No. 2 Alabama basketball is about to endure its first road test of the season this Friday as it travels north to take on No. 13 Purdue on the road.
The Crimson Tide has started the season 3-0, though its last two wins have been closer than fans would have liked. Alabama beat Arkansas State by nine and McNeese State by eight in its past two games, as two of the best mid-major teams in college basketball proved to be a good early test for Nate Oats‘ team.
Now, Alabama starts a 7-game stretch against power conference opponents, one of the toughest non-conference stretches of any schedule in the entire country.
This is a matchup between two teams that made last year’s Final Four, with both falling at the hands of eventual national champion UConn. Alabama lost in the national semifinal, while Purdue made the national championship game, losing 85-70.
The Boilermakers return a number of key players from last year’s team, namely preseason Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith, but lost Zach Edey to the NBA, who’d been the national player of the year the past two seasons. Purdue was the preseason pick to win the Big Ten, but like Alabama, has struggled with a few mid-major opponents in their opening slate. In their last game, Purdue only beat Yale by eight points at home.
This will be Oats’ second meeting with Purdue head coach Matt Painter, after these two teams played a one-off game in Toronto, Canada last season. This year’s game is the first in a scheduled home-and-home, with Purdue slated to come to Coleman Coliseum next season.
How to watch, listen and other key information
Opponent: No. 13 Purdue Boilermakers (3-0)
Date: Friday, Nov. 15
Tipoff time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Venue: Mackey Arena
Capacity: 14,240
Television: Peacock
– Play-by-play: Paul Bermeister
– Analyst: Robbie Hummel
Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network
– Play-by-play: Chris Stewart
– Analyst: Bryan Passink
Satellite radio: CTSN on Sirius / XM 134 or 201
Varsity Network link: LISTEN
Series record: Purdue leads 6-3
Last Meeting: Dec. 9, 2023
– Purdue 92, Alabama 86
Point spread: Alabama -2
Alabama Statistical Leaders:
– Scoring: Mark Sears (18.0 PPG)
– Rebounding: Cliff Omoruyi (8.0 RPG)
– Assists: Labaron Philon (4.3 APG)
Purdue Statistical Leaders:
– Scoring: Fletcher Loyer (17.0 PPG)
– Rebounding: Braden Smith (6.3 RPG)
– Assists: Braden Smith (9.3 APG)
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