Returning to Top 25, No. 24 Alabama Aims to Maintain Form Against Georgia

Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats recaps the Crimson Tide's 109-88 win over LSU

No. 24 Alabama will seek its third consecutive victory when it faces Georgia in a Southeastern Conference showdown on Wednesday evening in Athens, Ga.

The Crimson Tide (14-6, 6-1 SEC) recently secured a 109-88 triumph against LSU on Saturday, following a 79-75 victory against then-No. 8 Auburn earlier in the week.

Alabama has emerged victorious in eight of its recent nine games and re-entered the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since being ranked 23rd in the poll released on November 27. Georgia (14-6, 4-3) aims to interrupt Alabama’s winning streak.

The Bulldogs aspire to bounce back from a 102-98 overtime defeat against Florida on Saturday, marking their second loss in the last three games. Despite the setback, Georgia has emerged victorious in 12 of its last 15 matchups.

Bulldogs coach Mike White expressed confidence in his team’s ability to recover from the overtime loss against the Gators.

“These guys aren’t very delicate mentally,” White said. “Collectively, this group will come back to work Monday, they’ll be ready to work and we’ll learn from the film. I’m not worried about that. But I was proud of the fight, and the connection down the stretch.”

Georgia will confront an Alabama team led by Mark Sears, who boasts an average of 20.0 points per game with a 52 percent shooting accuracy overall and 43.7 percent from 3-point range.

Three other players for the Crimson Tide have scoring averages in double digits: Aaron Estrada (12.9 points per game), Grant Nelson (12.2), and Rylan Griffen (10.7).

Alabama coach Nate Oats believes in the potential to clinch a conference title but emphasizes the significance of continuous improvement in each game.

“We’re going to be in the mix,” Oats said. “Obviously, anybody can make a run. We’re not that far into the season. … I do think this is a team that can win it, and we’re going after it as hard as we can.

“But if we don’t fix our defense and get the main guys in the rotation that are playing heavy minutes to be as concerned with the defense as the offense, it’s going to be really hard to win.”

This marks the sole encounter between Alabama and Georgia in the regular season. The two teams clashed last on February 18, 2023, when the Crimson Tide cruised to a 108-59 victory over the Bulldogs.

Now, Alabama endeavors to build on another 100-point display. Oats expressed contentment with the team’s scoring proficiency but stressed the need for a stronger defensive presence.

“We can score the ball at a high clip,” Oats said. “Obviously, we play fast, efficient and fast. That adds up to 100-point games. It says we’ve got really talented players that are unselfish and move the ball.”

Jabri Abdur-Rahim is Georgia’s top scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game. Teammates Noah Thomasson (11.9 ppg) and RJ Melendez (11.1) also boast double-digit scoring averages.

Georgia holds an 11-1 record at home this season, while Alabama has secured 2 victories and 2 losses in true road games.

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

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    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

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    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

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    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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