Bama Men's Basketball Downs Missouri 68-56
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
Alabama junior forward Riley Norris and sophomore guard Avery Johnson Jr. led the Crimson Tide with 13 points apiece. Four members of the Bama boys finished the contest in double-figures. Besides Norris and Johnson, Dazon Ingram pumped in 12 points while Braxton Key contributed 11 points to the win.
Crimson Tide men's basketball head coach Avery Johnson said, "Well tonight this was another game, back-to-back games, where we were really efficient on the offensive end. I thought we were pretty good defensively in the first half, but our defense slipped in the second half. I thought this was another game where we saw the potential for us to become a balanced basketball team. So, I am proud of our guys for the way we moved the ball. The ball was just moving. We weren't just standing around. They weren't looking at me trying to get a play call. We were ready to shoot. We took quality shots in the second half, both inside and outside of the three-point line."
It should be noted that not only did Alabama never trail in last night's game, but also that the Tide is now a perfect 10-0 when holding teams to fewer than 62 points. The Crimson Tide won the battle of the boards 39-31, with 14 of those being offensive rebounds as compared to the Tigers' five. Alabama has now won the rebounding battle in all five of its SEC games this season.
Missouri's Terrence Phillips led all scorers with 16 points and seven assists.
Up next for Alabama is in-state rival Auburn. Bama travels to the Plains for a Saturday contest slated to begin at 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
| Game Stats | MO | UA |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .405 | .434 |
| 3FG% | .500 | .333 |
| FT% | .652 | .464 |
| RB | 31 | 39 |
| TO | 19 | 12 |
| STL | 8 | 7 |
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Crimson Tide Press Conference
Following Alabama Win Over Mizzou
 |
| Click HERE to view press conference |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Former Bama Softballer Honored
Haylie McCleney Receives NCAA Top 10 Award
 |
| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
The NCAA Top 10 Award recognizes student-athletes who have completed their athletic eligibility for their success in competition, in the classroom and in the community. McCleney is the 14th Alabama student-athlete to earn the award and the second Crimson Tide softball honoree. She joins Brittany Rogers who received this same honor in 2009.
Just following the ceremony, McCleney stated, "It's just an honor to be here, surrounded by greatness everywhere. I never really thought anything like this was possible. The other award winners and just the people here for the convention - there are so many amazing people in collegiate athletics. Just to be a small part of that is incredible. To have my family here, to have Coach (Bill) Battle here, the commissioner of the SEC, Greg Sankey, is here, and of course Murph (Patrick Murphy) and Aly (Habetz), it's special. It's a night I'll never forget."
As a four-year All-American at the University of Alabama, McCleney earned first-team honors in three of her four seasons. She completed her senior season in 2016 with four school career records, including a .447 career batting average. McCleney is just the fifth player in Bama softball history and the 21st in NCAA history to total 300 hits, 200 runs and 100 stolen bases. She is a four-time All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team honoree.
McCleney is a three-time First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and a two-time Softball Academic All-American of the Year selection, just the third two-time winner for the sport of softball since the yearly award was introduced in 1988.
Alabama softball head coach Patrick Murphy commented, "Academically, Haylie was always an incredible student.As a player, she went from being a tremendous athlete to team leader to servant leader. I think that's what I'm most proud of, how she cares more about the people around her. I think this award, one of the highest honors the NCAA can bestow, reflects everything she accomplished in the classroom and on the field and the person she became."
"Haylie has won just about every award there is at the University, in the SEC and now in the NCAA," Director of Athletics Bill Battle said. "She is a great credit to her family, her upbringing and her coaches. She is a great competitor. She competes in the classroom, on the softball field and in any endeavor she undertakes. We're so proud of her and I was so pleased to hear her say that she's interested in mentoring young people so they learn to have her qualities. We need teachers like that in our communities."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
June Football Signing Period Rejected By NCAA
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The Associated Press is reporting that a proposed June signing period for college football recruits has been rejected by the NCAA's Division I Council. However, a possible December signing period remains in play.
Acting on the NCAA's football oversight committee, the council modified a wide-ranging reforms proposal for flexibility in the recruiting calendar at the NCAA's annual convention on Wednesday by removing a request for a 72-hour signing period that would have started on the last Wednesday in June.
Northwestern Athletic Director Jim Phillips said, "I think this was a good compromise. I would say to you we'll continue to assess an even earlier signing period, but for right now I think everybody's really comfortable with the December date."
The American Football Coaches Association supported the December signing period but came out against the June date in their annual meeting last week.
The chairman of the football oversight committee, Bob Bowlsby, said he met with about 90 FBS head coaches at the convention. Bowlsby also called the recommendation from the committee a compromise.
In his statement Bowlsby commented, "They were almost unanimous against the June signing date, and yet we heard they want more transparency and they want more early access. So in addition to taking the June signing date out, we also made April and May available for official visits."
Football recruits would be permitted to take official visits from April 1 through the last Wednesday of June during their junior year of high school. The original proposal would have allowed official visits to occur through most of June and from July 25-31 after a prospect's junior year.
The proposed calendar would include a 72-hour December signing period, and is expected to be voted on in April. That December signing period already serves as the time junior-college players can sign with a four-year program, so it would just add high graduating high school seniors to a date that already exists on the calendar. The proposal also includes regulations concerning summer football camps for prospects, an expansion of opportunities for official visits and the addition of a 10th full-time football coach.
The new December signing period would require approval from the Collegiate Commissioners Association. This is the group that has charge of administering the national letter of intent.
Currently the traditional national signing day takes place on the first Wednesday of February. That signing period would not be affected and would remain in place under the modified recruiting calendar.
Shawn Eichorst, a member of the oversight committee, said, "Earlier and more official visit options for prospects is (an) improvement, and maintaining an earlier signing portion was very important. We will continue to closely monitor the recruiting/signing environment in the future to determine the next steps, particularly if June or other earlier signing options are necessary."
The changes on official visit dates would be effective August 1st if approved.
