Instant Recap: Alabama overcomes slow start, uses defense to suffocate Kent State

Alabama started slow but had no trouble cruising to a win over Kent State. Here’s how it happened.

The Alabama Crimson Tide overcame another cold shooting start to defeat Kent State, 81-54, Sunday at Coleman Coliseum to head into the Christmas break with their fourth straight win.

Alabama (10-2 overall) never trailed in the game, but the sixth-ranked Crimson Tide’s slow start included three turnovers and an 0-for-7 mark from downtown in the game’s first four minutes. Alabama would miss its first eight shots and go over four minutes without a field goal.

Good thing Kent State (8-3) was just as cold. Alabama played suffocating defense, holding the Golden Flashes to just 2-for-21 shooting in the game’s first 11 minutes. The Crimson Tide would lead by as many as 18 in the half after Mark Sears made a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 30-12 lead.

Alabama led 39-24 at halftime and was +19 off the glass and +7 on turnovers. The Tide’s defense held Kent State to just 23 percent shooting from the field: 9-of-39, including 1-of-15 from downtown. By contrast, Alabama made 39 percent of its first-half shots but were only 2-of-17 from three-point range.

In the second half, Alabama stretched its lead to 19 after Clifford Omoruyi’s jumper put the Crimson Tide ahead 52-33 with 10:34 to play. Two free throws from Sears made it 54-33 as Alabama went up by 20 points for the first time in the game.

With Kent State in a 1-for-13 shooting slump, Houston Mallette’s jumper put Alabama up 60-35 heading into the under-8 timeout. Alabama led by 29 after a pair of 3-pointers from Aden Holloway and one from Labaron Philon with 4:52 to play.

The Tide would go on to lead by as many as 32 after Holloway made a long-range 3-pointer with just over a minute left.

Sears finished with 16 points to lead Alabama. Holloway added 13 points off the bench as the Crimson Tide shot 45 percent from the field and 9-of-35 from downtown.

Alabama’s defense held Kent State to 28 percent from the field and just 2-of-27 from three-point range. The 54 points scored by the Golden Flashes were tied for the fewest allowed by Alabama all season. Nate Oats’ team out-rebounded Kent State, 60-40, and won the turnover battle, 19-11.

Alabama basketball 2024-25 schedule

Alabama will face South Dakota State (9-5) to close out nonconference play next Sunday at Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on ESPN+.

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. 

An arena where the team has not lost up to this point in the 2024-25 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be back in action inside Coleman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.

The Crimson Tide in this game will also be matched up with an unfamiliar foe as well, as Alabama is set to welcome the Kent State Golden Flashes to town for what is only the second-ever meeting between the two in men’s basketball.

Alabama vs. Kent State will take place Sunday, Dec. 22, with tipoff set on 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball 2024-25 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 (W, 100-87) at C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Alabama
  • Nov. 26-30: vs. Houston (W, 85-80), Rutgers (W, 95-90), Oregon (L, 83-81) at Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Dec. 4: at North Carolina (W, 90-79) in ACC/SEC Challenge
  • Dec. 14: vs. Creighton (W, 83-75)
  • Dec. 18: at North Dakota (W, 97-90)
  • 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: 9-2 overall

Alabama lands commitment from All-Big 12 transfer linebacker

Alabama landed the top linebacker in the transfer portal Saturday night.

The Alabama Crimson Tide landed a significant commitment through the transfer portal Saturday night, as former Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green announced that he was committing to the program.

Hill-Green is the third transfer portal commitment for Alabama on Saturday, joining Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Kam Dewberry and Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Isaiah Horton.

The top linebacker in the transfer portal according to 247Sports, Hill-Green is an experienced player who played his first season of college football back in 2020 with the Michigan Wolverines. A former four-star prospect, Hill-Green was a member of Michigan’s 2020 recruiting class, and went on to enjoy a breakout 2021 season with the Wolverines in which he had 50 total tackles.

After not playing in 2022, Hill-Green would end up at Charlotte where he amassed 73 tackles with nine TFL and two sacks, his lone season with the program. Hill-Green would then transfer at seasons end to Colorado where he ended up having a career-year with 82 tackles, 12 TFL, two sacks, two interceptions, and four PD to earn Second Team All-Big 12 honors.

For his college career, Hill-Green has over 200+ tackles with 23 TFL and four sacks, and now projects to be a major impact player for the Alabama defense in 2025, potentially as a starter.

