Tag: alabama basketball

Labaron Philon flirts with Alabama history in victory over Illinois

The freshman nearly made Alabama history Wednesday night.

As part of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s impressive 100-87 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Wednesday night, the team received an impressive all-around performance from freshman guard Labaron Philon that definitely caught the attention of most around college basketball.

In all, Philon played 33 minutes in the contest, and finished with a final stat line of 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.

However, did you know that Philon also flirted with Alabama basketball history in this game as well?

If the freshman would have collected three more rebounds, as well as one more assist, then Philon would’ve became only the fourth player in Alabama program history to record a triple-double in a game. The only three others to do so are Roy Rogers, Kira Lewis Jr., and most recently a year ago, Aaron Estrada.

Still early in this season as well, could the freshman eventually join that group later this year?

Photos from Alabama vs. Illinois in C.M. Newton Classic

Alabama and Illinois met Wednesday night in Birmingham.

Two of the top teams in the SEC and Big Ten officially met Wednesday night in Birmingham, Alabama, as the Alabama Crimson Tide and Illinois Fighting Illini collided in the C.M. Newton Classic.

A battle of Top 25 teams, this showdown between the Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini certainly lived up to the hype as well, with Alabama going on to win by a final score of 100-87.

This was an impressive showing from the Crimson Tide as well against a very talented opponent, as Alabama still hit triple-digits in points, even despite guard Mark Sears not scoring, with a big reason as to why being a combined 52% shooting as a team from the field.

Let’s take a look at some of the best photos from Alabama’s Top 25 clash with Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham:

Instant reactions to Alabama’s impressive win against Illinois in C.M. Newton Classic

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini collided in a Top 25 matchup Wednesday night in Birmingham.

The Alabama Crimson Tide played what was likely college basketball’s top game of the night Wednesday, traveling to Birmingham for a neutral-court showdown with the Illinois Fighting Illini in the C.M. Newton Classic.

A pair of Top 25 teams, this showdown between Alabama and Illinois lived up to the hype as well, with the Crimson Tide coming away with the eventual 100-87 victory in a game which they truly controlled from the start.

In this win, there were certainly many positives to take away for the Crimson Tide as well, but also a few negatives.

Let’s take a look at some of our instant reactions from Alabama’s Top 25 showdown with No. 25 Illinois on Wednesday night:

Grant Nelson’s stellar performance

Wednesday night was likely the greatest performance for Alabama forward Grant Nelson so far this season, finishing with a final stat line of a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and four blocks. Nelson also shot an impressive 9-of-15 from the field, as well as 4-of-9 from three.

Labaron Philon flirts with triple-double

Alabama freshman guard Labaron Philon flirted with a triple-double against Illinois in what was one of his top performances of the season. Philon finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block on 7-of-13 shooting from the field.

Aden Holloway’s best game in Alabama uniform

Was this the best game from Auburn Tigers transfer guard Aden Holloway in an Alabama uniform so far? Holloway finished the game with 18 points, one rebound, two assists, and one steal on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, as well as 3-of-4 from three.

Alabama Crimson Tide’s strong shooting night

A big reason behind Alabama’s victory was the Crimson Tide’s shooting from the field. In all, Alabama shot a combined 52% from the field, as well as 32.4% from three and 84.6% at the free throw line.

Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi struggle

In the midst of Alabama’s win, two of the team’s top performing players so far this season struggled in guard Mark Sears and center Clifford Omoruyi. Sears finished with zero points, while Omoruyi, who spent a majority of this game in foul trouble, ended with six points and six rebounds, and his absence from the court was a big reason as to why Alabama was out-rebounded a combined 44-37.

Alabama wins turnover battle

Wednesday night was one of Alabama’s best games when it came to limiting turnovers, committing only seven all game, which was compared to 13 for Illinois. The Crimson Tide also capitalized off those Illinois’ turnovers, turning them into 18 points.

Alabama Crimson Tide now 4-1 overall

After the Crimson Tide’s win Wednesday night over Illinois, Alabama now sits at 4-1 overall for the 2024-25 season. The Crimson Tide’s next game will come Tuesday, November 26 against the Houston Cougars in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Alabama basketball schedule: Are the Crimson Tide playing today? 

Is Alabama playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Alabama Crimson Tide be back on the basketball court today? Well, the answer is yes.

Yes, after the Crimson Tide suffered their first defeat of the season last Friday night, Alabama will return to action later tonight for their first neutral-court contest of the year against the Illinois Fighting Illini out of the Big Ten.

The 2024 C.M. Newton Classic, this game will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, with tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET from Legacy Arena at BJCC, and will be available to watch live on SEC Network.

