2020–21 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team
The 2020–21 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team represented the University of Alabama in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Nate Oats. They played their home games at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Crimson Tide won the regular season Southeastern Conference Championship, marking the team's first championship since 2002. They also won the SEC tournament, their first win in that competition since 1991 and the first time since 1987 that the program won both the regular season and tournament.
2020–21 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball | |
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SEC regular season & tournament champions | |
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen | |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
Ranking | |
Coaches | No. 5 |
AP | No. 5 |
Record | 26–7 (16–2 SEC) |
Head coach |
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Assistant coaches |
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Home arena | Coleman Coliseum |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Alabama† | 16 | – | 2 | .889 | 26 | – | 7 | .788 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 10 Arkansas | 13 | – | 4 | .765 | 25 | – | 7 | .781 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LSU | 11 | – | 6 | .647 | 19 | – | 10 | .655 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 10 | – | 7 | .588 | 18 | – | 9 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida | 9 | – | 7 | .563 | 15 | – | 10 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ole Miss | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 16 | – | 12 | .571 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri | 8 | – | 8 | .500 | 16 | – | 10 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kentucky | 8 | – | 9 | .471 | 9 | – | 16 | .360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mississippi State | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 18 | – | 15 | .545 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Georgia | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 14 | – | 12 | .538 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Auburn* | 7 | – | 11 | .389 | 13 | – | 14 | .481 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Carolina | 4 | – | 12 | .250 | 6 | – | 15 | .286 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Texas A&M | 2 | – | 8 | .200 | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vanderbilt | 3 | – | 13 | .188 | 9 | – | 16 | .360 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† 2021 SEC tournament winner * Ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed postseason ban. |
The Tide were placed as a No. 2 seed in the East Region for the 2021 NCAA tournament, their highest placement since 2002. They would defeat Iona and Maryland before falling to a surging 11-seed UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen in overtime, 88–78 (that UCLA team made the Final Four). Alabama was ranked No. 5 in the final Coaches' Poll following the season, and Oats was named SEC Coach of the Year as well as being a finalist for National Coach of the Year honors.
Previous season
The Crimson Tide finished the 2019–20 season 16–15, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in ninth place. They were set to take on Tennessee in the second round of the SEC tournament. However, the remainder of the SEC Tournament was cancelled amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Offseason
Departures
Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
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Javian Davis | 0 | F | 6'9" | 242 | RS Freshman | Canton, MS | Transferred to Mississippi State[1] |
Kira Lewis Jr. | 2 | G | 6'3" | 165 | Sophomore | Meridianville, AL | Declared for the 2020 NBA draft; selected 13th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans[2] |
James Bolden | 11 | G | 6'0" | 160 | RS Senior | Covington, KY | Graduated |
Jaylen Forbes | 12 | G | 6'4" | 186 | Freshman | Florence, MS | Transferred to Tulane[3] |
Sam Okauru | 34 | G | 6'5" | 200 | Freshman | Raleigh, NC | Walk On; Transferred |
Raymond Hawkins | 35 | F/C | 6'9" | 240 | Freshman | Oakland, CA | Transferred to Long Beach State[4] |
Incoming transfers
Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
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Jordan Bruner | 2 | F | 6'10" | 225 | Senior | Columbia, SC | Graduate transfer from Yale[5] |
Keon Ellis | 14 | G | 6'6" | 170 | Junior | Eustis, FL | Junior College Transfer from Florida Southwestern State College.[6] |
Kendall Wall | 30 | F | 6'5" | 192 | Senior | Columbia, SC | Walk On; Graduate transfer from Francis Marion University. |
2021 recruiting class
Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
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JD Davison PG |
Letohatchee, Alabama | Calhoun School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 3, 2020 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 | ||||||
Charles Bediako C |
Brampton, Ontario | IMG Academy | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jun 1, 2021 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88 | ||||||
Jusaun Holt SG |
Tacoma, Washington | St Francis Day School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Sep 27, 2020 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: | ||||||
Sources:
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Preseason
SEC media poll
The SEC media poll was released on November 12, 2020.[7]
Media poll | ||
Predicted finish | Team | |
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1 | Tennessee | |
2 | Kentucky | |
3 | LSU | |
4 | Florida | |
5 | Alabama | |
6 | Arkansas | |
7 | Auburn | |
8 | South Carolina | |
9 | Ole Miss | |
10 | Missouri | |
11 | Texas A&M | |
12 | Mississippi State | |
13 | Georgia | |
14 | Vanderbilt |
Preseason All-SEC teams
The Crimson Tide had one player selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.
First Team John Petty Jr.