Alabama lands commitment from ACC transfer wide receiver

Alabama has landed a commitment from a wide receiver in the transfer portal.

In the midst of multiple transfer portal commitments Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide landed what is likely to be a key member of their 2025 wide receiver room in Isaiah Horton.

Horton comes to Alabama after three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes in which he saw some action the first two years, and then had a breakout 2024 campaign this season. During those three seasons, Horton had a combined 70 receptions for 790 yards and six touchdowns.

This past season, Horton had a career-year with the Hurricanes in which he hauled in 56 receptions for 616 yards and five touchdowns, which translated to an average of 51.3 receiving yards per game.

Prior to Miami, Horton was rated as a four-star prospect in the Hurricanes 2022 class.

Looking ahead to 2025, Horton is now likely to start for the Crimson Tide next season in a position group that will also feature the likes of Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. The Miami transfer should be an impact player at-the-least, and gives Alabama’s wide receiver room another name with proven experience.

Alabama lands commitment from Texas A&M transfer OL Kam Dewberry

Former Top 100 recruit and Texas A&M OL from the 2022 class commits to Alabama football.

After losing several players to the transfer portal, Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide are starting to strike back with a few key commitments in the past couple of days. Today, the Crimson Tide beefed up their offensive line with a commitment from former Texas A&M Aggy Kam Dewberry.

Coming out of high school in the 2022 cycle, Dewberry was a four-star recruit and a Top 100 player in the nation, but the Tide wasn’t really in contention for his services. He was a freshman All-American for Jimbo Fisher in 2022 and appeared in 34 games during his time in College Station and will have just one season of eligibility remaining.

Alabama junior OG Tyler Booker is widely regarded as a first-round NFL draft pick, and Dewberry should slide nicely into the left guard role if he declares for the pros. The Crimson Tide also picked up commitments from Miami WR Isaiah Horton and Colorado LB Nikhai Hill-Green this afternoon.

With Jalen Milroe likely departing for the NFL, Alabama will have a new QB in 2025 and will need a solid offensive line to help make that transition as smooth as possible.

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Alabama QB signee Keelon Russell named Maxwell National High School Player of the Year

Alabama five-star QB signee recognized as the best player in high school football.

Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide coaching staff are still getting their footing on the SEC field, but they have figured it out on the recruiting trail. DeBoer earned his first marquee commit last Winter in phenom five-star WR Ryan Williams, who was sensational as a freshman this past season.

Five-star QB Keelon Russell out of Duncanville, TX, is the next big name up for the Tide. Russell was initially a four-star SMU commit, but after committing to Alabama and a remarkable senior season, he has catapulted up to being the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class. As a senior, Russell completed 69.4% of his passes for 4,177 yards and 55 TDs to just 4 INTs in the highest level of Texas football.

Russell was recognized as the Gatorade National Player of the Year earlier in the week, but the accolades didn’t stop there, as he was also named the Maxwell National High School Player of the Year on Friday.

It seems more likely than not that Jalen Milroe will be headed to the NFL after the season, leaving the Tide with a loaded QB room of Russell, Ty Simpson and Austin Mack. However, your guess is as good as mine as to who will be QB1 when the Tide open up their 2025 season at Florida State.

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.

Alabama 2024-25 Opponent Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes

The Golden Flashes sit at 8-2 on the year.

After a closer-than-expected result from a road trip to face North Dakota, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be back in action inside the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon for a showdown with the Kent State Golden Flashes.

This will be only the second-ever meeting between the Crimson Tide and Golden Flashes on the hardwood, with Alabama having previously fallen by a final score of 71-58 back in 2001-02.

As for this season, Kent State is off to a strong start to the 2024-25 season, and will bring a talented team to Tuscaloosa looking to upset the Crimson Tide.

Let’s take a look at a few things you need to know about Kent State ahead of Sunday afternoon’s game against Alabama.

Kent State Golden Flashes Team Overview

  • Team Name: Kent State Golden Flashes
  • Conference: MAC
  • Arena: Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, Kent, Ohio
  • 2024-25 Record: 8-2 overall
  • Ranking: Unranked in AP Poll, Unranked in Coaches Poll

Out of the MAC, Kent State is off to an 8-2 overall start to the season where their biggest win is a 67-60 neutral-site victory over Kennesaw State. The toughest opponent Kent State has faced has been the Auburn Tigers, a game in which the Golden Flashes fell 79-56 on the road.

