Wednesday, November 25
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
7 p.m.
Jax State
at
Alabama
11/24/2020 1:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team opens the 2020-21 season Wednesday, Nov. 25 against Alabama at Coleman Coliseum at 7 p.m.
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Head coach Ray Harper begins his fifth season at the helm in Jacksonville, leading a group of 11 newcomers paired with just four returners from the previous season's squad. Four new faces will join Kayne Henry, the lone returning starter from 2019-20, when the Gamecocks step onto the court to face the Crimson Tide for the 14th time in program history.
The game can be watched on the SEC Network or online with the ESPN app. Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) will have the call for the television broadcast.
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Fans can listen to "The Voice" of the Gamecocks, Mike Parris, on their local Gamecock Radio Network affiliate. In Jacksonville, WLJS can be found at 91.9 FM, 98.1 FM and 102.1 FM, and WVOK in Oxford is located at 97.9 on the FM dial. Fans can also listen to WLJS online and on the TuneIn app. Parris is entering his 38th season on the mic for Jacksonville State basketball.
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Following the matchup with the Crimson Tide, the Gamecocks bus to Mobile, Ala., for the Goldie & Herman Ungar Memorial Tournament at the University of South Alabama. JSU is scheduled to take on Florida Atlantic at noon Friday, Nov. 27. After taking Saturday off, the Gamecocks return to action Sunday, Nov. 19 against South Alabama at 4 p.m. and wrap up the tournament Monday, Nov. 30 against the University of Mobile at 2 p.m.
Men's Basketball - Game 1
Jacksonville State (0-0) at Alabama (0-0)
November 25, 2020 | 7 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Coleman Coliseum (14,474)Â Â
FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: SEC Network
Live Stats:Â Click Here
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GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
Alabama Game Notes
Tipoff Tidbits
• JSU owns one win in the 13-game series against Alabama. The Gamecocks' lone victory against the Tide came in the 1952-53 season-opener with head coach Ray Wedgeworth leading JSU to a 67-64 win.
• Jacksonville State's last game against both an SEC team and top-25 opponent came Dec. 21, 2019 at No. 21 Tennessee; a 75-53 loss at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Gamecocks are 1-39 all-time against current members of the SEC.
• JSU has 11 newcomers on its roster. It is the largest incoming group of Gamecocks for a Harper-led squad and the most since 11 new faces joined the JSU program for the 2011-12 season.
• Jacksonville State finished the 2019-20 season with its fourth consecutive trip to the OVC Tournament. It is one of just three programs in the league to reach the postseason tournament in each of its last four seasons (Murray State and Belmont). • Head coach Ray Harper owns 80 wins in four seasons at JSU, ranking third in program history in D1 wins behind former head coach James Green (89, eight seasons).
Series History
• Alabama leads the series 12-1.
• Alabama has won the last 11 meetings with the Gamecocks, dating back to the 1953-54 season.
• Jacksonville State's lone win against the Crimson Tide came in the 1952-53 season opener. Former head coach Ray Wedgeworth led JSU to a 67-64 win over Alabama at Foster Auditorium.Â
• Jax State and Alabama haven't met since the 2015-16 season. The Gamecocks fell to the Tide 67-59 in overtime in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 29, 2016.
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A win would…
• Give Jacksonville State just its second win over Alabama and an SEC opponent.
• Improve Ray Harper's record as Jacksonville State's head coach to 81-56, 512-183 overall.
• Be JSU's first win at Coleman Coliseum. The Gamecocks' 67-64 win over Alabama to open the 1952-53 win came at Foster Auditorium.Â
• Improve Jax State's record in season openers to 9-18 and 3-2 under Harper.
• Give Jacksonville State its first win over a top-25 team.
Storylines
• Ray Harper looks to even the score with UA head coach Nate Oats. Oats is 1-0 against Harper and the Gamecocks, defeating JSU during the 2017-18 season as the head coach at Buffalo.
• JSU was picked to finish seventh in both the OVC Coaches/SID Poll and the OVC Media Poll. The last time the Gamecocks were picked to finish outside the top-5, Jacksonville State won the OVC Tournament.
• Wednesday begin's the longest road trip of the season for Jax State. The Gamecocks will spend six days on the road, wrapping up the trek Monday, Nov. 30 with the conclusion of the Goldie and Herman Ungar Memorial Tournament at South Alabama.
• Road warriors to begin the 2020-21 season, Jacksonville State will not host a game at Pete Mathews Coliseum until Wednesday, Dec. 16 - seven games into its schedule.
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About Alabama
• The Crimson Tide are ranked 25th in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll and are receiving votes in the Associated Press Top-25.Â
• Head coach Nate Oats is beginning his season season at the helm in Tuscaloosa. Oats led Alabama to a 16-15 season a year ago.
• Alabama returns four starters and seven letter winners from the previous year's team. Nine newcomers include four freshmen, two transfers and three players who sat out the 2019-20 season.
• Three of the four returning starters were named as All-SEC performers a year ago in seniors John Petty Jr. (second team) and Herbert Jones (all-defensive) along with sophomore Jaden Shackelford (all-freshman). Petty enters the upcoming season as a Preseason SEC First Team honoree by both the media and the coaches, while Jones was named preseason second team by the coaches.
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSUGamecocksMBB) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocksMBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocks).
