Alabama basketball started its season on a strong note, blowing out Lousiana Tech 93-64 Tuesday night inside Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide will look to continue that momentum Friday as it hosts South Dakota State at 7 p.m. CT.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Friday’s game.
Who: No. 14 Alabama (1-0) vs. South Dakota State (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 12
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)
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 42.9% FG, 20.0% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 40.0% FG, 40.0% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 18.0 ppg., 7.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 46.9% FG, 44.4% 3-pt
Noah Gurley: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, graduate
Stats: 3.0 ppg, 1.0, rpg, 2.0 apg, 14.3% FG, 25.0% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 5.0 ppg, 3.0, rpg, 1.0 apg, 50.0% FG
Alex Arians: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 28.6% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Mat Mims: 6-foot, 175 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.0% FG
Baylor Scheierman: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 10.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 57.1% FG, 100% 3-pt
Matt Dentlinger: 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 50.0% FG
Douglas Wison: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, senior
Stats: 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 26.3% FG
At this rate, Keon Ellis is going to make a lot of people look pretty foolish. The Alabama senior guard was snubbed from SEC preseason honors this offseason as he didn’t appear on either the media or coaches’ all-conference teams. If Tuesday night’s performance is any indication, the former JUCO transfer won’t have any trouble ending up on those lists at the end of the year.
Ellis led Alabama with 18 points while knocking down three of his four 3-point attempts against Louisiana Tech. The 6-foot-6 guard also pulled in nine rebounds while recording three assists and three steals to finish the night with an eye-popping +37 contribution margin.
“He put the work in to really up his game and step up in the role he has for our team this year,” guard Jaden Shackelford said. “Obviously, be his play you guys can see the work he’s put in. I think he’s going to prove a lot of people wrong and really show himself this year.”
Ellis was one of Alabama’s best perimeter defenders last season while also finishing second on the team with a 38.9% conversion rate on 3-point attempts. This season, Alabama head coach Nate Oats expects the senior to take his game even further while developing into one of the nation’s best two-way players.
“He makes shots at a high level,” Oats said. “He’s gotten better at attacking off the dribble, understanding what we want in our offense. I think, defensively, he’s one of our — it was him and Herb [Jones] were kind of our two better defenders last year. … You know, he’s established himself as our best perimeter defender this year.”
Alabama doesn’t have too many complaints coming off its blowout win over Lousiana Tech. However, Oats could stand to see a little bit more production from his bigs heading into Game 2.
Starting forwards Noah Gurley and Charles Bediako combined for just 8 points on 3 of 11 shooting while pulling in just four rebounds over 30 minutes against Louisiana Tech. The two newcomers struggled to stay on the floor as Bediako fouled out with 3:53 to play while Gurley picked up his fourth foul with 7:20 remaining. Backup Keon Ambrose-Hylton chipped in 2 points and a rebound over seven minutes but also racked up three fouls during that span.
Alabama’s biggest production down low came from Juwan Gary, who recorded his first college double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals. Still, the 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore isn’t a traditional big and ideally shouldn’t be the Tide’s biggest post presence moving forward.
“Our bigs have to do a better job defending and rebounding without fouling,” Oats said. “South Dakota State’s a really good team, and they have good bigs, they have good guards. … They’re a good team, so our bigs are going to have to play a little better for us. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in them.”
While Alabama still has plenty of room to improve in the frontcourt, it should have the talent to put together a strong unit moving forward. Bediako joins the Tide as the No. 5 center in this year’s class, while Gurley, who played at Furman last year, is thought to be one of the nation’s top grad transfers this offseason. Ambrose-Hylton also offers plenty of promise as he was ranked as the No. 20 power forward in last year’s class.
“I think Charles wants to be great. He’s going to figure it out, we’ve just got to keep him out of foul trouble,” Oats said. “Keon Ambrose continues to get better every day Noah and Juwan are guys who have played in college basketball and been good before. They’re more [power forwards] than [centers], but we can always play them there. We’d like to get a little bit more production, rebounds. But some of those guys are inexperienced, and the more games they play the better they’re going to get.”
One of Alabama’s most pleasant surprises to come out of Tuesday night’s win was the shooting performance of Darius Miles. The sophomore forward scored 11 points off the bench, making all four of his shots, including three from beyond the arc.
