Tip-off time set for the marquee matchup between Alabama and Gonzaga!
The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off their most impressive season in awhile. They won their first SEC regular season title since 2002, and their first SEC Tournament title since 1991 en route to a 26-win season under then-second-year head coach Nate Oats.
The Crimson Tide advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, losing to eventual Final Four contestant 11-seed UCLA in overtime.
Gonzaga, a strong candidate for the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll, was favored by many to win the NCAA Tournament Championship in April. They fell just short in the championship game, losing 86-70 to Baylor in Indianapolis.
The Battle in Seattle is celebrating its first year back since 2015. It went on hiatus after 13 consecutive years due to difficulties for Gonzaga in finding quality opponents.
The game between Alabama and the Zags will be held in the brand-new Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. There will be a return game next season in Birmingham.
The Crimson Tide will be without Joshua Primo and Herbert Jones, who are looking to make their names known in the NBA. Primo went to San Antonio with the 12th overall pick and Jones was selected early in the second round by New Orleans.
However, Alabama’s roster is still strong, led by guards Jaden Shackelford, Jahvon Quinerly and five-star recruit JD Davison. The 6-foot-3 Shackelford explored his options in the offseason, but ultimately withdrew from the NBA Draft and decided to return to Alabama after putting his name in the transfer portal. He paced the team in scoring at 14.0 while earning All-SEC second-team honors last season.
Quinerly was second on the team in scoring (12.9) and assists (3.2), and first in 3-point percentage (43.3).
6-3 Davison was ranked 12th in the 247sports Composite Ranking in the 2021 class after averaging 32.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a senior at Calhoun High School in Letohatchee, Alabama. He was rated as the third-best PG in the class. He’s joined by four-star center Charles Bediako and four-star wing Jusaun Holt in Alabama’s 2021 class.
The Crimson Tide performed well in the transfer portal, picking up signings from Noah Gurley (Furman) and Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech). Gurley stands tall at 6-8 and has a lean frame as a 215-pound forward. He scored 1,118 career points and had 405 rebounds while earning All-SoCon honors in each of his three seasons at Furman. The 6-4 Burnett will not be available to participate for the Crimson Tide during the 2021 season after suffering a knee injury.
The Battle in Seattle between likely Top-15 teams Alabama and Gonzaga will be held on Dec. 4, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.
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