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Head coach Ray Harper begins his fifth season at the helm in Jacksonville, leading a group of 11 newcomers paired with just four returners from the previous season's squad. Four new faces will join Kayne Henry, the lone returning starter from 2019-20, when the Gamecocks step onto the court to face the Crimson Tide for the 14th time in program history.
The game can be watched on the SEC Network or online with the ESPN app. Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) will have the call for the television broadcast.
Â
Fans can listen to "The Voice" of the Gamecocks, Mike Parris, on their local Gamecock Radio Network affiliate. In Jacksonville, WLJS can be found at 91.9 FM, 98.1 FM and 102.1 FM, and WVOK in Oxford is located at 97.9 on the FM dial. Fans can also listen to WLJS online and on the TuneIn app. Parris is entering his 38th season on the mic for Jacksonville State basketball.
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Following the matchup with the Crimson Tide, the Gamecocks bus to Mobile, Ala., for the Goldie & Herman Ungar Memorial Tournament at the University of South Alabama. JSU is scheduled to take on Florida Atlantic at noon Friday, Nov. 27. After taking Saturday off, the Gamecocks return to action Sunday, Nov. 19 against South Alabama at 4 p.m. and wrap up the tournament Monday, Nov. 30 against the University of Mobile at 2 p.m.
Men's Basketball - Game 1
Jacksonville State (0-0) at Alabama (0-0)
November 25, 2020 | 7 p.m. CT
Tuscaloosa, Ala. | Coleman Coliseum (14,474)Â Â
FOLLOW LIVE
Listen: Gamecock Radio Network
Watch: SEC Network
Live Stats:Â Click Here
Â
GAME NOTES
Jacksonville State Notes
Alabama Game Notes
Tipoff Tidbits
• JSU owns one win in the 13-game series against Alabama. The Gamecocks' lone victory against the Tide came in the 1952-53 season-opener with head coach Ray Wedgeworth leading JSU to a 67-64 win.
• Jacksonville State's last game against both an SEC team and top-25 opponent came Dec. 21, 2019 at No. 21 Tennessee; a 75-53 loss at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Gamecocks are 1-39 all-time against current members of the SEC.
• JSU has 11 newcomers on its roster. It is the largest incoming group of Gamecocks for a Harper-led squad and the most since 11 new faces joined the JSU program for the 2011-12 season.
• Jacksonville State finished the 2019-20 season with its fourth consecutive trip to the OVC Tournament. It is one of just three programs in the league to reach the postseason tournament in each of its last four seasons (Murray State and Belmont). • Head coach Ray Harper owns 80 wins in four seasons at JSU, ranking third in program history in D1 wins behind former head coach James Green (89, eight seasons).
Series History
• Alabama leads the series 12-1.
• Alabama has won the last 11 meetings with the Gamecocks, dating back to the 1953-54 season.
• Jacksonville State's lone win against the Crimson Tide came in the 1952-53 season opener. Former head coach Ray Wedgeworth led JSU to a 67-64 win over Alabama at Foster Auditorium.Â
• Jax State and Alabama haven't met since the 2015-16 season. The Gamecocks fell to the Tide 67-59 in overtime in Tuscaloosa on Dec. 29, 2016.
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A win would…
• Give Jacksonville State just its second win over Alabama and an SEC opponent.
• Improve Ray Harper's record as Jacksonville State's head coach to 81-56, 512-183 overall.
• Be JSU's first win at Coleman Coliseum. The Gamecocks' 67-64 win over Alabama to open the 1952-53 win came at Foster Auditorium.Â
• Improve Jax State's record in season openers to 9-18 and 3-2 under Harper.
• Give Jacksonville State its first win over a top-25 team.
Storylines
• Ray Harper looks to even the score with UA head coach Nate Oats. Oats is 1-0 against Harper and the Gamecocks, defeating JSU during the 2017-18 season as the head coach at Buffalo.
• JSU was picked to finish seventh in both the OVC Coaches/SID Poll and the OVC Media Poll. The last time the Gamecocks were picked to finish outside the top-5, Jacksonville State won the OVC Tournament.
• Wednesday begin's the longest road trip of the season for Jax State. The Gamecocks will spend six days on the road, wrapping up the trek Monday, Nov. 30 with the conclusion of the Goldie and Herman Ungar Memorial Tournament at South Alabama.
• Road warriors to begin the 2020-21 season, Jacksonville State will not host a game at Pete Mathews Coliseum until Wednesday, Dec. 16 - seven games into its schedule.
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About Alabama
• The Crimson Tide are ranked 25th in the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll and are receiving votes in the Associated Press Top-25.Â
• Head coach Nate Oats is beginning his season season at the helm in Tuscaloosa. Oats led Alabama to a 16-15 season a year ago.
• Alabama returns four starters and seven letter winners from the previous year's team. Nine newcomers include four freshmen, two transfers and three players who sat out the 2019-20 season.
• Three of the four returning starters were named as All-SEC performers a year ago in seniors John Petty Jr. (second team) and Herbert Jones (all-defensive) along with sophomore Jaden Shackelford (all-freshman). Petty enters the upcoming season as a Preseason SEC First Team honoree by both the media and the coaches, while Jones was named preseason second team by the coaches.
For more information on the JSU men's basketball team, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSUGamecocksMBB) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocksMBB). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks) and Instagram (@JSUGamecocks).
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Players Mentioned
G/F
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