TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Crimson Tide head coach Anthony Grant released the University of Alabama men’s basketball schedule for the upcoming season Thursday afternoon. The 2011-2012 slate features 11 nationally televised games, with a possibility for more.
As no surprise to Alabama basketball fans, Grant has added a number of challenging non-conference games to help the Crimson Tide’s RPI at season’s end, after falling just short of the NCAA Tournament last season in large part due to a weak non-conference schedule.
The Tide will open the season within the friendly confines of Coleman Coliseum with a matchup against North Florida on Friday, Nov. 11, followed by a game against Oakland on Monday, Nov. 14, before heading south for the Puerto Rico Tipoff.
The eight-team tournament in Puerto Rico will see the Tide open up with Maryland on Nov. 17. The opponent in the second round of the event will be either Colorado or Wichita State, both of which faced Alabama in the NIT Final Four last season. Finally Alabama will face off with a team from the opposing side of the bracket in the tournament’s final round, which includes Iona, Purdue, Temple and Western Michigan.
Following the tournament the Crimson Tide will return to Tuscaloosa to host two marquee games, facing VCU the day after the Iron Bowl (Nov. 27) and Georgetown the next week (Dec. 1 – 8 p.m. – ESPN2).
More intriguing non-conference games include trips to Grant’s alma mater, Dayton (Dec. 7) and a return trip to Kansas City, Mo., to face Kansas State (Dec. 17). The Tide faced the Wildcats in Mobile, Ala., in Grant’s first season at UA.
Alabama will then get a return trip from Oklahoma State, after last year’s meeting in Oklahoma City. This year’s game will be played at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2. Tickets for the game are included in season ticket packages, however UA has yet to determine plans for student tickets for the game.
The Crimson Tide will close out its non-conference schedule with a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Jan. 3, in Atlanta. That matchup will be played at Phillips Arena, due to the construction of the school’s new on-campus arena, McCamish Pavilion.
The conference schedule, which is likely in its last year under the current format, features home-and-home series with each SEC Western Division team and a single game against Eastern Division foes. The Tide will travel to Athens, Lexington and Columbia, while they will host Vanderbilt, Florida and Tennessee.
WVUA-FM will broadcast select home games live, with additional games being aired on a tape-delay basis.
2011-12 Alabama Men’s Basketball Schedule (All Times Central)
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time | TV |
| Nov. 11 | North Florida | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Nov. 14 | Oakland | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Nov. 17 | vs. Maryland | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 4 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Nov. 18 | vs. Colorado/Wichita State | San Juan, Puerto Rico | 5:30/8 p.m. | TBA |
| Nov. 20 | vs. TBA | San Juan, Puerto Rico | TBA | TBA |
| Nov. 23 | Alabama A&M | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Nov. 27 | VCU | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Dec. 1 | Georgetown | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 7 | at Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | TBA | |
| Dec. 11 | Detroit | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Dec. 17 | vs. Kansas State | Kansas City, Mo. | TBA | |
| Dec. 21 | vs. Oklahoma State | Birmingham, Ala. | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Dec. 29 | Jacksonville | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | |
| Jan. 3 | at Georgia Tech | Atlanta, Ga. | TBA | |
| Jan. 7 | at Georgia* | Athens, Ga. | 6 p.m. | FSN |
| Jan. 11 | LSU* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 8 p.m. | CSS |
| Jan. 14 | at Mississippi State* | Starkville, Miss. | 3 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 19 | Vanderbilt* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 6 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Jan. 21 | at Kentucky* | Lexington, Ky. | 11 a.m. | CBS |
| Jan. 25 | at South Carolina* | Columbia, S.C. | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Jan. 28 | Arkansas* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 12:30 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Feb. 4 | Mississippi* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | TBA | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Feb. 7 | at Auburn* | Auburn, Ala. | 8 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Feb. 11 | at LSU* | Baton Rouge, La. | TBA | ESPN2 |
| Feb. 14 | Florida* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 18 | Tennessee* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 12:30 p.m. | SEC Network |
| Feb. 23 | at Arkansas* | Fayetteville, Ark. | 6 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Feb. 25 | Mississippi State* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 5 p.m. | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Feb. 29 | Auburn* | Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 7 p.m. | SEC Network |
| March 3 | at Mississippi* | Oxford, Miss. | 3 p.m. | SEC Network |
| March 8-11 | at SEC Tournament | New Orleans, La. |
Freshman at The University of Alabama. I'm a sports journalism major from Denver, CO. Aside from writing about Alabama baseball, I also write for the Arizona Diamondbacks for venomstrikes.com on the Fansided network. If you like sports, then we can be friends. Follow me on Twitter @realcmoff18