Alabama and Illinois are also two of the top teams in the SEC and Big Ten, with this game featuring a pair of Top 25 ranked teams.

Alabama Crimson Tide 2024-25 basketball schedule

  • Nov. 4: vs. UNC Asheville (W, 110-54)
  • Nov. 8: vs. Arkansas State (W, 88-79)
  • Nov. 11: vs. McNeese State (W, 72-64)
  • Nov. 15: at Purdue (L, 87-78)
  • Nov. 20: vs. Illinois at C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama
  • Nov. 26-30: vs. Houston, Rutgers, Notre Dame at Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Dec. 4: at North Carolina in ACC/SEC Challenge
  • Dec. 14: vs. Creighton
  • Dec. 18: at North Dakota
  • Dec. 22: vs. Kent State
  • Dec. 29: vs. South Dakota State
  • Jan. 4: vs. Oklahoma
  • Jan. 8: at South Carolina
  • Jan. 11: at Texas A&M
  • Jan. 14: vs. Ole Miss
  • Jan. 18: at Kentucky
  • Jan. 21: vs. Vanderbilt
  • Jan. 25: vs. LSU
  • Jan. 29: at Mississippi State
  • Feb. 1: vs. Georgia
  • Feb. 8: at Arkansas
  • Feb. 11: at Texas
  • Feb. 15: vs. Auburn
  • Feb. 19: at Missouri
  • Feb. 22: vs. Kentucky
  • Feb. 25: vs. Mississippi State
  • March 1: at Tennessee
  • March 5: vs. Florida
  • March 8: at Auburn

Record: 3-1 overall

Alabama 2024-25 Opponent Preview: Illinois Fighting Illini

Alabama and Illinois will meet Wednesday night in Birmingham.

After suffering their first loss of the 2024-25 season last Friday night on the road at Purdue, the Alabama Crimson Tide will return to action Wednesday night for yet another tough matchup, this time against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini will meet on a neutral-court, as both teams will make their way to Birmingham, Alabama for the C.M. Newton Classic. Illinois is also coming off a win, with this game likely to be their toughest opponent so far this season however.

Taking a deeper look at Alabama’s opponent however in particular, here is everything you need to know about the Fighting Illini entering Wednesday night’s game.

Illinois Fighting Illini Team Overview

  • Team Name: Illinois Fighting Illini
  • Conference: Big Ten
  • Arena: State Farm Center, Champaign, Illinois
  • 2024-25 Record: 3-0 overall
  • Ranking: No. 25 in AP Poll, No. 20 in Coaches Poll

The Illinois Fighting Illini will be the second consecutive Big Ten opponent for the Crimson Tide, coming to Birmingham undefeated at 3-0 overall. In addition to that, Illinois is also a consensus Top 25 team nationally, ranked at No. 25 in the latest AP Poll, as well as No. 20 in the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Illinois Fighting Illini Coaching Staff

  • Head Coach: Brad Underwood
  • Associate Head Coach: Orlando Antigua
  • Assistant Coach: Geoff Alexander
  • Assistant Coach: Zach Hamer
  • Assistant Coach: Tyler Underwood
  • Assistant Coach: Kwa Jones

The head coach of the Fighting Illini is Brad Underwood, who is currently in his eighth season in Champaign. Under the guidance of Underwood, Illinois has had five-straight 20+ win seasons dating back to the 2019-20 campaign, and have also made the NCAA Tournament each of the last four years.

Illinois Fighting Illini 2024-25 Stats

  • PPG: 89.3 (No. 27 in NCAA)
  • PPG Allowed: 59.7 (No. 23 in NCAA)
  • FG%: 45.1
  • 3P%: 36.2
  • FT%: 72.5
  • RPG: 47.3
  • APG: 16
  • SPG: 4.3
  • BPG: 5.7

Averaging 89.3 PPG as a team, Illinois is among the top offensive scoring teams in the Big Ten, with the same also able to be said of defense where they allow only 59.7 PPG to opponents. The Fighting Illini also are one of college basketball’s top programs when it comes to three-pointers made per game at 12.7, which ranks No. 4 nationally, as well as sitting No. 7 in the nation with 47.3 rebounds per game.

Illinois Fighting Illini Names to Know

  • Tomislav Ivisic, Center – Sophomore
  • Will Riley, Forward – Freshman
  • Ben Humrichous, Forward – Graduate Student
  • Kasparas Jakucionis, Guard – Freshman
  • Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Guard – Sophomore

Illinois is led by one of the Big Ten’s top centers in sophomore Tomislav Ivisic, who at 7-foot-1 is currently averaging a near double-double for the season at 17.3 PPG and 9 RPG. The Fighting Illini also have two of the Big Ten’s top overall freshmen in leading-scorer Will Riley at 17.7 PPG, as well as do-everything guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who is averaging 9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 7.7 APG.

