Alabama Basketball has an almost complete schedule of opponents for the 2023-24 season. Dates and times are yet to come for the SEC schedule, but the 18, game opponents are known. The latest Crimson Tide schedule update comes with the release of specifics about the new ACC vs. SEC Challenge.
Alabama Basketball will play Clemson in the Challenge. The game will be on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 8:30 PM CST in Tuscaloosa. All 14 SEC and ACC teams will play in the two-night event, showcased by ESPN.
The Clemson Tigers won 23 games last season and were an NIT first-round loser to Morehead State.
Earlier this week an SEC schedule favorable to the Crimson Tide was revealed. Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and Mississippi State will be Alabama’s home-and-away opponents. In other SEC games in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide will play Missouri, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Arkansas. Additional SEC road opponents for the Crimson Tide are Ole Miss, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt.
Winning in Lexington is a historical challenge, but the Wildcats may not be back to par in ’23-24. Not having to play Arkansas in Fayetteville and no away games against Texas A&M and Missouri is a plus for Nate Oats’ team. There are few easy road games in the SEC but the Tide going to Athens and Oxford lessens potential road woes.
The ’23-24 out-of-conference schedule is not officially complete. Not confirmed but expected is an away game against Creighton in Omaha. Alabama will play Purdue in Toronto and the Arizona Wildcats in Phoenix. Alabama will play Ohio State, then either Oregon or Santa Clara in the Emerald Coast Classic. In Coleman Coliseum, Alabama will play Mercer, Indiana State and South Alabama.
There are more than enough tough games for the Crimson Tide to have an impressive Strength of Schedule. In ESPN’s most recent preseason Top 25, six Crimson Tide opponents are ranked. They are No. 3, Purdue; No. 6, Tennessee; No. 11, Arizona; No. 13 Creighton; No. 14, Arkansas and No. 19, Texas A&M. In ESPN’s Top 25, ‘next five in line’ are Kentucky, Florida and Auburn.
Other Alabama Basketball News
North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson makes it official, and tells me that he will transfer to Alabama.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 28, 2023
Nelson had gone through the NBA Draft process before withdrawing prior to the deadline.
The 6-11 senior averaged 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds last season for the Bison.
The key word in the tweet is ‘official’ and it ends the many days of delay and doubt about whether Grant Nelson was actually transferring to the Crimson Tide. Alabama beat out Arkansas and others for Nelson. He was a must-get for Nate Oats after the departure of Charles Bediako.
With the surprise exit by Jahvon Quinerly, Nate Oats now needs to add a point guard.