Riding the high of consecutive wins against ranked opponents the past two weekends, No. 6 Alabama basketball was brought back down to earth this week as it suffered a 92-78 defeat to Memphis on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will look to shake off that performance Saturday as it returns to Coleman Coliseum to host Jacksonville State.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
Who: No. 6 Alabama (8-2) vs. Jacksonville State (5-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 18
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: SEC Network (play-by-play: Dave Neal; analyst: Pat Bradley)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; Sideline: Roger Hoover; engineer Tom Stipe)
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 14.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 42.9% FG, 26.3% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 18.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 44.8% FG, 44.6% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.0 ppg., 6.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 48.7% FG, 35.4% 3-pt
Juwan Gary: 6-foot-6, 218 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 9.5 ppg, 5.3, rpg, 0.5 apg, 52.6% FG, 20.0% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 4.3, rpg, 0.9 apg, 69.6% FG
Darian Adams: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, senior
Stats: 14.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 41.8% FG, 41.3% 3-pt
Jalen Gibbs: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, senior
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 38.2% FG, 46.6% 3-pt
Demaree King: 6-foot, 180 pounds, junior
Stats: 9.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 42.7% FG, 40.7% 3-pt
Kayne Henry: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 8.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 46.6% FG, 36.7% 3-pt
Brandon Huffman: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, senior
Stats: 10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.2 apg, 60.3% FG
The message following Tuesday’s loss to Memphis was simple.
"We got what we deserved tonight, I know that," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said following the game. "We didn't come ready to play. We didn't play as hard as them."
Oats went on to call for more leadership from his players, stating that “coaches can say only so much” and certain players would need to “step up and address the team.” Thursday, Alabama players responded by recording one of the most intense practices in program history.
According to Oats, Thursday’s practice saw Alabama players register their highest team average on the Catapult motion-tracking system since the team began using the technology seven years ago. Leading the way was junior guard Jahvon Quinerly, who had the highest explosiveness numbers by a player during that span.
“I thought most of our guys got after it a little bit,” Oats said during his Friday press conference. “I think we had one of the better practices we’ve ever had yesterday. We had another good one today. We’re looking forward to Jacksonville State.”
As for verbal leadership, Oats said there were “no Knute Rockne-type speeches or anything like that” but did note that players were speaking up more.
“Taking practice seriously these next couple of days was Step 1 in that process,” Quinerly said. “But definitely just holding guys accountable and making sure that we used that Memphis game as a lesson and we bring these next couple days in practice leading up to Jacksonville State.”
One of the few positives for Alabama in its loss to Memphis was the performance of Keon Ellis, who broke out of a mini-slump with 19 points and six rebounds. The senior guard had recorded just four points in each of his two previous games against Gonzaga and Houston respectively.
“I obviously knew I was in a slump, but it’s whatever. Everyone has them,” Ellis said. “I really just went in there trying to get stops, and it just led to some easy buckets. That just always helps to get going.”
Ellis is third on the team averaging 12.0 points per game. He is shooting 48.7% from the floor and 35.4% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-6 guard has also been the Tide’s best defender, leading the team with 1.5 steals per game while averaging 6.4 rebounds.
— Jacksonville State is ranked No. 16 in the nation in 3-point shooting, making 39.3% of its shots from beyond the arc. Alabama has one of the nation’s better perimeter defenses, holding opponents to 28.6% on their 3-point attempts.
— Alabama enters the game ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 10 in the nation in scoring offense at 85.2 points per game. The Tide also leads the league and is ranked No. 31 in the nation in 3s made per game (9.9).
— Alabama guard Jaden Shackelford enters the game leading the SEC in made 3s per game (3.7), total made 3s (37) and 3-point field goal percentage (44.6%).
— Alabama entered Friday at No. 19 in the NET rankings. The Tide is 2-1 in Quad 1 games, 1-1 in Quad 2 games and 5-0 in Quad 3 games. Saturday will mark Alabama’s first Quad 4 matchup of the season.