Alabama continues to rise in USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Kristy Curry’s Alabama team is 6-0 for the second year in a row. Here’s where the Crimson Tide are ranked in this week’s Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Coach Kristy Curry and the Alabama Crimson Tide women’s basketball team went 3-0 last week to improve to 6-0 overall for the season and continue its climb up the new USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, released Tuesday.

Alabama rose one spot to No. 21 and is ranked just behind the Ole Miss Rebels at No. 20. The Crimson Tide jumped ahead of the Louisville Cardinals, who fell four spots to No. 22.

The Tide beat Norfolk State 68-58 last Wednesday in Coleman Coliseum, then blew out Alcorn State 88-59 the following day. They beat UL Monroe 75-52 over the weekend in Louisiana.

Alabama’s 6-0 start ties last season’s start, which led to them earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament in March. They beat Florida State for their first NCAA Tournament win since 2021 before losing to No. 1 seed Texas in the second round in Austin.

Alabama will play Alabama State Monday, Nov. 25 in the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida before taking on either UAB or the Clemson Tigers the following day in the tournament’s championship or runner-up game. Tipoff for the Crimson Tide’s game against Alabama State is set for 1:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on FloSports.

Through six games, Sarah Ashlee Barker leads Alabama in scoring with 18.7 points per game, followed by Aaliyah Nye at 15 points per game. Zaay Green is third with 13.3 per game.

Coach Dawn Staley and the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks (4-0) remained atop the polls. UConn was No. 2 with USC No. 3. As with last week, seven SEC teams were ranked in the Coaches Poll. Texas stayed at No. 4 with Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers at No. 7 and the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 9. The Kentucky Wildcats moved up three spots to No. 16 with Ole Miss at No. 20.

Full USA TODAY Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll

 

Rank School (Record) Points First Place Votes
1 South Carolina (4-0) 747 28
2 Connecticut (3-0) 716 1
3 Southern California (4-0) 684 1
4 Texas (3-0) 656 –
5 Notre Dame (4-0) 630 –
6 UCLA (4-0) 600 –
7 LSU (5-0) 556 –
8 Iowa State (4-0) 535 –
9 Oklahoma (3-0) 517 –
10 Kansas State (4-0) 477 –
11 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-0) 425 –
12 West Virginia (4-0) 411 –
13 Maryland (5-0) 401 –
14 Duke (4-1) 325 –
15 North Carolina (3-1) 277 –
16 Kentucky (5-0) 272 –
17 Baylor (3-1) 251 –
18 North Carolina State (2-2) 247 –
19 Nebraska (4-0) 183 –
20 Ole Miss (3-1) 145 –
21 Alabama (6-0) 138 –
22 Louisville (2-2) 113 –
23 Illinois (4-0) 110 –
24 TCU (4-0) 92 –
25 Oregon (24-10) 66 –

Schools Dropped Out

No. 23 Stanford; No. 25 South Dakota State

Others Receiving Votes

Iowa 33; Tennessee 32; Florida State 29; South Dakota State 22; Mississippi State 14; Stanford 13; Penn State 10; Auburn 7; Michigan State 6; Middle Tennessee 3; Richmond 2; Creighton 2; Saint Joseph’s 1; Michigan 1; Fairfield 1

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Alabama officially announces 2025 basketball signing class

Meet the members of Alabama basketball’s 2025 signing class.

The Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2025 basketball signing class is now official, as the program officially announced the signings of three high school prospects Monday afternoon.

In all, Alabama’s 2025 class currently ranks at No. 10 in the 247Sports Team Rankings, and even despite the team having already announced these three, it does not mean that the Crimson Tide are done however. Yes, Alabama is still in the mix for multiple prospects across the country, which includes the No. 1 overall player nationally, AJ Dybantsa.

When it comes to Alabama’s current class however, it’s clear as to why the Crimson Tide have one of the nation’s top groups this cycle. However, just who is in that group?

Let’s take a look at the three members of Alabama basketball’s 2025 signing class:

Davion Hannah, Shooting Guard

The highest-ranked member of Alabama’s 2025 class is a recent commitment in Hannah, who is a highly-rated four-star prospect that ranks as the nation’s No. 33 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. One who would potentially be a five-star by the time he steps foot on campus, the four-star is also considered the nation’s No. 7 shooting guard, as well as the No. 2 player in the state of Missouri where he attends national power Link Academy.