Kent State Golden Flashes Coaching Staff

  • Head Coach: Rob Senderoff
  • Assistant Coach: Randal Holt
  • Assistant Coach: Jon Fleming
  • Assistant Coach: Jalen Avery

Leading the Kent State program is head coach Rob Senderoff, who is in season No. 14 in charge of the Golden Flashes program. Since taking over the program in 2011-12, Kent State has eight 20+ win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances, the most recent of which came back in 2022-23.

Kent State Golden Flashes 2024-25 Stats

  • PPG: 69.7 (No. 306 in NCAA)
  • PPG Allowed: 60.2 (No. 11 in NCAA)
  • FG%: 40.7
  • 3P%: 30.5
  • FT%: 76
  • RPG: 36.1
  • APG: 12.4
  • SPG: 7.6
  • BPG: 3.4

Kent State is one of the nation’s top teams when it comes to scoring defense, ranking No. 11 nationally with an average of only 60.2 PPG allowed to their opponents. Offensively, the Golden Flashes however rank among the nation’s lowest in scoring at 69.7 PPG, as well as with a 40.7 FG% and a 30.5 3P%.

Kent State Golden Flashes Names to Know

  • VonCameron Davis, Forward – Redshirt Senior
  • Morgan Safford, Guard – Graduate Student
  • Jalen Sullinger, Guard – Senior
  • Cli’Ron Hornbeak, Center – Senior
  • Marquis Barnett, Guard – Senior

Lastly, the Golden Flashes have an experienced team that is led by redshirt senior forward VonCameron Davis. Davis is currently leading Kent State at 14.9 PPG, while also shooting an impressive 38.7% from three-point range.

Alabama transfer wide receiver commits to SEC program

The Alabama wide receiver will transfer within the SEC.

Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Kendrick Law committed to play for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2025. Law is the latest Alabama transfer to decide where he will play next season.

RELATED: Alabama football 2024-25 offseason transfer portal tracker

Law played three seasons with the Crimson Tide (2022-24), during which he had 33 receptions for 343 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 30 yards on eight attempts and returned 22 kickoffs for 536 yards. Law also had one punt return for minus-2 yards, while making seven tackles on special teams.

During the 2024 season, Law appeared in 10 games for the Crimson Tide. The wide receiver hauled in 10 receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 30 yards on eight attempts. Law returned five kickoffs for 131 yards, averaging 26.2 yards per return.

Former Alabama assistant to reportedly become head coach at FBS program

The former Alabama assistant has reportedly landed a FBS head coaching job.

According to multiple reports, former Alabama Crimson Tide assistant  Charles Kelly will be named the next coach of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Kelly, who replaces former Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez, spent the 2024 season with the Auburn Tigers as safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator. This was the lone season for Kelly at Auburn.

Prior to Auburn, Kelly served as the defensive coordinator with the Colorado Buffaloes for a season. Before that, he spent four seasons (2019-22) at Alabama as an assistant on Nick Saban’s staff. At Alabama, Kelly served as assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Kelly also served as an assistant coach with the Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Tennessee Volunteers as well as two Alabama high schools, Central-Phenix City and Eufaula.

Former Alabama golfer Nick Dunlap named PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year

PGA Tour names former Alabama golfer Nick Dunlap as their 2024 Rookie of the Year.

At only 20 years of age, Nick Dunlap is the next big thing in United States golf. The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout burst onto the scene becoming only the second player to ever win the US Amateur Championship (2023) as well as the US Junior Am (2021) alongside the legend Tiger Woods.

Dunlap became a household name when he received a sponsor exemption to play in The American Express on the PGA Tour in January of 2024 and then won the whole Tournament. He became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years. At just 20 years and 29 days old, Dunlap became the second-youngest winner on the PGA Tour in the past 90 years, behind Jordan Spieth, who won at 19 years and 352 days old. Dunlap then turned professional the following week.

Despite being the youngest player on the Tour, Dunlap was outstanding as a Rookie playing in 23 events (making 15 cuts) resulting in a pair of wins, four top 10 and seven top 25 finishes. As a result, the PGA Tour announced that Dunlap was the 2024 Arnold Palmer Award Rookie of the Year honoree.

Dunlap missed the cut at all three major events he attended in 2024 including the Master’s, however I believe he will be a name to keep an eye on in the coming years.

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.