BamaOnLine.com - Tide eyes Tigers

January 6, 2009

Chase Goodbread
BamaOnLine.com Senior Writer

This season, BamaOnLine.com will provide a regular glance at the previous week and upcoming week for the Alabama basketball squad. After its most impressive win of the season against Georgia Tech, the Crimson Tide now faces another Atlantic Coast Conference foe in Clemson.

The week that was

Results
12/30: Beat Quincy, 86-58.
1/3: Beat Georgia Tech, 88-77.

Who's hot
Ronald Steele: UA's senior point guard scored 37 points over the two recent victories, including a game-high 23 against Georgia Tech. He is also 9 of 16 from 3-point range during that stretch.

Who's not
Demetrius Jemison: The junior forward has seen a significant reduction in minutes of late, playing just eight minutes over the Crimson Tide's past four games and 12 over the last five.

Gottfried says
"I think a key for our team [against G.Tech] was Alonzo Gee on the backboards. Georgia Tech is a team that does a great job of rebounding the ball and getting the ball inside. They are really good around the rim. Alonzo did a great job of finishing the defensive possession."

Noteworthy
Alabama improved its overall record to 10-3. ... Gee pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds against the Yellow Jackets. ... Freshman forward JaMychal Green was named SEC Freshman of the Week. He averaged 12.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in two games, shooting 11 of 17 from the field. ... Steele handed out 10 assists against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday.

Season leaders
Scoring: Alonzo Gee, 14.7 ppg.
Rebounding: Alonzo Gee, 7.3 rpg.
Assists: Ronald Steele, 3.8 apg.

The week ahead

Schedule
1/6: at Clemson, 8 p.m. CST (TV: FSN).

A look at Clemson
The Tigers present the biggest challenge of the season to date for the Crimson Tide with a 14-0 record. It will be Alabama's first game on an opponent's home floor this season. Clemson is one of four unbeaten teams in the nation and is led by K.C. Rivers (at left) with 15.3 points per game. Trevor Booker leads the Tigers post men with 14.6 ppg and 9.6 rebounds per game. Clemson's RPI rank is No.5 entering the game, by far the highest of any UA opponent this year. CU has victories over Illinois, South Carolina, Temple and Miami, all top-100 RPI teams.

Did you know
Guard Senario Hillman, UA's top perimeter defender, has 13 steals in his last three games. ... Clemson averages 6.9 blocks per game, ranking seventh in the nation. ... Clemson ranks 12th in the latest Associated Press poll. Gee's 18-rebound performance against Georgia Tech moved him ahead of Green for the team lead in rebounds per game. ... Clemson's Terrence Oglesby has connected on 40 of 96 3-pointers this season. ... Alabama has a 76-72 all-time record against current teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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