Alabama Travels to Wichita State in Big Non-Conference Game

The Alabama men’s basketball team will travel to take on No. 11 Wichita State on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT.

Tuesday’s contest at Wichita State will be the only road game in the current seven-game span, which began last Saturday at home against Tennessee Tech. Following Tuesday’s game, the Tide will play five consecutive home games – the longest homestand since playing eight consecutive home games during the 2008-09 campaign.

Tuesday night’s contest will be televised on ESPN2, with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Dick Vitale (analyst) on the call. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network, with Chris Stewart (play-by-play) and Bryan Passink (analyst) calling all the action. There will be live updates throughout the game available on Twitter @AlabamaMBB.

THE COACHES

Alabama head coach Anthony Grant is in his sixth season at the helm of the men’s basketball program. He owns a record of 105-73 (.590) during his time at the Capstone and is 181-98 (.649) now in his in ninth season as a head coach. Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall is in his eighth season with the Shockers and owns a record of 181-72 (.715). Now in his 17th season as a head coach, he owns a career record of 375-155 (.708) overall.

THE SERIES

Tuesday night’s contest will mark the seventh game in series history between Wichita State and Alabama, and the second time the two teams have met in as many seasons. Wichita State captured last year’s meeting, winning a narrow 72-67 decision on Dec. 17, 2013 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (full recap on page 8). The series is even at 3-3, while the Shockers own a 1-0 lead when playing Alabama on its home floor.

MORE ABOUT TUESDAY’S MATCH-UP

Alabama (6-2) and Wichita State (7-1) will meet for the fourth time in the last five seasons on Tuesday night... Alabama fell to Wichita State in the 2011 NIT championship game, 66-57, on March 31, 2011 in New York City... The Tide earned a 10-point win, 70-60, the following season in the Puerto Rico Classic on Nov. 18, 2011... The squads could possible square off next season as well, as both will be among eight teams participating in next year’s Orlando Classic, which will be held Nov. 26-29 at the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex... only once has a game between the two teams been decided by more than 10 points, which occurred on Dec. 1, 1992 when the Tide captured a 93-71 victory over the Shockers in the season opener that year... Tuesday night’s game will mark just the second time Alabama has played the Shockers in Wichita, Kan., with the only other meeting coming on Dec. 4, 1990 when Wichita State captured a 74-71 overtime win.

UP NEXT

Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa where it begins a five-game homestand. The Tide will play two games in three days, beginning with a Dec. 19 matchup vs. Stillman (6 p.m. CT on SECN+), folllowed by a Dec. 21 contest against Appalachian State (5:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network).

SCOUTING ALABAMA

• The Tide is in the midst of playing four games in nine days. The stretch began on Dec. 13 vs. Tennessee Tech and will end next weekend with a Friday, Sunday tilt vs. Stillman and Appalachian State, respectively.

• Tuesday’s contest vs. Wichita State will be the only road game in a seven-game stretch to end the month of December. It is the longest home stretch of the season and the first time the Tide has played six of seven games at home since the 2009-10 campaign.

• Senior guard Levi Randolph leads Alabama in scoring (17.8 ppg), assists (3.0 apg), steals (1.8) and minutes (33.8 mpg) through the Tide’s eight contests. He enters the Wichita State game ranking second in the SEC in scoring average and is fourth in free throw shooting (90.0 percent).

• Two other Crimson Tide players average double figures. Junior guard Ricky Tarrant and senior guard Rodney Cooper are both averaging 13.4 ppg on the season. Cooper leads the team in three-point shooting (46.7 percent), while also connecting on 51.5 percent from the floor.

• Sophomore forward Shannon Hale contributes 9.4 points and 3.6 rebounds a contest, while sophomore forward Jimmie Taylor leads the team with 1.5 blocks and 5.4 rebounds per game, while also chipping in with 4.4 points per contest.

• As a team, the Tide is outscoring the opposition by 6.6 points per game (78.0-71.4) and owns a narrow +0.1 rebounding advantage (32.5-32.4) through its eight games. Alabama leads the nation in free throw shooting percentage (.788), while also averaging 13.0 assists and 7.6 steals per game.

• Alabama boasts one of the top offenses in the SEC, ranking among the league best in scoring average (2nd), while also shooting 45.9 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Tide ranks among the bottom of the league in scoring defense (71.4 – T13th), field goal percentage defense (45.3 percent – 13th) and three-point field goal percentage defense (36.5 percent – 13th).

NOTES FROM ALABAMA-TENNESSEE TECH GAME

• Alabama held Tennessee Tech to its season low of 53 points in the victory. It is the second time this year the Tide has held an opponent to less than 60 points in a game (allowed 54 points to Towson in the season opener on Nov. 14).

• Despite the victory, Alabama scored a season-low 65 points in the victory. It was the first time this year that the Tide has not reached the 70-point mark in a game snapping a streak of seven consecutive games of 70 or more points to begin the season.

• Senior guard Rodney Cooper finished the night with 23 points – the second straight home game in which he has reached at least 20 points.

• Levi Randolph matched a career high with five assists to go along with 10 points and three steals. Randolph remains the only Alabama player to have reached double figures in every contest this season.

