After beginning its season with a pair of double-digit wins, No. 14 Alabama basketball narrowly kept up its perfect start intact earlier this week, netting a sloppy 73-68 victory over South Alabama on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will likely need a more complete performance Friday night as it hosts Oakland at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Friday’s game.
Who: No. 14 Alabama (3-0) vs. Oakland (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 19
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: SEC Network+ (play-by-play: Roger Hoover; analyst: Richard Hendrix)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer: Tom Stipe)
Stats: 14.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 41.5% FG, 21.7% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 19.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 41.7% FG, 39.3% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 17.0 ppg., 9.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 59.3% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Noah Gurley: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, graduate
Stats: 7.0 ppg, 3.3, rpg, 1.0 apg, 34.6% FG, 23.1% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 8.3 ppg, 4.7, rpg, 1.3 apg, 68.8% FG
Stats: 12.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 28.9% FG, 10.5% 3-pt
Jamal Cain: 6-foot-7, 191 pounds, graduate
Stats: 19.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 51.0% FG, 14.3% 3-pt
Micah Parrish: 6-foot-6, 194 pounds, freshman
Stats: 6.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 28.6% FG, 0.0% 3-pt
Trey Townsend: 6-foot-6, 222 pounds, freshman
Stats: 11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 56.0% FG, 37.5 3-pt
Chris Conway: 6-foot-9, 226 pounds, freshman
Stats: 0.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.0 apg, 50.0% FG
“He’s definitely getting better,” Oats said. “He’s done some more live stuff, but we haven’t put him through live stuff in practice. It’s been more like running. I think they’re going to get him warmed up tomorrow, see how he feels like tomorrow and make a decision there. It’s looking like if he can’t go tomorrow, we’ll definitely have him by the [ESPN Events Individual] next week.”
Gary had a boot on his right foot as he sat out Tuesday night’s game on the bench. The redshirt sophomore sustained the injured during Alabama’s game against South Dakota last week. Gary had an MRI on his ankle which Oats said didn’t show anything serious.
Gary started the season strong, registering his first double-double with the Tide by recording 12 points and 10 rebounds during the opener against Louisiana Tech. If the 6-foot-6, 218-pound forward is able to play Friday night, he could come in handy against a lengthy Oakland lineup.
Despite his early slump, Gurley is confident his best basketball is ahead of him.
“The main adjustment has been the pace of the game and the intensity of the game,” Gurley said. “The more games I play, the more that will help. I’m definitely starting to feel better out there.”
Alabama lost the majority of its front-court production from last year with the departures of SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones as well as Jordan Bruner and Alex Reese. The Tide is also currently without senior forward James Rojas, who is recovering from torn ACL he suffered in June.
Freshman center Charles Bediako has helped carry the load in the paint, averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds to go with 2.0 blocks. However, Alabama will need Gurley to step in as well if it looks to continue its perfect start to the season.
“I think he can be that spacey big for us who can fluctuate between [forward] and
Here’s all the information you need to know about Friday’s game.
How to watch
Who: No. 14 Alabama (3-0) vs. Oakland (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 19
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: SEC Network+ (play-by-play: Roger Hoover; analyst: Richard Hendrix)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer: Tom Stipe)
Alabama's projected lineup
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt juniorStats: 14.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 41.5% FG, 21.7% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 19.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 41.7% FG, 39.3% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 17.0 ppg., 9.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 59.3% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Noah Gurley: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, graduate
Stats: 7.0 ppg, 3.3, rpg, 1.0 apg, 34.6% FG, 23.1% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 8.3 ppg, 4.7, rpg, 1.3 apg, 68.8% FG
Oakland projected lineup
Jalen Moore: 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, juniorStats: 12.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.0 apg, 28.9% FG, 10.5% 3-pt
Jamal Cain: 6-foot-7, 191 pounds, graduate
Stats: 19.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 51.0% FG, 14.3% 3-pt
Micah Parrish: 6-foot-6, 194 pounds, freshman
Stats: 6.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 28.6% FG, 0.0% 3-pt
Trey Townsend: 6-foot-6, 222 pounds, freshman
Stats: 11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 apg, 56.0% FG, 37.5 3-pt
Chris Conway: 6-foot-9, 226 pounds, freshman
Stats: 0.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.0 apg, 50.0% FG
Injury update on Juwan Gary
Alabama might have to make do without Juwan Gary a bit longer. During his Thursday Zoom call with reporters, Nate Oats provided an update on the forward’s status, stating that Gary remains “day-to-day” with a right ankle injury that kept him out of Tuesday night’s win over South Alabama.“He’s definitely getting better,” Oats said. “He’s done some more live stuff, but we haven’t put him through live stuff in practice. It’s been more like running. I think they’re going to get him warmed up tomorrow, see how he feels like tomorrow and make a decision there. It’s looking like if he can’t go tomorrow, we’ll definitely have him by the [ESPN Events Individual] next week.”
Gary had a boot on his right foot as he sat out Tuesday night’s game on the bench. The redshirt sophomore sustained the injured during Alabama’s game against South Dakota last week. Gary had an MRI on his ankle which Oats said didn’t show anything serious.
Gary started the season strong, registering his first double-double with the Tide by recording 12 points and 10 rebounds during the opener against Louisiana Tech. If the 6-foot-6, 218-pound forward is able to play Friday night, he could come in handy against a lengthy Oakland lineup.
Noah Gurley looking to get going
This wasn’t exactly the start Noah Gurley was looking for after transferring to Alabama from Furman this offseason. Through three games, the graduate forward is averaging 7.0 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting just 34.6% from the floor and 23.1% from beyond the arc. That’s a stark contrast to his season last year when earned second-team All-SoCon honors averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the floor and 33.9% from deep.Despite his early slump, Gurley is confident his best basketball is ahead of him.
