How to watch: No. 9 Alabama basketball hosts Jackson State

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball is looking to head into its SEC slate on a high note. After falling to Gonzaga in the C.M. Newton Classic over the weekend, No. 9 Crimson Tide will wrap up the bulk of its non-conference schedule Tuesday night when it hosts Jackson State.

A victory over Jackson State (1-10) would give Alabama (9-2) its 10th win before conference play for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The Crimson Tide will have one more non-conference game remaining after Tuesday night as it travels to Oklahoma for the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in January.

Here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s matchup.

Who: No. 9 Alabama (9-2) vs. Jackson State (1-10

When: 6 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Dec. 20

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Watch: SEC Network (play-by-play: Dave Neal; analyst: Daymeon Fishback)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer Tom Stipe)

Jaden Bradley: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, freshman

Stats: 9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 51.5% FG, 50.0% 3-pt

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, junior

Stats: 13.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 42.6% FG, 41.3% 3-pt

Brandon Miller: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, freshman

Stats: 20.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.9 apg, 41.5% FG, 45.1% 3-pt

Noah Clowney: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, freshman

Stats: 9.5 ppg, 8.8, rpg, 0.9 apg, 51.4% FG, 27.8% 3-pt

Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman

Stats: 5.4 ppg, 6.6, rpg, 0.6 apg, 65.8% FG

Ken Evans Jr.: 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, redshirt sophomore

Stats: 11.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 34.8% FG, 31.0% 3-pt

Coltie Young: 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 9.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 44.4% FG, 42.6% 3-pt

Trace Young: 6-foot-8, 193 pounds, redshirt senior

Stats: 10.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 42.7% FG, 29.4% 3-pt

Romelle Mansel: 6-foot-9, 195 pounds, junior

Stats: 7.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 47.3% FG, 66.7% 3-pt

Zeke Cook: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 4.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.7 apg, 37.2% FG

Former Alabama standout Mo Williams is in his first year as Jackson State’s head coach after spending the past two seasons in charge of Alabama State. The Jackson Miss., native got his coaching start as an assistant at Cal State Northridge from 2018-20 where he worked under former Crimson Tide head coach Mark Gottfried. Tuesday will be Williams’ first game against his alma mater.

Williams played two seasons at Alabama from 2001-03, averaging 13.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists during that span. He was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent 15 seasons in the league.

“Obviously, one of the better players in Alabama history,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. “He had a great NBA career. He’s coming back home. He’s gonna have his guys ready to go. They’re a lot better than what their record indicates. I went back and watched the Mississippi State game two weeks ago, they were down four at the under-4 media timeout at the end of the game. They’ve been fighting, scrapping, clawing, hanging with some teams. They’re gonna be motivated with Mo coming back to Alabama, so we’re gonna have to play well.”

Williams posted a combined 13-35 record at Alabama State, including a 12-24 mark in conference play. He is off to a 1-10 start at Jackson State.

“He did a good job at Alabama State, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten the Jackson State job,” Oats said. “He’s a guy that I talked to when he’s come back to town. His son [Kydarrius] was a manager for us when I first got here, stayed on with us. His picture’s on the wall here. We wanna remember some of the better players around here. He’s been very supportive, very congratulatory in comments and texts and calls on what we’re doing here. He’s happy that Alabama basketball is getting back to being good.”

Brandon Miller was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday after combining for 60 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the games against Memphis and Gonzaga. The five-star forward shot 54.3% from the floor over the two games, including 52.6% from beyond the arc.

Monday marked the second time Miller earned freshman of the week honors this season. An Alabama player has claimed the honor four of the six weeks it has been handed out as Noah Clowney earned it twice.

Miller leads the SEC and is tied for 19th nationally averaging 20.1 points per game, topping the nation's freshman in the category. He is the only freshman in the country to rank in the top 80 in points per game (No. 19) and rebounds per game (8.2, No. 78). Clowney ranks No. 44 in the country with 8.8 rebounds per game, which is third best among the nation’s freshmen.

"We're really happy with the freshman class, obviously," Oats said. "I think it speaks to what Brandon and Noah themselves have done in addition to the group as a whole."

Jaden Bradley has also performed well, ranking second on the team with 3.3 assists per game while averaging 9.3 points on 50.5% shooting from the floor. Meanwhile, fellow freshman guard Rylan Griffin is averaging 6.2 points over 15.7 minutes per game.

"Jaden Bradley's had some really good games, too," Oats said. "If Clowney and Brandon Miller weren't doing what they're doing, Jaden might have won one of these weeks."

Already down a pair of guards due to injury, Alabama is currently trying to manage an illness that has swept through the locker room over the past few days. Last week, Crimson Tide assistant coach Bryan Hodgson missed the win over Memphis due to an illness. Monday, Oats said a few of his players are now under the weather as well.

Oats didn’t reveal which players were currently sick but stated that the team went through a lighter practice Monday and moved its film study from onto the court in order to space things out.

“We just, myself included, haven’t been feeling great,” Oats said. ‘It’s just a lot of different stuff going around. Trying to keep guys as healthy as can be, to where they can get to Christmas break and go home and spend Christmas with their families without getting too sick. We need to get through this one last game."

Alabama starting guard Nimari Burnett underwent wrist surgery last week and is expected to be out until February. Meanwhile, St. Bonaventure transfer Dom Welch is getting closer to returning from his calf injury and might soon be able to make his Crimson Tide debut.

“Hopefully when we come back from Christmas for SEC play, he can be right there, if not ready to go,” Oats said of Welch. “I think he can really contribute with his shooting and he’s got some size at that wing spot.”

— Alabama leads the nation in rebounds per game (47.3), defensive rebounds per game (32.7) and is tied for No. 1 with Tennessee in offensive rebounds per game (15.0). The Crimson Tide ranks third in rebound margin at +11.5.

— Jackson State was picked to finish seventh in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason Poll after finishing with an overall record of 11-19, including a 9-9 mark in conference play last season.