• Alabama entered the game leading the nation in free throw shooting percentage. However, the Tide went 25-of-35 from the charity stripe. The 71.4 percent shooting in a game was a season-low for Alabama. In addition, Randolph had only missed one free throw (41-of-42) entering Saturday’s game and led the SEC in free throw shooting percentage. Against Tennessee Tech, he only hit 4-of-8 from the charity stripe.

• Junior guard Retin Obasohan saw the most significant minutes all season. Obasohan finished the night with nine points in 25 minutes of action – both season highs.

• Alabama junior guard Ricky Tarrant, who entered the game as the Tide’s second-leading scorer at 15.3 points per game, was held scoreless and played only eight minutes in the contest. The Pleasant Grove, Ala., native left midway through the first half due to an undisclosed injury and did not return.

WHO’S HOT?

• Senior guard Rodney Cooper has three 20-point games over the Tide’s last five contests. During that span, Cooper is averaging a team-best 17.0 points per game, while shooting 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the floor and 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from three-point range.

• Over the last three games, sophomore forward Michael Kessens is collecting 8.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game. He has connected on 10-of-15 (.667) from the floor during the three-game stretch.

• Senior guard Levi Randolph is the only Alabama player to score in double figures in all eight contests. In addition, the Madison, Ala., product has recorded five or more rebounds in all but three games this season.

THE TIDE AGAINST THE TOP 25

• Alabama will play its second top-25 team this season when it takes on No. 11/11 Wichita State on Tuesday night in Wichita, Kan. The Tide is 0-1 vs. top-25 teams this season, having dropped an 84-74 decision against then-No. 13/13 Iowa State in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic semifinals on Nov. 24.

• The last time an Alabama team defeated a top-25 team in a true road game came on Feb. 21, 2004 when the Tide captured a 77-73 win at then-No. 4 Mississippi State..

• Alabama has not won a true road game against a non-conference top-25 team since achieving the feat on Feb. 4, 1996 at then-No. 18 Syracuse (won, 81-68), going 0-4 in such contests since that victory.

ANOTHER STRONG NON-CONFERENCE SLATE

• Alabama has opened the season with a 6-2 record while playing against quality competition.

• Alabama has only played one team that currently has a record under .500 (Western Carolina), with six opponents boasting of three or fewer losses on the year.

• Alabama’s competition for the year has a combined record of 47-25 (.653).

• Last season, the Tide’s non-conference schedule was rated No. 9 in the nation, according to ESPN.com. Alabama has already played the likes of Iowa State (Nov. 24), Arizona State (Nov. 25), South Florida (Dec. 2) and Xavier (Dec. 6), with Wichita State (Dec. 16) and UCLA (Dec. 28) looming this month.

BACKCOURT THREAT

• The backcourt trio of Levi Randolph, Ricky Tarrant and Rodney Cooper is establishing itself as one of the top trips in the SEC.

• Together, Randolph (17.8 ppg), Tarrant (13.4 ppg) and Cooper (13.4) are combining to average 45.7 points per game – approximately 59 percent of the team’s 78.0 points per game average.

• The trio has also accounted for approximately 51 percent of the team’s total steals, 48 percent of the team’s assists and 34 percent of the team’s rebounds.

• The three-headed monster of Randolph, Tarrant and Cooper currently rank as the top scoring trio in the SEC (through games of Dec. 14). Below are the top five scoring trios in the SEC.

Trio                                                                                                                                                        Team                     Combined PPG

1. Levi Randolph (17.8)/Ricky Tarrant (13.4)/Rodney Cooper (13.4)                           Alabama             45.7 ppg

2. Jordan Mickey (16.3)/Jarell Martin (15.9)/Keith Hornsby (12.7)                              LSU                        44.9 ppg

3. Bobby Portis (15.8) /Michael Qualls (14.3)/Anthlon Bell (11.4)                                 Arkansas              41.5 ppg

4. Damian Jones (17.4)/Riley Chance (12.0)/Luke Kornet (10.9)                                   Vanderbilt           40.3 ppg

5. KT Harrell (18.3)/Cinmeon Bowers (11.6)/Shamsid-Deen (7.7)                                Auburn                 37.6 ppg

NATION’S LEADERS

• Alabama leads the nation in free throw shooting percentage coming into Tuesday’s game at Wichita State. As a team, the Tide has knocked down 164-of-208 (.788) free throws, which averages out to 20 points a game from line.

• On average, Alabama is getting to the foul line 26 times a game and is outscoring the competition by nearly six points a game (20.5-14.9).

• Alabama’s top three players in terms of free throw attempts (Levi Randolph, 45-of-50; Ricky Tarrant, 37-of-45; Rodney Cooper, 23-of-28) are shooting a combined 85.3 percent (105-of-123) from the free throw stripe this season.

• Six Alabama players are connecting on 75 percent or better from the charity stripe this season.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS

• Through eight games on the year, Alabama has shown quite the improvement on the offensive end of the floor. The Tide is averaging 78.0 points per game, which currently ranks second in the league and 24th in the nation coming into Tuesday’scontest.

• The Tide has reached 74 or more points in seven of its first eight games. Last season, Alabama scored 70 or more points in just 12 of its 32 games.

• Furthermore, the Tide has reached the 80-point mark in five of its eight games. Last season, Alabama reached 80 or more points just six times.