London Jemison, Power Forward

Jemison is also a highly-rated four-star prospect that could potentially end up flirting with five-star status when all is said and done, currently ranking No. 38 nationally. The four-star, who had been committed to Alabama since September of 2024, also ranks as the nation’s No. 9 power forward, as well as the top player in the state of Connecticut where he attends St. Thomas More High School.

Amari Allen, Small Forward

The final signing in the Crimson Tide’s 2025 class is Allen, who is an also a four-star prospect, ranking No. 96 nationally. Committed to Alabama since September of 2024, Allen is also considered the No. 21 small forward in the class, as well as the No. 4 player in the state of Wisconsin where he attends Ashwaubenon High School.

How far did Alabama basketball plummet in new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?

Take a look at how far Alabama fell in the new USA Sports Coaches Poll after their 87-78 loss to Purdue.

Nate Oats and the Alabama basketball team suffered its first loss of the season Friday night at Mackey Arena to the Purdue Boilermakers, 87-78, in a matchup of two teams that made the Final Four a season ago.

As a result, the Crimson Tide (3-1) fell five spots to No. 7 in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday.

Purdue (4-0) moved past Alabama in the top 10 to No. 6. The Crimson Tide are ranked one spot ahead of Rick Barnes’ No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers (4-0).

Alabama’s next game is Wednesday in the C.M. Newton Classic at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena. Mark Sears, Grant Nelson and the Crimson Tide will face No. 20 Illinois (3-0) at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on SEC Network.

Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks (4-0) stayed atop the poll with two-time defending national champion UConn moving up to No. 2.

Full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Rank Team Record Points
1 Kansas 4-0 665 (21)
2 UConn 3-0 632 (3)
3 Auburn 3-0 608 (2)
4 Gonzaga 3-0 599 (1)
5 Iowa State 2-0 516
6 Purdue 4-0 513
7 Houston 2-1 470
7 Alabama 3-1 470
9 Tennessee 4-0 462
10 Duke 3-1 421
11 Kentucky 3-0 381
12 North Carolina 2-1 377
13 Creighton 4-0 348
14 Marquette 4-0 319
15 Baylor 3-1 313
16 Cincinnati 3-0 229
17 Arizona 2-1 228
18 Indiana 3-0 208
19 Florida 4-0 168
20 Illinois 3-0 133
21 St. John’s 4-0 119
22 Texas Tech 3-0 95
23 Texas A&M 3-1 94
24 Arkansas 2-1 82
25 Wisconsin 4-0 75

Schools Dropped Out

No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers;

Others Receiving Votes

Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2;

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Alabama sees significant drop in latest college basketball AP Poll

The Crimson Tide dropped in Monday’s AP Poll.

After holding the No. 2 ranking throughout the 2024-25 season up to this point, the Alabama Crimson Tide saw a noteworthy drop in Monday’s AP Poll for college basketball, coming in at No. 8 overall.

Among teams in the Top 25, Alabama was one of the biggest fallers, trailing only the Arizona Wildcats, who dropped eight spots from No. 9 to No. 17.

So far this season, Alabama owns a 3-1 overall record, but struggled this past week compared to the seasons first two games. In what was a certainly a step up in competition, Alabama defeated McNeese at home by a final score of 72-64, but later suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season last Friday night on the road at Purdue, falling to the Top 25 ranked Boilermakers, 87-78.

Looking ahead, the No. 8 ranked Crimson Tide will return to action this Wednesday, November 20 against the Illinois Fighting Illini for a neutral-site game in Birmingham. After that, Alabama will then face four consecutive ranked teams.

Alabama basketball lands commitment from four-star SG Davion Hannah

Alabama adds third four-star recruit to No. 7 ranked recruiting class.

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide have been red hot on the recruiting trail in the past few years, and it appears as if the 2025 class will be no different. On Friday, the Crimson Tide landed their third four-star commitment in the class from SG Davion Hannah to join PF London Jemison and SF Amari Allen. It brings Alabama’s recruiting class up to No. 7 in the nation.

Hannah, a Milwaukee, WI native who plays for the Link Academy in Branson, MO, narrowed his final four down to Alabama, Cincinnati, Missouri, and Ohio State before ultimately deciding to go to Tuscaloosa. The Alabama commit is ranked as the No. 22 player in the class and as one of the top five combo guards.

When asked about his decision to team up with Oats, Hannah said,

“I love their culture. I want to be a part of what they do and how they do it. They win consistently, and they are coming off a Final Four. Coach Oats prepares his players for the NBA. Everything they do translates.”

With Alabama still squarely in the mix for No. 1 overall recruit AJ Dybansta, Oats could be building the greatest Crimson Tide recruiting class of all time.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.