Tide reveals 2016-17 non-conference hoops schedule
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (rolltide.com) – The Alabama men’s basketball team finalized its 2016-17 non-conference schedule, head coach Avery Johnson announced at the Summer Tip Off event in Birmingham on Wednesday night. The event, which was held in front of a standing room only crowd at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, featured one-on-ones with Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff, while each Crimson Tide player used a touch screen to unveil the schedule game-by-game in what was a first-of-its-kind event.
The Tide will play a challenging non-league slate that includes teams from the Big 12, Pac 12, ACC and Atlantic 10, among others.
This year’s non-conference schedule features six games played under the arched roof of Coleman Coliseum, along with challenging road games against the likes of Texas and Oregon to highlight this year’s slate.
In addition to playing six home contests, the Tide will also play two games throughout the state of Alabama, which include hosting Clemson in the Vulcan Classic at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena on Dec. 18 and Arkansas State in the Rocket City Classic at Huntsville’s Von Braun Center on Dec. 21.
The Clemson contest will mark the second consecutive year the Crimson Tide will play an opponent in Birmingham. Last year, Alabama dropped a narrow 72-68 decision to Oregon in front of a near-sellout crowd of 14,508. In all, the Tide owns a record of 44-21 when playing in the Magic City.
Following that contest, Alabama will head to the northern part of the state to take on the Red Wolves in Huntsville. It will mark just the second time the Tide has played in the Rocket City, with the only other game occurring just over 16 years ago on Dec. 18, 1999, when Alabama captured a 75-51 victory over Chattanooga.
Alabama opens the 2016-17 campaign on Nov. 11 when it hosts Coastal Carolina in the season-opener for both squads. That contest will not only be the first game of the year, but will mark the first of two home games as part of the Las Vegas Main Event. The Crimson Tide will also play host to Ball State as part of the event on Nov. 18.
Sandwiched in between those two contests will be a home contest and Dayton on Nov. 15. The Fliers were co-champions of the Atlantic 10 a year ago and are coming off a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Following the Ball State game, the Tide will travel to Las Vegas where it will compete in the “Heavyweight Division” of the Main Event, which will be held at the MGM Grand Hotel. Alabama will open against Valparaiso on Nov. 21 and will play either BYU or St. Louis on Nov. 23.
After the Thanksgiving break, the team will return home to host Charleston Southern on Nov. 29 before playing two big road games to begin the month of December. Alabama will first travel to Austin, Texas, where it will take on the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 2. The Tide will then head west to Eugene, Ore., to square off against the Oregon Ducks on Dec. 11. Both the Longhorns and Ducks were NCAA Tournament teams a year ago, with Oregon reaching the Elite 8.
Alabama will return to Tuscaloosa for a home game on Dec. 15 against USC Upstate prior to playing the Vulcan Classic in Birmingham and the Rocket City Classic in Huntsville. The Tide completes its non-conference slate with a home game against Stetson on Dec. 29.
Alabama will play an exhibition game in Coleman Coliseum against Faulkner on Nov. 3.
The 2017 Southeastern Conference schedule, as well as all start times and television carriers, will be announced at a later date.
