Alabama basketball is ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2007 as it came in at No. 9 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 released Monday. The Crimson Tide is riding a nine-game winning streak and is 8-0 to start SEC play, tying the 1986-87 and 1974-75 squads for the best start to conference play since 1956.
Tuesday, Alabama will be looking for a season sweep of Kentucky as it hosts the Wildcats at 6 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The Tide beat the Wildcats 85-65 in Lexington, Ky. earlier this month. Alabama hasn’t swept Kentucky since 1989 when it won 76-64 at home before beating the Wildcats again 71-67 on the road.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Tuesday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (13-3, 8-0 in the SEC) vs. Kentucky (5-9, 4-3)
When: 6:00 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Jan. 26
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: ESPN (play-by-play: Karl Ravech, analyst: Dick Vitale)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Herb Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 48.9% FG, 48.1% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 13.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 39.3% FG, 36.0% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 14.1 ppg., 5.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 47.8% FG, 42.2% 3-pt
Joshua Primo: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, freshman
Stats: 9.1 ppg., 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 43.4% FG, 41.5% 3-pt
Alex Reese: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, senior
Stats: 4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 apg, 33.3% FG, 24.2% 3-pt
Kentucky projected starting five
Devin Askew: 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, freshman
Stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 34.8% FG, 25.7% 3-pt
Davion Mintz: 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, graduate student
Stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 36.3% FG, 31.8% 3-pt
Brandon Boston Jr.: 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, freshman
Stats: 12.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 37.1% FG, 18.0% 3-pt
Keion Brooks Jr.: 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 51.2% FG, 25.0% 3-pt
Olivier Sarr: 7-foot, 237 pounds, senior
Stats: 10.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 48.1% FG, 33.3% 3-pt
Injury report
During his Monday Zoom call with reporters, Alabama head coach Nate Oats provided another update on forward James Rojas, who missed the Tide’s 81-73 victory over Mississippi State over the weekend due to a medical condition. Following Alabama’s win over the weekend, Oats said he was hopeful the redshirt junior would be able to return in time for Tuesday night’s game. However, the head coach said Monday that Rojas has not been able to practice with the team.
“We’re hopeful we can maybe get him by game time,” Oats said. “Even if we do get him by game time, he will have been out for almost a week.”
Rojas has played in 14 games this season while making one start. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward is averaging 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 34 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Alabama is already without starting forward Jordan Bruner, who suffered a meniscus injury during the Tide’s trip to Lexington earlier this month. With Bruner and Rojas sidelined, the Tide has turned to senior Alex Reese and freshman Keon Ambrose-Hylton to carry the load.
Monday, Oats spoke highly of Ambrose-Hylton, stating the freshman is always eager to improve his game. Against Mississippi State last time out, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward recorded 4 points and three rebounds over 10 minutes.
“We’re going to need Keon to play well for us again,” Oats said. “He’s athletic, he’s active. He’s eager. He’s very coachable. We like him a lot. … Shoot he can block shots, rebound. He’s been working on his skill. He can make jumpers. Shoot, he can make 3s.
“He’s going to get minutes. Hopefully. Reese is able to give us some good quality minutes for longer than normal, and when he’s out a combination of Ambrose, Rojas, even Juwan [Gary]. Shoot, even Herb [Jones] can guard the [center position].”
Notes and quotes
— Speaking of injuries, Oats shared a gruesome anecdote about Herbert Jones’ dislocated finger during Alabama’s trip to Kentucky earlier this month.
“He had the finger come out. It was crazy,” Oats said. “You saw the look on his face at Kentucky. The skin broke. Even after the game, when I said, ‘Yeah, we’re probably gonna be without Herb for a few games,’ one of my assistants told me Herb said, ‘Nah, I’m playing in the next game.’ That was after the game at Kentucky when he’s got skin broken because of the dislocation.”
Sure enough, Jones returned to start against Arkansas four days later, recording 13 points and four rebounds over 23 minutes during the Tide’s 90-59 victory over the Razorbacks.
— Alabama freshman guard Joshua Primo earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors Monday following strong performances against LSU and Mississippi State last week. Primo scored 22 points against LSU before dropping 16 points against Mississippi State. The Toronto, Ontario, native was a combined 10 of 13 from beyond the arc in those two games.
— While Alabama’s 20-point win at Kentucky earlier this month is an encouraging sign, it doesn’t guarantee success for the Tide on Tuesday night.
Three times over the past five years, Alabama has beaten an SEC team by 15 or more points on the road only to lose to that same team at home later in the season.