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Roster
2020–21 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
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Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
November 25, 2020* 7:00 pm, SECN |
Jacksonville State | W 81–57 | 1–0 |
18 – Tied | 12 – Jones | 3 – Quinerly | Coleman Coliseum (2,025) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
November 30, 2020* 8:30 pm, ESPN2 |
vs. Stanford Maui Invitational Quarterfinals |
L 64–82 | 1–1 |
14 – Quinerly | 6 – Petty | 3 – Primo | Harrah's Cherokee Center (0) Asheville, NC | ||||
December 1, 2020* 8:30 pm, ESPN2 |
vs. UNLV Maui Invitational consolation 2nd round |
W 86–74 | 2–1 |
22 – Petty Jr. | 7 – Bruner | 6 – Petty Jr | Harrah's Cherokee Center (0) Asheville, NC | ||||
December 2, 2020* 6:00 pm, ESPN2 |
vs. Providence Maui Invitational 5th Place Game |
W 88–71 | 3–1 |
16 – Petty Jr. | 8 – Jones | 5 – Jones | Harrah's Cherokee Center (0) Asheville, NC | ||||
December 12, 2020* 7:00 pm, ACCNX |
vs. Clemson Holiday Hoopsgiving |
L 56–64 | 3–2 |
17 – Jones | 5 – Reese | 5 – Reese | State Farm Arena (0) Atlanta, GA | ||||
December 15, 2020* 8:00 pm, SECN |
Furman | W 83–80 | 4–2 |
18 – Jones | 12 – Jones | 5 – Petty Jr. | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
December 19, 2020* 1:00 pm, ESPNU |
Western Kentucky | L 71–73 | 4–3 |
16 – Jones | 7 – Petty, Jr. | 3 – Tied | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
December 22, 2020* 6:30 pm, SECN+ |
ETSU | W 85–69 | 5–3 |
26 – Shackelford | 8 – Bruner | 9 – Quinerly | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
SEC regular season | |||||||||||
December 29, 2020 8:00 pm, SECN |
Ole Miss | W 82–64 | 6–3 (1–0) |
24 – Quinerly | 7 – Shackelford | 4 – Shackelford | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
January 2, 2021 5:00 pm, ESPN2 |
at No. 7 Tennessee | W 71–63 | 7–3 (2–0) |
19 – Petty Jr. | 8 – Jones | 6 – Quinerly | Thompson–Boling Arena (4,191) Knoxville, TN | ||||
January 5, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPNU |
Florida | W 86–71 | 8–3 (3–0) |
16 – Tied | 8 – Ellis | 4 – Bruner | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
January 9, 2021 11:00 am, ESPN2 |
at Auburn Iron Bowl of Basketball |
W 94–90 | 9–3 (4–0) |
22 – Primo | 8 – Tied | 4 – Bruner | Auburn Arena (1,824) Auburn, AL | ||||
January 12, 2021 8:00 pm, ESPN |
at Kentucky | W 85–65 | 10–3 (5–0) |
23 – Petty Jr. | 6 – Rojas | 6 – Shackelford | Rupp Arena (3,075) Lexington, KY | ||||
January 16, 2021 2:30 pm, SECN |
Arkansas | W 90–59 | 11–3 (6–0) |
17 – Petty Jr. | 5 – Primo | 4 – Quinerly | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | ||||
January 19, 2021 8:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 18 | at LSU | W 105–75 | 12–3 (7–0) |
24 – Petty Jr. | 7 – Rojas | 8 – Shackelford | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (2,295) Baton Rouge, LA | |||
January 23, 2021 5:00 pm, SECN |
No. 18 | Mississippi State | W 81–73 | 13–3 (8–0) |
17 – Jones | 5 – Jones | 7 – Jones | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
January 26, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN |
No. 9 | Kentucky | W 70–59 | 14–3 (9–0) |
21 – Shackelford | 9 – Jones | 8 – Jones | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
January 30, 2021* 11:00 a.m., ESPN |
No. 9 | at No. 24 Oklahoma Big 12/SEC Challenge |
L 61–66 | 14–4 |
15 – Reese | 7 – Jones | 5 – Jones | Lloyd Noble Center (2,680) Norman, OK | |||
February 3, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPNU |
No. 10 | LSU | W 78–60 | 15–4 (10–0) |
19 – Shackelford | 8 – Jones | 5 – Petty Jr. | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
February 6, 2021 11:00 am, ESPN |
No. 10 | at No. 18 Missouri | L 65–68 | 15–5 (10–1) |
15 – Shackleford | 6 – Tied | 1 – Tied | Mizzou Arena (3,113) Columbia, MO | |||
February 9, 2021 5:30 pm, SECN |
No. 11 | at South Carolina | W 81–78 | 16–5 (11–1) |
