SAN ANTONIO – UTSA will take on a huge non-conference test this weekend in the only game of the week, traveling to Tuscaloosa to square off with No. 12 Alabama on Sunday at Coleman Coliseum. Making back-to-back seasons with an SEC opponent under head coach Austin Claunch, the Roadrunners and Crimson Tide will tip off at 1 p.m. CT and the game will air live on SEC Network.
On the Air and on the Web
Sunday’s 1 p.m. tipoff with the Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum will be broadcast on SEC Network and can be streamed online through SECN+.On the broadcast call will be Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Mark Wise (analyst)
The radio broadcast will appear on Sports Radio AM 760 The Ticket with Andy Everett (play-by-play) covering the action live from Tuscaloosa. The broadcast will feature a 30-minute pregame and 15-minute postgame show – available online at Ticket760.com or via the free iHeartRadio app.
Alabama Athletics will also provide Live Stats.
About the UTSA Roadrunners
The Roadrunners are looking to regroup from a home loss to South Alabama, while facing the biggest test of the season in the Crimson Tide. Last week, UTSA went 1-2 with a big win over Georgia Southern and wrapped the month of November at 4-4. The Roadrunners will look to lean on their defense in Alabama, with UTSA coming into the weekend at 27th in the NCAA (second in American) in rebounds per game at 42.4, 47th nationally in three-point field goal defense with an American-second 28.6 percent, leading to a 26th national ranking in field goal defense on a conference-low 38 percent. While forcing 13.4 turnovers per game, the Roadrunners have protected the ball with an NCAA 57th ranking in turnovers (10.4). UTSA scores 74.8 ppg on 40.5 percent shooting.
The early standout for the Roadrunners, Lima, Ohio graduate student Jamir Simpson has reached double-figures in all eight games this year, going over 20 points four times. Boasting an 18.4 ppg average, Simpson ranks third among American scorers with the 73rd-highest average in the NCAA. Pacing the Roadrunners on the boards has been freshman Kaidon Rayfield, putting up a pair of double-doubles and 8.0 ppg and 7.4 rpg averages. Steady off the bench this season, Baboucarr Njie is scoring 8.0 ppg with 5.9 rpg and an NCAA-53rd (second American) 1.9 blocks per outing.
About the Alabama Crimson Tide
The highest-ranked UTSA opponent since 2011, 12th-ranked Alabama is among the best offensive teams in the country. Playing the nation’s toughest schedule and coming in at 6-2, the Crimson Tide are eighth nationally in pace of play, leading to 15.4 ppg off fast breaks and an NCAA-seventh 94.9 ppg from 49.3 percent shooting. The Tide will fire it up from long range, currently ranking fifth in the country with 12.1 made threes per game.
Alabama is led by returning sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr., who is 11th in the nation at 21.6 ppg, while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and doling out 5.4 apg. He’s a counterpoint to returning junior guard Aden Holloway, who is putting away 18.2 ppg and paces the team with an NCAA-14th 3.5 triples per game. Three other players average over 10 points, including freshman forward and rebounds leader Amari Allen, who is putting up 10.9 points and 7.4 boards.
Up Next
A tour of household names will pick up for the Roadrunners after finals, heading to Colorado (Dec. 13) and USC (Dec. 17) before closing out the non-conference slate at home on Dec. 22 against Seattle at the Convocation Center.
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