Thursday, Oats was asked if Miles was going to take people by surprise with his shooting in his second season with the team.
“Shoot, I hope he does,” Oats said with a smile. “If he’d continue to go 100 percent, that’d be great.”
In all seriousness, things do look promising for the sophomore.
“He’s been in the gym working a lot,” Oats said. “He actually struggled a little bit shooting it in the fall, and then he really got in and worked hard on his own, coming in twice a day a lot of times just to get extra shot off. I think that stuff pays off. Hard work doesn’t go unrewarded.”
If Miles is indeed able to improve his shot, he could be an interesting option off the bench for Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward joined the Tide as the No. 26 small forward in last year’s class. During his freshman season, he averaged 2.2 points and 0.9 rebound while shooting 41.4% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc.
“I do think he can be a shooter,” Oats said. “He’s got length, he’s got a high IQ, he’s athletic. Shooting was the one thing we really stressed to him because he can really pass for a guy his size and he can handle the ball. I mean, he could play the point similar to what Herb [Jones] did, being a 6-7 win like that.
“We’re excited for him. I was really glad he played well that first game. We needed him to be good for us here, and I think he’s shown he has a chance to be a part of our rotation this year.”
— South Dakota State opened its season by beating Bradley 81-65 on Tuesday. The 16-point win marked the Jackrabbits’ largest margin of in a season-opener since it joined the Division I ranks in the 2004-05 season.
— Douglas Wilson (20 points, 10 rebounds and Baylor Scheierman (10 points, 14 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles marking the first time since 2018 two SDSU players have accomplished the feat in the same game.
— Last season, SDSU recorded its seventh regular-season Summit League title in the last nine years. The Jacks return all five starters and 10 letter winners from a season ago, including 99.3% of their minutes and 99.7% of their points.
— SDSU was picked to win the Summit League in a vote of the league’s head coaches, SIDs and select media. The Jacks received 23 of 36 first-place votes and 636 points in the poll, while North Dakota State was picked second with 606 points and Oral Roberts third with 545 points.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Friday’s game.
How to watch
Who: No. 14 Alabama (1-0) vs. South Dakota State (1-0)
When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 12
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 junior
Stats: 9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 42.9% FG, 20.0% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 40.0% FG, 40.0% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 18.0 ppg., 7.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 46.9% FG, 44.4% 3-pt
Noah Gurley: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, graduate
Stats: 3.0 ppg, 1.0, rpg, 2.0 apg, 14.3% FG, 25.0% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 5.0 ppg, 3.0, rpg, 1.0 apg, 50.0% FG
South Dakota State projected lineup
Alex Arians: 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 28.6% FG, 50.0% 3-pt
Mat Mims: 6-foot, 175 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 0.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 0.0% FG
Baylor Scheierman: 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 10.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 57.1% FG, 100% 3-pt
Matt Dentlinger: 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 50.0% FG
Douglas Wison: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, senior
Stats: 20.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 26.3% FG
Keon Ellis off to a fast start
At this rate, Keon Ellis is going to make a lot of people look pretty foolish. The Alabama senior guard was snubbed from SEC preseason honors this offseason as he didn’t appear on either the media or coaches’ all-conference teams. If Tuesday night’s performance is any indication, the former JUCO transfer won’t have any trouble ending up on those lists at the end of the year.
Ellis led Alabama with 18 points while knocking down three of his four 3-point attempts against Louisiana Tech. The 6-foot-6 guard also pulled in nine rebounds while recording three assists and three steals to finish the night with an eye-popping +37 contribution margin.
“He put the work in to really up his game and step up in the role he has for our team this year,” guard Jaden Shackelford said. “Obviously, be his play you guys can see the work he’s put in. I think he’s going to prove a lot of people wrong and really show himself this year.”
Ellis was one of Alabama’s best perimeter defenders last season while also finishing second on the team with a 38.9% conversion rate on 3-point attempts. This season, Alabama head coach Nate Oats expects the senior to take his game even further while developing into one of the nation’s best two-way players.
“He makes shots at a high level,” Oats said. “He’s gotten better at attacking off the dribble, understanding what we want in our offense. I think, defensively, he’s one of our — it was him and Herb [Jones] were kind of our two better defenders last year. … You know, he’s established himself as our best perimeter defender this year.”