20 – Petty Jr. | 8 – Petty Jr. | 7 – Jones | Colonial Life Arena (3,089) Columbia, SC | |||
February 13, 2021 2:30 pm, SECN |
No. 11 | Georgia | W 115–82 | 17–5 (12–1) |
21 – Jones | 5 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
February 18, 2021 2:00 pm, SECN |
No. 8 | at Texas A&M | Postponed due to inclement weather | Reed Arena College Station, TX | |||||||
February 20, 2021 12:00 pm, SECN |
No. 8 | Vanderbilt | W 82–78 | 18–5 (13–1) |
27 – Shackelford | 9 – Ellis | 4 – Jones | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
February 24, 2021 8:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 6 | at No. 20 Arkansas | L 66–81 | 18–6 (13–2) |
14 – Bruner | 9 – Gary | 4 – Tied | Bud Walton Arena (4,400) Fayetteville, AR | |||
February 27, 2021 5:00 pm, SECN |
No. 6 | at Mississippi State | W 64–59 | 19–6 (14–2) |
19 – Quinerly | 14 – Jones | 2 – Tied | Humphrey Coliseum (1,000) Starkville, MS | |||
March 2, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN2 |
No. 8 | Auburn Iron Bowl of Basketball |
W 70–58 | 20–6 (15–2) |
23 – Shackelford | 9 – Jones | 6 – Jones | Coleman Coliseum (2,055) Tuscaloosa, AL | |||
March 6, 2021 1:00 pm, CBS |
No. 8 | at Georgia | W 89–79 | 21–6 (16–2) |
18 – Quinerly | 7 – Petty Jr. | 4 – Tied | Stegeman Coliseum (1,638) Athens, GA | |||
SEC Tournament | |||||||||||
March 12, 2021 11:00 am, ESPN |
(1) No. 6 | vs. (9) Mississippi State Quarterfinals |
W 85–48 | 22–6 |
14 – Quinerly | 7 – Tied | 7 – Jones | Bridgestone Arena (2,186) Nashville, TN | |||
March 13, 2021 12:00 pm, ESPN |
(1) No. 6 | vs. (4) Tennessee Semifinals |
W 73–68 | 23–6 |
21 – Jones | 13 – Jones | 4 – Jones | Bridgestone Arena (3,164) Nashville, TN | |||
March 14, 2021 12:00 pm, ESPN |
(1) No. 6 | vs. (3) LSU Championship |
W 80–79 | 24–6 |
21 – Shackelford | 11 – Jones | 6 – Jones | Bridgestone Arena (2,586) Nashville, TN | |||
NCAA tournament | |||||||||||
March 20, 2021 3:00 pm, TBS |
(2 E) No. 5 | vs. (15 E) Iona First Round |
W 68–55 | 25–6 |
20 – Jones | 7 – Petty Jr. | 3 – Ellis | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN | |||
March 22, 2021 7:45 pm, TNT |
(2 E) No. 5 | vs. (10 E) Maryland Second Round |
W 96–77 | 26–6 |
21 – Shackelford | 7 – Gary | 11 – Quinerly | Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN | |||
March 28, 2021 6:15 pm, TBS |
(2 E) No. 5 | vs. (11 E) UCLA Sweet Sixteen |
L 78–88 OT | 26–7 |
20 – Quinerly | 9 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |
Rankings
Week | ||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
AP | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | RV | 18 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | Not released |
Coaches | 25 | 25^ | RV | — | — | — | RV | 24т | 16 | 8т | 7 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5т | 5 | 5 | 5 |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.
References
- Horka, Tyler (July 27, 2020). "Magnolia State native Javian Davis to transfer from Alabama to Mississippi State". Clarion Ledger. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- Potter, Charlie (March 24, 2020). "Alabama's Kira Lewis, John Petty to test NBA draft waters". 247 Sports. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- "Men's Basketball Adds Alabama Transfer Jaylen Forbes". Tulane Green Wave. April 22, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- "Beach Basketball Receives Commitment From Alabama Transfer Raymond Hawkins III". Long Beach State Beach. May 6, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- Borzello, Jeff (April 10, 2020). "Jordan Bruner joining Alabama as graduate transfer". ESPN. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- Martin, Alex (April 17, 2020). "FSW guard Keon Ellis commits to Alabama over Iowa State, Kansas State, Western Kentucky". Fort Myers News-Press. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- "Media picks Vols to win 2021 SEC Men's Basketball title". Southeastern Conference. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.