— Alabama has won 15 consecutive games inside Coleman Coliseum with its last loss coming in a 73-71 defeat to Western Kentucky on Dec. 19, 2020. The 15 straight home victories is the longest home winning streak since the Tide claimed a school-record 24 straight wins inside Coleman Coliseum from March of 2010 to December of 2011.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
How to watch
Who: No. 6 Alabama (8-2) vs. Jacksonville State (5-5)
When: 7:30 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 18
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: SEC Network (play-by-play: Dave Neal; analyst: Pat Bradley)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; Sideline: Roger Hoover; engineer Tom Stipe)
Alabama's projected lineup
Jahvon Quinerly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, redshirt junior
Stats: 14.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 42.9% FG, 26.3% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, junior
Stats: 18.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 44.8% FG, 44.6% 3-pt
Keon Ellis: 6-foot-6, 175 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.0 ppg., 6.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 48.7% FG, 35.4% 3-pt
Juwan Gary: 6-foot-6, 218 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Stats: 9.5 ppg, 5.3, rpg, 0.5 apg, 52.6% FG, 20.0% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 4.3, rpg, 0.9 apg, 69.6% FG
Jacksonville State’s projected lineup
Darian Adams: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, senior
Stats: 14.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 41.8% FG, 41.3% 3-pt
Jalen Gibbs: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, senior
Stats: 11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 38.2% FG, 46.6% 3-pt
Demaree King: 6-foot, 180 pounds, junior
Stats: 9.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 42.7% FG, 40.7% 3-pt
Kayne Henry: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 8.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 46.6% FG, 36.7% 3-pt
Brandon Huffman: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, senior
Stats: 10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.2 apg, 60.3% FG
A high-energy response
The message following Tuesday’s loss to Memphis was simple.
"We got what we deserved tonight, I know that," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said following the game. "We didn't come ready to play. We didn't play as hard as them."
Oats went on to call for more leadership from his players, stating that “coaches can say only so much” and certain players would need to “step up and address the team.” Thursday, Alabama players responded by recording one of the most intense practices in program history.
According to Oats, Thursday’s practice saw Alabama players register their highest team average on the Catapult motion-tracking system since the team began using the technology seven years ago. Leading the way was junior guard Jahvon Quinerly, who had the highest explosiveness numbers by a player during that span.
“I thought most of our guys got after it a little bit,” Oats said during his Friday press conference. “I think we had one of the better practices we’ve ever had yesterday. We had another good one today. We’re looking forward to Jacksonville State.”
As for verbal leadership, Oats said there were “no Knute Rockne-type speeches or anything like that” but did note that players were speaking up more.
“Taking practice seriously these next couple of days was Step 1 in that process,” Quinerly said. “But definitely just holding guys accountable and making sure that we used that Memphis game as a lesson and we bring these next couple days in practice leading up to Jacksonville State.”
Ellis breaks out of his slump
One of the few positives for Alabama in its loss to Memphis was the performance of Keon Ellis, who broke out of a mini-slump with 19 points and six rebounds. The senior guard had recorded just four points in each of his two previous games against Gonzaga and Houston respectively.
“I obviously knew I was in a slump, but it’s whatever. Everyone has them,” Ellis said. “I really just went in there trying to get stops, and it just led to some easy buckets. That just always helps to get going.”
Ellis is third on the team averaging 12.0 points per game. He is shooting 48.7% from the floor and 35.4% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-6 guard has also been the Tide’s best defender, leading the team with 1.5 steals per game while averaging 6.4 rebounds.
Game notes
— Jacksonville State is ranked No. 16 in the nation in 3-point shooting, making 39.3% of its shots from beyond the arc. Alabama has one of the nation’s better perimeter defenses, holding opponents to 28.6% on their 3-point attempts.
— Alabama enters the game ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 10 in the nation in scoring offense at 85.2 points per game. The Tide also leads the league and is ranked No. 31 in the nation in 3s made per game (9.9).
— Alabama guard Jaden Shackelford enters the game leading the SEC in made 3s per game (3.7), total made 3s (37) and 3-point field goal percentage (44.6%).
— Alabama entered Friday at No. 19 in the NET rankings. The Tide is 2-1 in Quad 1 games, 1-1 in Quad 2 games and 5-0 in Quad 3 games. Saturday will mark Alabama’s first Quad 4 matchup of the season.
— Alabama has won 15 consecutive games inside Coleman Coliseum with its last loss coming in a 73-71 defeat to Western Kentucky on Dec. 19, 2020. The 15 straight home victories is the longest home winning streak since the Tide claimed a school-record 24 straight wins inside Coleman Coliseum from March of 2010 to December of 2011.
