Alabama Coaching Staff
Recognizes 10 As Players Of The Week
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| University of Alabama football coaching staff Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The University of Alabama football coaching staff has announced 10 student-athletes as players of the week following the Crimson Tide's 31-24 Southeastern Conference Western Division road win at Mississippi State last Saturday. Named for the offense were Jalen Hurts, Josh Jacobs, Calvin Ridley and Jonah Williams. Defensively the coaching staff has named Anthony Averett, Ronnie Harrison, Anfernee Jennings and Quinnen Williams. Rounding out this week's honored players are Keaton Anderson and Deionte Thompson on special teams.
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Alabama Women's Basketball
Crimson Tide Defeats Utah Utes 65-60
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – Falling behind in the first half didn't deter the University of Alabama women's basketball team from fighting back in the second to take a 65-60 victory over Utah on Monday night in Coleman Coliseum. Outscoring the Utes (1-1) 40-30 in the second half, the Crimson Tide improved its record to 2-0 to get the season rolling right.
Alabama women's basketball head coach Kristy Curry said, "I'm really proud of our team. I thought we showed great resiliency and toughness the second half. I thought we came out in the third quarter and played much more aggressive, and we took shots from our spots and were able to make a few to get us going and get some stops. We are all about getting to the free throw line, and I thought the second half we were the aggressor and that was the difference in the game."
Leading the scoring for the Tide was senior Meoshonti Knight putting up 13 of her game-high 17 points in the third quarter of the contest. Senior Hannah Cook finished with a 14-point double-digit night as well as seven rebounds, while junior Shaquera Wade pumped in 13 points of her own and pulled down seven rebounds. It was senior Ashley Williams, however, leading all rebounders last night with nine rebounds.
UA was 75 percent (21-of-28) from the free throw line, while holding Utah to 38 percent shooting from the field.
The Crimson Tide will host Jacksonville this Thursday, November 16th for the annual 5th Grade Fastbreak game at Coleman Coliseum. The game is set to tip off at 11:30 a.m. CT, and will be broadcast live on SEC Network +.
| Game Stats | UTAH | UA |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .379 | .396 |
| 3FG% | .333 | .200 |
| FT% | .692 | .750 |
| RB | 39 | 36 |
| TO | 17 | 13 |
| STL | 2 | 4 |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Alabama Men's Cross Country Ranked 24th
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Alabama men's cross country
team just keeps climbing in the most recent U.S. Track & Field
Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings. The Crimson Tide advanced four spots to land at No. 24 this week, according to Monday's announcement.
In last Friday's NCAA South Regional the Bama men finished third, with junior Gilbert Kigen capturing the men's individual title while fellow UA juniors Alfred Chelanga and Vincent Kiprop also finished strong. Chelanga finished second while Kiprop finished fourth.
In last Friday's NCAA South Regional the Bama men finished third, with junior Gilbert Kigen capturing the men's individual title while fellow UA juniors Alfred Chelanga and Vincent Kiprop also finished strong. Chelanga finished second while Kiprop finished fourth.
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25th-Ranked Alabama Men's Basketball
To Host Lipscomb Tonight
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| Coleman Coliseum Home of Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Basketball Photo Credit: UA Basketball |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The 25th-ranked University of Alabama men's basketball
team welcomes Lipscomb to Coleman Coliseum tonight to open its home portion of the 2017-18 schedule on Tuesday night
when it takes on the Lipscomb Bison. The contest is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CT tip off and will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
The Crimson Tide opened the season with an 82-70 win over Memphis in the Veterans
Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. It marked the first Crimson Tide
season-opening victory away from Coleman Coliseum since UA defeated
Oklahoma 68-62 in New York City back on November 14, 2002.
This will be the third meeting between Bama and Lipscomb, with the Tide holding a 2-0 series advantage.
Alabama is is 46-4 in home openers at Coleman Coliseum and have won seven
consecutive such contests. The Tide's last home-opening defeat came on
November 14, 2009 to Cornell, 71-67.
UA freshman guard Collin Sexton is set to make his debut with the Tide, having served a one-game suspension levied against him by the NCAA.
Bama returns four starters and seven lettermen from last season's 19-15
team that went on to play in the National Invitation Tournament. The Crimson Tide
will return 73 percent of its total scoring output, 58 percent of its
rebounding and 77 percent of its assist totals from last season.
