No. 11/14 Alabama returns home to Coleman Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 3, to face the reigning Summit League Champions, South Dakota State. The Crimson Tide enter Saturday's contest with one of the best resumes in the early part of the season, as the Tide are one of five schools that currently have two wins over top-25 opponents.
The Broadcast
Saturday's game will be aired on the SEC Network+ with Roger Hoover (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) on the call.
The radio broadcast can be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) on the call, while Tom Stipe (engineer) is turning the dials. The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.
Notes You Need To Know
- Alabama's win over No. 1 North Carolina on Nov. 27 marked the first time since March 20, 2004 (defeated No. 1 Stanford, 70-67, in the NCAA Tournament), that the Tide defeated a No. 1 ranked team.
- Alabama head coach Nate Oats has won four straight games when playing a team who played in the previous year's Final Four (3-0 last year, 1-0 this year).
- The Crimson Tide is one of five schools in Division I that currently has two wins over top-25 opponents (Arizona, Creighton, Purdue and Virginia).
- For the first time in program history, Alabama has two top-25 wins during non-conference play in back-to-back seasons.
- Brandon Miller is averaging 19.6 points per game, the most by any freshman in the country and No. 37 overall.
- Miller is the only freshmen in the country to rank in the top-55 in points per game (No. 37) and rebounds per game (No. 52).
- Miller is averaging 3.43 three-pointers per game, which ranks No. 15 in the country.
- Alabama ranks No. 1 in the country in rebounds per game (49.8), rebound margin (16.2), defensive rebounds per game (34.0), offensive rebounds per game (17.0) and No. 2 in rebound margin (+14.7).
- Alabama's newcomers have scored 453 of the Tide's 590 points this season.
- Charles Bediako ranks No. 23 in the country, averaging 3.71 offensive rebounds per game.
- The Tide are making 10.6 three-pointers per game, which ranks No. 16 in Division I.
- Alabama welcomes the highest ranked recruiting class in program history, including McDonald's High School All-Americans Jaden Bradley and Brandon Miller, along with four-start prospects Noah Clowney and Rylan Griffen.
- Despite earning their fifth consecutive regular season title, and winning their eighth in the last 10 years, the Jackrabbits were picked second in the 2022-23 Summit League Preseason Poll behind Oral Roberts. Luke Appel and Zeke Mayo each received All-Summit League Preseason First Team recognition. Appel was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2021-22, while Mayo was selected to the Summit's All-Newcomer Team.
- Sophomore guard Zeke Mayo has picked up his game as the season has progressed and now leads the Jackrabbits in both scoring and rebounding. He currently has 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game marks. He has season-high contests of 24 points and two 13-rebound efforts.
- South Dakota State has played in eight of the last nine postseasons, excluding the 2019-20 season when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of all postseason tournaments. The Jacks have been to six NCAA tournaments, a pair of National Invitation Tournaments and one trip to the College Basketball Invitational.
- SDSU has won six Summit League Tournament since 2011-12 and at least a share of eight of the last nine regular season crowns, including six straight.
- The Jackrabbits have won 20 or more games in four of the last five seasons and eight of the last 11 campaigns.
- In 2021-22 South Dakota State became first in Summit League history to go undefeated (18-0), led NCAA in 3-point percentage (44.5%) and finished fourth in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
Original source can be found here.
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