which comes in at No. 84 in the rankings, is one of four straight seemingly-manageable opponents the Tide will face in a row as it will host No. 90 Georgia on Saturday before traveling to No. 124 Texas A&M on Feb. 17 and hosting No. 130 Vanderbilt on Feb. 20.
Still, Oats warned against taking South Carolina lightly, pointing out that the Gamecocks upset Florida on the road last week.
“I think they’re dangerous,” Oats said. “I think they’ve got really good players. I think they get them to play really hard. They play fast. We’ve got our hands full tomorrow.”
— If Jones is unable to play Tuesday night, one of the players Alabama will lean on to fill his role is Keon Ellis. The 6-foot-6, 170-pound junior college transfer has logged 20 or more minutes in each of his last three games, recording double-digit points in each contest.
“I just go out and just try to make the right plays,” Ellis said. “I tell myself before every game, just go out and make the right plays, be in the right spots, help my teammates if I’m the person that’s supposed to help them. Just going out and making the right plays and playing hard, and I think that just takes care of itself. Just being ready whenever my number’s called.”
Added Oats: “I was just looking at the analytics; he’s one of the highest leverage guys on the team, both sides of the ball, when he’s in the game. We’re gonna continue to get him more minutes.”