Another big plus for the Tide is that Alabama welcomes back its top four scorers and seven of the top eight
scorers from last season's tea,. Leading the returning players is SEC
All-Freshman honoree Braxton Key. Key led the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and minutes (29.9 mpg), while
ranking second in rebounding (5.7 rpg) and assists (2.5 apg) last season. Joining Key is Dazon Ingram,
who was the only player to start all 34 contests last season, and led the team in assists (3.3 apg), steals (0.9 spg) and three-pont field
goal percentage (.429), while also ranking second in scoring (10.6 ppg).
Together, Key (407 points) and Ingram (360 points) became the program's
top scoring freshmen duo in program history, combining to score a total
of 767 points.
Also back is junior Donta Hall. He had a fantastic sophomore season, leading the Tide in
dunks (36), field goal percentage (.658) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg). He
also averaged 6.0 points and
5.5 rebounds per game to go along with his 20 starts. Bama's only four-year senior on the 2017-18 squad is guard/forward Riley Norris. Last season, Norris averaged 9.0 points and 3.8 rebounds a game, while topping Alabama in three-point shots made at 47.
Lipscomb returns four starters and 10 lettermen from last season's 20-13
team while finishing second in the A-Sun with an 11-3 mark in
conference play. The Bisons are currently 2-0 on the young season.
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| Graphics/Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
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Nick Saban 11-13 Press Conference
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| Press H E R E to view press conference via Tide TV |
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Alabama Gymnastics Picks Up Four
In Its 2017 Fall Signing Class
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| Photo Credit: UA Athletics |
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – University of Alabama gymnastics welcomes its fall signing class to The Capstone. Crimson Tide head gymnastics coach Dana Duckworth announced on Monday Bama's fall signing class of Asia DeWalt, Emily Gaskins, Griffin James and Shallon Olsen.
Duckworth said, "We are excited that these four young ladies have made the choice to attend The University of Alabama, not only as an Alabama gymnast but to strive academically and become extraordinary human beings during their collegiate career. Each one of these women bring a different strength to our program from skill level, competitive experience, mental mindsets and personality. What makes me proud when I read their quotes on why they chose Alabama is a consistency across the board that they felt at home, could see the family environment, they had connection with the coaching staff and that our program is about setting a standard of excellence in all areas of their lives. We are thrilled as a staff to have the opportunity to coach and mentor these young ladies."
DeWalt is a former Junior International Elite competitor and is coached by Debbie Kaitschuck and Deana Parish at AIM Athletics. A 2017 Level 10 Texas State silver medalist on the uneven bars, DeWalt also finished sixth in the all-around at that same meet. She was second on the vault in 2016, as well as finishing third on the uneven bars and fourth in the all-around at the Level 10 Texas State Championships. She was also third on the vault and seventh in the all-around at the 2016 Level 10 Region 3 Championships.
In her interview, DeWalt said, "As soon as I stepped onto the campus I was greeted with a sense of family and support which is very important to me in a university and a gymnastics program. I was also impressed by the school's overall sense of pride in its tradition and continued drive for excellence in academics, athletics and personal development."
DeWalt is a native of Spring, Texas and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. DeWalt is a four-year honor student at Texas Connections Academy, and the daughter of Ruth and August DeWalt.
Emily Gaskins is a three-time member of the U.S. national team and competes for Mary Lee Tracy at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. She also earned a place at the 2017 USA World Team Selection Camp. The Region 5 Athlete of the Year, she has competed for Team USA in Mexico and Italy and helped the U.S. to team gold each time.
Gaskins commented, "When I first visited Alabama I felt an instant connection and knew that this was the place for me. I also knew that the team and coaches would always support me and would push me to be my best and reach my goals. I admire how much respect the gymnastics team has and how all the athletes support each other."
She is a native of Coral Springs, Florida and a senior at Florida Virtual School. She is the daughter of Kimberly and Ronald Gaskins.
Griffin James is a five-year Junior Olympic National Championship quafier and is coached by Nic and Amanda Tolley at Gymstrada Gymnastics. She is a three-time member of the Region 7 All-Star team and a five-time Virginia state champion. James finished fourth on the vault and eighth on the floor exercise at the 2017 J.O. National Championships.
Commenting on the University of Alabama, James said, "From my first visit I felt like I was part of the Alabama family. Everyone is always welcoming and the bond that the team shares is incredible. I cannot wait to be part of this family and carry on the legacy of greatness"
James is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society. She is a senior at First Colonial High School and has earned a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. Griffin is the daughter of Anne and Phillip James.
