How to Watch Alabama Basketball vs. Western Kentucky, TV Online, Radio
Do not adjust your screen, or send a message stating the name of the opponent is wrong.
Alabama basketball is not hosting Houston on Saturday.
Houston paused all team-related activities on Dec. 8 following COVID-19 issues. The Cougars postponed Dec. 9 and Dec. 12 home games against Sam Houston State and Rice, respectively, and canceled the trip to Tuscaloosa.
However, the team resumed basketball operations on Tuesday, and has since added a home game against Alcorn State on Sunday.
So Alabama instead added Western Kentucky.
We don't quite get it either, but understand that changes like this will likely continue to happen this season, especially for non-conference games. Alabama is slated to open SEC play Dec. 29, with its final non-conference game on the schedule the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30, when it visits Oklahoma.
Alabama has never hosted Western Kentucky before, but the Hilltoppers' coach is certainly familiar with Coleman Coliseum, Rick Stanbury.
The former Mississippi State head coach is 16-14 in his career against the Crimson Tide.
The Hilltoppers (5-2) are coming off a 68-65 win against Rhode Island.
Senior guard Josh Anderson paced WKU with 15 points and made both of his 3-point attempts. Senior guard Taveion Hollingsworth tallied 14 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists, and junior center Charles Bassey had 13 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and two assists. Sophomore guard Jordan Rawls chipped in 11 points off the bench.
WKU also has a win against Memphis. The two losses were against nationally-ranked West Virginia and Louisville.
Western Kentucky at Alabama
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Coleman Coliseum
TV: ESPNU (Play-By-Play: Mike Morgan, Analyst: Daymeon Fishback)
Radio: Crimson Tide Radio Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink, Sideline: Roger Hoover) Sirius/XM Channel: NA/387
Online: ESPN+
Last time out: Herbert Jones scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to key a 83-80 comeback win at home against Furman on Tuesday. Furman led by as many as 16 points and for all but 1:18 of the contest, however, with the Crimson Tide used a 15-9 run over the last six minutes to secure the victory. For Jones, the double-double was the fifth of his career and second this season. Jaden Shackelford finished with 13 points while James Rojas contributed a season-high 11 points and tied his season-high with seven rebounds. Juwan Gary finished with a season high of 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and added three rebounds.
The series: This will be just the third meeting ever between WKU and Alabama, and the first in over three decades. The Hilltoppers have lost each of the first two neutral-site matchups – a 1989 clash in Puerto Rico and a 1955 game in Louisville.
Scouting report: Hollingsworth is tied for the team lead in scoring (16.4), but the players to watch is the center, Brassey. Last week he scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 14 boards, recording his fourth double-double of the season on Thursday against Gardner-Webb. He shot 13 of 19 from the field and had three blocks. Against Rhode Island on Sunday, the junior was just shy of another double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. The Nigeria native blocked five shots, adding to his running season total of 28 blocks. It was his third game this year with at least five blocks. Bassey leads the nation in blocks per game (4.0), total blocks (28), total rebounds (79) and total dunks (21). In Conference USA, he leads the league in total rebounds, rebounds per game (11.3), total blocks, blocks per game and defensive rebounds (58). ... WKU lives at the free-throw line. The Hilltoppers are 114-150 for the season, while opponents are just 77-103.
