Prep Work Continues For Alabama Football
To Host Tennessee This Saturday At Bryant-Denny
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - "The Third Saturday In October" annual contest is this Saturday, October 21st as the Alabama Crimson Tide hosts the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The Bama football team continues to prepare for the Vols, putting in another two hours of work on Wednesday afternoon in full pads outdoors at the Thomas-Drew Practice Fields.
The Crimson Tide continues to refine the game plan both offensively and defensively to stop a foe that has historically been one of the bigger rivalries each season. The Tennessee defense currently leads the Southeastern Conference in pass defense, so the boys from Bama will have to give their A-game. Of course the Alabama running game has been superb this season, although head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll want to be able to pass the ball on the Volunteers as well. The game is scheduled for a 2:39 p.m. CT kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium and will air live on CBS. Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson will work from the booth, while Allie LaForce works the sidelines.
Da'Shawn Hand appeared to be the only player not practicing yesterday during the limited media viewing period.
This will be the 100th meeting between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers in a rivalry that dates back to 1901. Bama holds the all-time advantage, 54-37-8 (52-38-7 after vacations) in the series, and has won the last 10 contests between the two teams. Last season the Tide traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee and drowned the Vols 49-10.
Earlier yesterday, coach Saban was named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Watch List. The Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award recognizes the country's top college football coaches for their contributions both on and off the field. The winner will be announced live on January 10, 2018 during the awards dinner and ceremony at the Hilton Americas in Houston, Texas.
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Nick Saban Press Conference
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| Press - HERE - For Briefing |
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SEC Media Day For Alabama Men's Basketball
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| Alabama's Braxton Key and Dazon Ingram Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – It's the dawn of a new basketball season, and University of Alabama men's basketball head coach Avery Johnson, sophomore guard Dazon Ingram and sophomore forward Braxton Key all were in attendance to represent the Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program at the Southeastern Conference men's basketball media day on Wednesday afternoon. The event was held in Nashville, Tennessee.
Johnson commented, "Media day has been a fun day for us. I'm excited that we were able to bring two of our top returning players from last year in Dazon and Braxton. Both guys had an outstanding freshman year for us on the floor and are guys that we are looking to up their production on the court this year, so to have them with me at SEC media day was very special."
As is the norm, the coach and his two star players spent their time talking with different local and national media outlets previewing the 2017-18 University of Alabama men's basketball team. Included in the two-hour event were photo shoots and on-camera interviews with the likes of college basketball analysts Seth Greenberg, Pat Bradley and Sean Farnham and other. Then the highlight (?) of the was a live interview with three on the set of the Paul Finebaum show.
SEC Media Day was held at the Omni Hotel and the lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Just a few days away for the team will be the UA SupeStore Tide Tipoff. The event will be held on October 24th this year, with doors opening for autographs at 6 p.m. CT. That actual event will begin at 7 p.m. CT.
Bama officially begins the 2017-18 season with an exhibition game against Alabama-Huntsville (UAH) on Monday, November 6th at 7 p.m. CT. The regular season will then start on Friday, November 10th when the Crimson Tide battles the Memphis Tigers in the Veterans Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. Tip off time for the Veterans Classic is set for 4 p.m. CT and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
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| Avery Johnson UA Men's Basketball Head Coach Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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University Of Alabama Men's Basketball
Picked To Finish Fourth In Southeastern Conference
The Crimson Tide returns four starters, as well as of the team's top eight scorers from last season's 19-15 team. Bama reached the National Invitation Tournament last season, barely missing the cut for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, where its expected to be this season. Breaking down the statistics, the Tide will be returning in the neighborhood of 73 percent of its total scoring output, 58 percent of its rebounding and 77 percent of its assist totals from a year ago.
Just this past recruiting season, Alabama men's basketball head coach Avery Johnson managed to snag the nation's seventh-ranked recruiting class according to Rivals.com. Sexton (No. 8) and John Petty (No. 28) were both rated as two of the top-30 players in the country, according to Rivals. Bama opens the 2017-18 season with an exhibition game vs. UAH on November 6the, with the regular season then starting on November 10th against the Memphis Tigers in the Veterans Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. That game will tip at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on CBSSports.com.
The third annual UA SupeStore Tide Tipoff event will be held on Tuesday, October 24th at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Doors will open at 6 p.m. CT for autographs, with the event itself actually starting at 7 p.m. CT.
First Team All-SEC:
KeVaughn Allen – Florida, G, 6-2, 193, Jr., Little Rock, Ark.
Yante Maten – Georgia, F, 6-8, 243, Sr., Pontiac, Mich.
Hamidou Diallo – Kentucky, G, 6-5, 198, R-Fr., Queens, N.Y.
Michael Porter, Jr. – Missouri, F, 6-10, 215, Fr., Columbia, Mo.
Robert Williams – Texas A&M, F, 6-10, 241, So., Oil City, La.
Second Team All-SEC:
Collin Sexton – Alabama, G, 6-3, 190, Fr., Mableton, Georgia
Kevin Knox – Kentucky, F, 6-9, 215, Fr., Tampa, Fla.
Terence Davis – Ole Miss, G, 6-4, 201, Jr., Southaven, Miss.
Deandre Burnett – Ole Miss, G, 6-2, 192, Sr., Miami Gardens, Fla.
Quinndary Weatherspoon – Mississippi State, G, 6-4, 205, Jr., Canton, Miss.
Tyler Davis – Texas A&M, C, 6-10, 266, Jr., Plano, Texas
Matthew Fisher-Davis – Vanderbilt, G/F, 6-5, 186, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.
Preseason Media Poll:
1. Kentucky
2. Florida
3. Texas A&M
4. ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
5. Missouri
6. Arkansas
7. Vanderbilt
8. Georgia
9. Auburn
10. Ole Miss
11. South Carolina
12. Mississippi State
13. Tennessee
14. LSU