“The main adjustment has been the pace of the game and the intensity of the game,” Gurley said. “The more games I play, the more that will help. I’m definitely starting to feel better out there.”
Alabama lost the majority of its front-court production from last year with the departures of SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones as well as Jordan Bruner and Alex Reese. The Tide is also currently without senior forward James Rojas, who is recovering from torn ACL he suffered in June.
Freshman center Charles Bediako has helped carry the load in the paint, averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds to go with 2.0 blocks. However, Alabama will need Gurley to step in as well if it looks to continue its perfect start to the season.
“I think he can be that spacey big for us who can fluctuate between [forward] and
,” Oats said. “He hasn’t shot it particularly well yet. I think he will settle in and make shots. He’s got to rebound the ball a little better for us. I think some of it is just getting used to the pace of play, the physicality of this level.
“But he’s going to help us. He’s a great kid, he’s got a high IQ, he works hard. He can definitely make shots, we’ve seen him do it in practice. He’s got to get into a rhythm, start feeling more comfortable and making shots for us.”
“Our guys weren’t crashing and getting rebounds, and that’s something he’s done well in practice,” Oats said after the game. “I thought he played pretty hard, pretty well in the minutes he was in. … He ended up with more blue-collar points than some of our guys with 20-plus minutes. What we need him to do, he did. He’s got to get a little more comfortable on the offensive end, but shoot he had three rebounds in eight and a half minutes. We can work with that.”
Holt has yet to record his first points over two appearances with the Tide but does have four boards over 12 total minutes this season. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard came to Alabama as the No. 80 overall player in this year’s class.
“I’ve seen him playing harder,” Alabama guard Keon Ellis said. “I think that just takes away everything, like you don’t have to focus on offense or defense. Just go in and start making the right plays, being in the right spot. That just makes him better at everything. … Moving forward, I think once he does get his jump shot going, it’s just going to add more to what he’s already capable of doing. We all know he can shoot it and defend, so just got to bring it when we’re playing real games.”
— Oakland forward Jamal Cain entered Thursday tied for No. 12 in the nation with 12.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 graduate student is coming off a career-best 17 rebounds during the Golden Grizzlies 80-59 win over Toledo on Wednesday night.
— Oakland shot just 36.84% from the floor over its opening two games against West Virginia and Oklahoma State and entered the week ranked No. 328 out of 350 Division I teams in terms of field-goal percentage. That number rose to 41.1% on the season after the Golden Grizzlies shot 48.5% from the floor during their win over Toledo.
— Oakland is particularly struggling from beyond the arc where it is shooting just 21.6% (16 of 74) on the year. The Golden Grizzlies entered the week ranked No. 342 in the nation in 3-point shooting.
— Alabama is 2-0 all-time against Oakland, beating the Golden Grizzlies 65-45 on Jan. 5, 2013 and 74-57 on Nov. 14, 2011. Both games were played inside Coleman Coliseum.
“But he’s going to help us. He’s a great kid, he’s got a high IQ, he works hard. He can definitely make shots, we’ve seen him do it in practice. He’s got to get into a rhythm, start feeling more comfortable and making shots for us.”
Jusaun Holt’s defense netting him early minutes
An early substitution Tuesday night raised a few eyebrows as true freshman Jusaun Holt entered the game with 16:16 left in the first half. Holt, who didn’t play in Game 2 against South Dakota State, put in a solid shift, recording three rebounds over eight minutes on the court. Tuesday night’s game Oats explained his decision to give the freshman early minutes, stating that he felt he could provide a spark in Gary’s absence.“Our guys weren’t crashing and getting rebounds, and that’s something he’s done well in practice,” Oats said after the game. “I thought he played pretty hard, pretty well in the minutes he was in. … He ended up with more blue-collar points than some of our guys with 20-plus minutes. What we need him to do, he did. He’s got to get a little more comfortable on the offensive end, but shoot he had three rebounds in eight and a half minutes. We can work with that.”
Holt has yet to record his first points over two appearances with the Tide but does have four boards over 12 total minutes this season. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard came to Alabama as the No. 80 overall player in this year’s class.
“I’ve seen him playing harder,” Alabama guard Keon Ellis said. “I think that just takes away everything, like you don’t have to focus on offense or defense. Just go in and start making the right plays, being in the right spot. That just makes him better at everything. … Moving forward, I think once he does get his jump shot going, it’s just going to add more to what he’s already capable of doing. We all know he can shoot it and defend, so just got to bring it when we’re playing real games.”
Scouting Oakland
— Last season, Oakland point guard Jalen Moore led the NCAA in assists per game (8.4) and total assists (252). He also ranked second nationally in free throw makes (170), fifth in minutes per game (37:50), and No. 23 in double-doubles (10).— Oakland forward Jamal Cain entered Thursday tied for No. 12 in the nation with 12.0 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-7 graduate student is coming off a career-best 17 rebounds during the Golden Grizzlies 80-59 win over Toledo on Wednesday night.
— Oakland shot just 36.84% from the floor over its opening two games against West Virginia and Oklahoma State and entered the week ranked No. 328 out of 350 Division I teams in terms of field-goal percentage. That number rose to 41.1% on the season after the Golden Grizzlies shot 48.5% from the floor during their win over Toledo.
— Oakland is particularly struggling from beyond the arc where it is shooting just 21.6% (16 of 74) on the year. The Golden Grizzlies entered the week ranked No. 342 in the nation in 3-point shooting.
— Alabama is 2-0 all-time against Oakland, beating the Golden Grizzlies 65-45 on Jan. 5, 2013 and 74-57 on Nov. 14, 2011. Both games were played inside Coleman Coliseum.