Alabama looking for more from bigs
Alabama doesn’t have too many complaints coming off its blowout win over Lousiana Tech. However, Oats could stand to see a little bit more production from his bigs heading into Game 2.
Starting forwards Noah Gurley and Charles Bediako combined for just 8 points on 3 of 11 shooting while pulling in just four rebounds over 30 minutes against Louisiana Tech. The two newcomers struggled to stay on the floor as Bediako fouled out with 3:53 to play while Gurley picked up his fourth foul with 7:20 remaining. Backup Keon Ambrose-Hylton chipped in 2 points and a rebound over seven minutes but also racked up three fouls during that span.
Alabama’s biggest production down low came from Juwan Gary, who recorded his first college double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with three steals. Still, the 6-foot-6 redshirt sophomore isn’t a traditional big and ideally shouldn’t be the Tide’s biggest post presence moving forward.
“Our bigs have to do a better job defending and rebounding without fouling,” Oats said. “South Dakota State’s a really good team, and they have good bigs, they have good guards. … They’re a good team, so our bigs are going to have to play a little better for us. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in them.”
While Alabama still has plenty of room to improve in the frontcourt, it should have the talent to put together a strong unit moving forward. Bediako joins the Tide as the No. 5 center in this year’s class, while Gurley, who played at Furman last year, is thought to be one of the nation’s top grad transfers this offseason. Ambrose-Hylton also offers plenty of promise as he was ranked as the No. 20 power forward in last year’s class.
“I think Charles wants to be great. He’s going to figure it out, we’ve just got to keep him out of foul trouble,” Oats said. “Keon Ambrose continues to get better every day Noah and Juwan are guys who have played in college basketball and been good before. They’re more [power forwards] than [centers], but we can always play them there. We’d like to get a little bit more production, rebounds. But some of those guys are inexperienced, and the more games they play the better they’re going to get.”
Darius Miles a surprising spark off the bench
One of Alabama’s most pleasant surprises to come out of Tuesday night’s win was the shooting performance of Darius Miles. The sophomore forward scored 11 points off the bench, making all four of his shots, including three from beyond the arc.
Thursday, Oats was asked if Miles was going to take people by surprise with his shooting in his second season with the team.
“Shoot, I hope he does,” Oats said with a smile. “If he’d continue to go 100 percent, that’d be great.”
In all seriousness, things do look promising for the sophomore.
“He’s been in the gym working a lot,” Oats said. “He actually struggled a little bit shooting it in the fall, and then he really got in and worked hard on his own, coming in twice a day a lot of times just to get extra shot off. I think that stuff pays off. Hard work doesn’t go unrewarded.”
If Miles is indeed able to improve his shot, he could be an interesting option off the bench for Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward joined the Tide as the No. 26 small forward in last year’s class. During his freshman season, he averaged 2.2 points and 0.9 rebound while shooting 41.4% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc.
“I do think he can be a shooter,” Oats said. “He’s got length, he’s got a high IQ, he’s athletic. Shooting was the one thing we really stressed to him because he can really pass for a guy his size and he can handle the ball. I mean, he could play the point similar to what Herb [Jones] did, being a 6-7 win like that.
“We’re excited for him. I was really glad he played well that first game. We needed him to be good for us here, and I think he’s shown he has a chance to be a part of our rotation this year.”
Scouting South Dakota State
— South Dakota State opened its season by beating Bradley 81-65 on Tuesday. The 16-point win marked the Jackrabbits’ largest margin of in a season-opener since it joined the Division I ranks in the 2004-05 season.
— Douglas Wilson (20 points, 10 rebounds and Baylor Scheierman (10 points, 14 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles marking the first time since 2018 two SDSU players have accomplished the feat in the same game.
— Last season, SDSU recorded its seventh regular-season Summit League title in the last nine years. The Jacks return all five starters and 10 letter winners from a season ago, including 99.3% of their minutes and 99.7% of their points.
— SDSU was picked to win the Summit League in a vote of the league’s head coaches, SIDs and select media. The Jacks received 23 of 36 first-place votes and 636 points in the poll, while North Dakota State was picked second with 606 points and Oral Roberts third with 545 points.