Last year, Alabama beat Vanderbilt 77-62 on the road before suffering an 87-79 defeat to the Commodores inside Coleman Coliseum later in the year. In 2018 The Tide beat Florida 68-50 on the road only to be blown out 73-52 in the return game. In 2017, an 80-60 road win at Georgia was followed by a 60-55 home loss to the Bulldogs later in the year.
Monday, Oats said he read the stat to his team, asking them what that felt went wrong in those games.
“They had some good answers,” Oats said. “We’re going to try and make sure that doesn’t happen, but Kentucky’s a really talented team that if you don’t come ready to play, they’re going to get you. We’ve got to come ready to play, that’s for sure.”
— Alabama is looking for its 10th straight win which would mark its longest streak since starting the 1996-97 season with 10 consecutive victories before suffering its first setback. Monday, Jones was asked what the team’s thought process is like going from the hunter to the hunted.
“We try to keep the guys hungry,” Jones said. “We don’t feel like we’re being hunted. We’re still doing the hunting.”
— Heading into Monday, Alabama ranked No. 9 in the NET rankings, joining No. 12 Tennessee, No. 23 Missouri, No. 26 Florida, No. 32 Arkansas and No. 35 LSU as one of six SEC teams ranked in the top 35. Alabama is 4-0 against Quad 1 opponents and 5-2 against Quad 2 foes. Kentucky enters Tuesday’s game at No. 82 in the NET rankings, making the Wildcats a Quad 3 opponent.
— Oats was asked about Kentucky freshman forward Isaiah Jackson, who he recruited to come to Alabama. Wilson recorded a season-high 14 points and seven blocks against the Tide earlier this season and is coming off a season-high 15-rebound game during the Wildcats’ win over LSU on Saturday. The 6-foot-10, 206-pound Detroit native leads the SEC averaging 3.0 blocks per game. He’s also averaging 6.5 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds.
“Obviously he’s from Detroit where I coached for 10 years,” Oats said of Jackson. “I know him. I know his dad. We recruited him hard, would have loved to get him. I think he’s come along well. I think his motor’s great. His activity level’s big-time.”
Tuesday, Alabama will be looking for a season sweep of Kentucky as it hosts the Wildcats at 6 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The Tide beat the Wildcats 85-65 in Lexington, Ky. earlier this month. Alabama hasn’t swept Kentucky since 1989 when it won 76-64 at home before beating the Wildcats again 71-67 on the road.
Here’s all the information you need to know about Tuesday’s game.
How to watch
Who: Alabama (13-3, 8-0 in the SEC) vs. Kentucky (5-9, 4-3)
When: 6:00 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Jan. 26
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: ESPN (play-by-play: Karl Ravech, analyst: Dick Vitale)
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; sideline Roger Hoover)
Alabama projected starting five
Herb Jones: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, senior
Stats: 12.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 48.9% FG, 48.1% 3-pt
Jaden Shackelford: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 13.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg, 2.4 apg, 39.3% FG, 36.0% 3-pt
John Petty Jr.: 6-foot-5, 184 pounds, senior
Stats: 14.1 ppg., 5.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 47.8% FG, 42.2% 3-pt
Joshua Primo: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, freshman
Stats: 9.1 ppg., 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 43.4% FG, 41.5% 3-pt
Alex Reese: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, senior
Stats: 4.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.6 apg, 33.3% FG, 24.2% 3-pt
Kentucky projected starting five
Devin Askew: 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, freshman
Stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 34.8% FG, 25.7% 3-pt
Davion Mintz: 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, graduate student
Stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 36.3% FG, 31.8% 3-pt
Brandon Boston Jr.: 6-foot-7, 185 pounds, freshman
Stats: 12.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, 37.1% FG, 18.0% 3-pt
Keion Brooks Jr.: 6-foot-7, 205 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 11.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 51.2% FG, 25.0% 3-pt
Olivier Sarr: 7-foot, 237 pounds, senior
Stats: 10.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 48.1% FG, 33.3% 3-pt
Injury report
During his Monday Zoom call with reporters, Alabama head coach Nate Oats provided another update on forward James Rojas, who missed the Tide’s 81-73 victory over Mississippi State over the weekend due to a medical condition. Following Alabama’s win over the weekend, Oats said he was hopeful the redshirt junior would be able to return in time for Tuesday night’s game. However, the head coach said Monday that Rojas has not been able to practice with the team.
“We’re hopeful we can maybe get him by game time,” Oats said. “Even if we do get him by game time, he will have been out for almost a week.”