Shallon Olsen is a 2016 Canadian Olympian and picked up an eighth-place finish on the vault in Rio. She also finished seventh on the vault and 16th on the floor exercise at the 2017 World Championships. She is coached by Vladimir Lashin and Svetlana Lasina at Omega Gymnastics. Olsen is a member of the Canadian national team, and has been since 2010. She earned gold on the vault at the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, leading Team Canada to the silver medal. She also earned a silver medal on the floor exercise and a bronze on the vault at the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships while leading Canada to team silver.
Olsen commented, "I chose Alabama because of the warmth and caring of all the coaches...also because of the high standards that Alabama sets and how hard the gymnasts work to reach their goals. I got the sense that Alabama is a great school, the best."
She is a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, is a senior, and a member of the honor roll at Centennial Secondary School. She is the daughter of Jayne Chow-Olsen and Tony Olsen.
Duckworth said, "We are excited that these four young ladies have made the choice to attend The University of Alabama, not only as an Alabama gymnast but to strive academically and become extraordinary human beings during their collegiate career. Each one of these women bring a different strength to our program from skill level, competitive experience, mental mindsets and personality. What makes me proud when I read their quotes on why they chose Alabama is a consistency across the board that they felt at home, could see the family environment, they had connection with the coaching staff and that our program is about setting a standard of excellence in all areas of their lives. We are thrilled as a staff to have the opportunity to coach and mentor these young ladies."
DeWalt is a former Junior International Elite competitor and is coached by Debbie Kaitschuck and Deana Parish at AIM Athletics. A 2017 Level 10 Texas State silver medalist on the uneven bars, DeWalt also finished sixth in the all-around at that same meet. She was second on the vault in 2016, as well as finishing third on the uneven bars and fourth in the all-around at the Level 10 Texas State Championships. She was also third on the vault and seventh in the all-around at the 2016 Level 10 Region 3 Championships.
In her interview, DeWalt said, "As soon as I stepped onto the campus I was greeted with a sense of family and support which is very important to me in a university and a gymnastics program. I was also impressed by the school's overall sense of pride in its tradition and continued drive for excellence in academics, athletics and personal development."
DeWalt is a native of Spring, Texas and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. DeWalt is a four-year honor student at Texas Connections Academy, and the daughter of Ruth and August DeWalt.
Emily Gaskins is a three-time member of the U.S. national team and competes for Mary Lee Tracy at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. She also earned a place at the 2017 USA World Team Selection Camp. The Region 5 Athlete of the Year, she has competed for Team USA in Mexico and Italy and helped the U.S. to team gold each time.
Gaskins commented, "When I first visited Alabama I felt an instant connection and knew that this was the place for me. I also knew that the team and coaches would always support me and would push me to be my best and reach my goals. I admire how much respect the gymnastics team has and how all the athletes support each other."
She is a native of Coral Springs, Florida and a senior at Florida Virtual School. She is the daughter of Kimberly and Ronald Gaskins.
Griffin James is a five-year Junior Olympic National Championship quafier and is coached by Nic and Amanda Tolley at Gymstrada Gymnastics. She is a three-time member of the Region 7 All-Star team and a five-time Virginia state champion. James finished fourth on the vault and eighth on the floor exercise at the 2017 J.O. National Championships.
Commenting on the University of Alabama, James said, "From my first visit I felt like I was part of the Alabama family. Everyone is always welcoming and the bond that the team shares is incredible. I cannot wait to be part of this family and carry on the legacy of greatness"
James is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Math Honor Society. She is a senior at First Colonial High School and has earned a 4.0 cumulative grade point average. Griffin is the daughter of Anne and Phillip James.
Shallon Olsen is a 2016 Canadian Olympian and picked up an eighth-place finish on the vault in Rio. She also finished seventh on the vault and 16th on the floor exercise at the 2017 World Championships. She is coached by Vladimir Lashin and Svetlana Lasina at Omega Gymnastics. Olsen is a member of the Canadian national team, and has been since 2010. She earned gold on the vault at the 2016 Pacific Rim Championships, leading Team Canada to the silver medal. She also earned a silver medal on the floor exercise and a bronze on the vault at the 2014 Pacific Rim Championships while leading Canada to team silver.
Olsen commented, "I chose Alabama because of the warmth and caring of all the coaches...also because of the high standards that Alabama sets and how hard the gymnasts work to reach their goals. I got the sense that Alabama is a great school, the best."
She is a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, is a senior, and a member of the honor roll at Centennial Secondary School. She is the daughter of Jayne Chow-Olsen and Tony Olsen.
