Previewing the top-ranked University of Houston’s men’s basketball game against No. 8 Alabama:
When: 2p.m. Saturday.
Where: Fertitta Center (7,035).
TV/radio: ABC, 950 AM.
Series: Houston leads 3-2.
Last meeting: Alabama won 83-82 on Dec. 11, 2021, in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama
Nickname: Crimson Tide.
Conference: Southeastern.
Coach: Nate Oats (68-37 in four seasons at Alabama; 164-80 in eight seasons overall).
Record: 7-1.
National ranking: 8 (Associated Press), 10 (USA Today Coaches).
About the Crimson Tide: Second time in three games Alabama is facing the No. 1 team in the nation. The Crimson Tide beat top-ranked North Carolina 103-101 in four overtimes Nov. 27 at the Phil Knight Invitational. … This is the 12th time in program history to face the No. 1-ranked team; Tide is 4-7 in those games. … First time the Tide are playing No. 1 team while ranked in the top 10 since 1976, when sixth-ranked Alabama lost to No. 1 Indiana in the NCAA Tournament. … First top-10 game for Alabama since being No. 8 and knocking off No. 3 Oklahoma, coached by Kelvin Sampson, in the 2002 regular season. … Only loss this season is to then-No. 20 UConn, 82-67. … Brandon Miller’s 19.1 points per game are the most by a freshman nationally. A projected lottery pick, Miller has scored in double figures in all eight games this season. … Mark Sears, a transfer from Ohio, where he was first-team All-MAC, had 24 points (seven 3s) against North Carolina. In the past two games, Sears is averaging 21.5 points and shooting 58.3 percent from the floor and 61.1 percent from 3-point range. … Miller and Sears have combined for 49 3-pointers this season. … Charles Bediako had 14 points and 16 rebounds against North Carolina. He had a team-high 51 blocks last season. … Guard Nimari Burnett, a transfer from Texas Tech, received a medical redshirt last season. … Crimson Tide leads the nation in rebounds per game (50.3), offensive rebounds (16.8), defensive rebounds (33.5) and is second in rebound margin (plus-13.9). … Only Division I school with two freshmen in the top 90 in rebounds: Miller (8.9) is 50th and Clowney (8.0) is 86th. … Newcomers have accounted for 525 of the team’s 668 points this season. … 6-1 senior guard Jahvon Quinerly, who made 27 starts last season, is averaging eight points as the first option off the bench. “His speed is a factor,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. He scored a season-high against North Carolina. … Jaden Bradley, the No. 2 point guard in the class of 2022, was a teammate of Houston’s Jarace Walker at IMG Academy. He averages 8.4 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
Houston
Coach: Kelvin Sampson (208-70 in nine seasons at Houston; 708-340 in 34 seasons overall).
Record: 9-0.
Ranking: No. 1 (AP), No. 1 (USA Today Coaches).
About the Cougars: No. 1 for the second straight week, Houston is coming off a 76-42 win over North Florida. … This is the first top-10 meeting at home during the regular season for the Cougars. Overall, UH has played five regular-season games involving top 10 teams. They are 4-1 in those games. … All-American guard Marcus Sasser went through practice Thursday and will play against Alabama. Sasser needed five stitches for a gash above his left eye suffered early in the first half Tuesday. He had 12 points in eight minutes. For the season, Sasser has three 20-point games, including 25 points (seven 3s) against Norfolk State. … A win would give the Cougars just the third 10-0 start in school history. The 1967-68 team won 31 straight games to begin the season and the 2018-19 team started 15-0. … Nine wins this season have been by an average of 23.7 points. … UH debuted at No. 1 in the first NET rankings released Monday. … UH is 26-3 all-time when ranked No. 1. … Point guard Jamal Shead has 24 assists and only five turnovers in the past three games. … J’Wan Roberts is off to the best start of his career, shooting a team-best 69.5 percent, tops in the American Athletic Conference. … Freshman forward Jarace Walker, a projected NBA lottery pick, had 12 points and 10 rebounds against North Florida, his first career double-double. … Ja’Vier Francis has 18 blocked shots, tied for the most in the AAC. … UH leads the nation in scoring defense (47.3 points per game) and field-goal defense (30.8) and is fourth in 3-point defense (22.9). … The Cougars’ 152 wins are the second-most nationally behind Gonzaga (160) since the 2017-18 season.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Houston-Cougars-Alabama-basketball-preview-17643030.php