Rojas has played in 14 games this season while making one start. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward is averaging 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 34 percent from the floor and 25 percent from beyond the arc.
Alabama is already without starting forward Jordan Bruner, who suffered a meniscus injury during the Tide’s trip to Lexington earlier this month. With Bruner and Rojas sidelined, the Tide has turned to senior Alex Reese and freshman Keon Ambrose-Hylton to carry the load.
Monday, Oats spoke highly of Ambrose-Hylton, stating the freshman is always eager to improve his game. Against Mississippi State last time out, the 6-foot-8, 210-pound forward recorded 4 points and three rebounds over 10 minutes.
“We’re going to need Keon to play well for us again,” Oats said. “He’s athletic, he’s active. He’s eager. He’s very coachable. We like him a lot. … Shoot he can block shots, rebound. He’s been working on his skill. He can make jumpers. Shoot, he can make 3s.
“He’s going to get minutes. Hopefully. Reese is able to give us some good quality minutes for longer than normal, and when he’s out a combination of Ambrose, Rojas, even Juwan [Gary]. Shoot, even Herb [Jones] can guard the [center position].”
Notes and quotes
— Speaking of injuries, Oats shared a gruesome anecdote about Herbert Jones’ dislocated finger during Alabama’s trip to Kentucky earlier this month.
“He had the finger come out. It was crazy,” Oats said. “You saw the look on his face at Kentucky. The skin broke. Even after the game, when I said, ‘Yeah, we’re probably gonna be without Herb for a few games,’ one of my assistants told me Herb said, ‘Nah, I’m playing in the next game.’ That was after the game at Kentucky when he’s got skin broken because of the dislocation.”
Sure enough, Jones returned to start against Arkansas four days later, recording 13 points and four rebounds over 23 minutes during the Tide’s 90-59 victory over the Razorbacks.
— Alabama freshman guard Joshua Primo earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors Monday following strong performances against LSU and Mississippi State last week. Primo scored 22 points against LSU before dropping 16 points against Mississippi State. The Toronto, Ontario, native was a combined 10 of 13 from beyond the arc in those two games.
— While Alabama’s 20-point win at Kentucky earlier this month is an encouraging sign, it doesn’t guarantee success for the Tide on Tuesday night.
Three times over the past five years, Alabama has beaten an SEC team by 15 or more points on the road only to lose to that same team at home later in the season.
Last year, Alabama beat Vanderbilt 77-62 on the road before suffering an 87-79 defeat to the Commodores inside Coleman Coliseum later in the year. In 2018 The Tide beat Florida 68-50 on the road only to be blown out 73-52 in the return game. In 2017, an 80-60 road win at Georgia was followed by a 60-55 home loss to the Bulldogs later in the year.
Monday, Oats said he read the stat to his team, asking them what that felt went wrong in those games.
“They had some good answers,” Oats said. “We’re going to try and make sure that doesn’t happen, but Kentucky’s a really talented team that if you don’t come ready to play, they’re going to get you. We’ve got to come ready to play, that’s for sure.”
— Alabama is looking for its 10th straight win which would mark its longest streak since starting the 1996-97 season with 10 consecutive victories before suffering its first setback. Monday, Jones was asked what the team’s thought process is like going from the hunter to the hunted.
“We try to keep the guys hungry,” Jones said. “We don’t feel like we’re being hunted. We’re still doing the hunting.”
— Heading into Monday, Alabama ranked No. 9 in the NET rankings, joining No. 12 Tennessee, No. 23 Missouri, No. 26 Florida, No. 32 Arkansas and No. 35 LSU as one of six SEC teams ranked in the top 35. Alabama is 4-0 against Quad 1 opponents and 5-2 against Quad 2 foes. Kentucky enters Tuesday’s game at No. 82 in the NET rankings, making the Wildcats a Quad 3 opponent.
— Oats was asked about Kentucky freshman forward Isaiah Jackson, who he recruited to come to Alabama. Wilson recorded a season-high 14 points and seven blocks against the Tide earlier this season and is coming off a season-high 15-rebound game during the Wildcats’ win over LSU on Saturday. The 6-foot-10, 206-pound Detroit native leads the SEC averaging 3.0 blocks per game. He’s also averaging 6.5 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds.
“Obviously he’s from Detroit where I coached for 10 years,” Oats said of Jackson. “I know him. I know his dad. We recruited him hard, would have loved to get him. I think he’s come along well. I think his motor’s great. His activity level’s big-time.”
