How to Watch No. 18 Alabama Basketball vs. No. 20 Connecticut

The Crimson Tide advanced against Michigan State in the Phil Knight Invitational, but will face another top-20 opponent in the semifinals.

Can you say bombs away?

While the No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide may have had a statement game against Michigan State in the opening round of the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore., No. 20 Connecticut was shooting lights out to also advance and set up a top-20 matchup in Friday's semifinals. 

Specifically, senior guard Tristen Newton led the Huskies to a school-record 17 3-pointers as they blew past one of the local teams, Oregon, to an 83-59 victory. 

In case you're wondering, the NCAA Division I record for 3-point field goals by both teams in a single game is 44 (Troy, which made 28 vs. George Mason on Dec. 10, 1994), and the record for total attempts, from the same game, is 108 (74 by Troy).

Just in case. 

How to Watch Alabama vs Connecticut

Who: Alabama (5-0) vs. Connecticut (6-0)

When: 8:30 p.m,. CT, Friday

Where: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore.

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Roger Hoover, Analyst: Bryan Passink). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

Series: UConn leads 1-0.

Phil Knight Invitational Preview

Tournament bracket: The winning team will advance to Sunday's championship game against the winner of No. 1 North Carolina vs. Iowa State. The losing teams will also face each other.  

Last Meeting: The only meeting between the programs was in the Elite 8 of the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Alabama, seeded second in the region, took an 87-71 loss in Phoenix, Ariz. 

Last time out, Alabama: The Crimson Tide had a strong opening game in the Phil Knight Invitational, topping No. 12 Michigan State 81-70. Brandon Miller had 24 points to lead Alabama, while Noah Gurley and Noah Clowney both had season highs in points with 12 and 10 respectively, and sophomore center Charles Bediako had his best game of the season with eight points, four rebounds and two blocks. In his third game back, guard Jahvon Quinerly looked comfortable operating in the offense and finished with a season high 10 points. 

Last time out, UConn: Oregon was without guards Brennan Rigsby, Jermaine Cousinard, and Keeshawn Barthelemy, but the Huskies didn't show any mercy en route to the 83-59 victory in the opening round of the Phil Knight Invitational.  

Newton finished with a season-high 23 points, hitting 7-of-10 overall from the floor, and added 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in an impressive all-around performance.

Newton had plenty of support as sophomore Jordan Hawkins added 18 points, including 5 three-pointers, junior Adama Sanogo had 12 points, including 2 three-pointers, and grad Joey Calcaterra scored 11, with 3 three-pointers.

This story will be updated. 

Alabama Arrives, Practices at Phil Knight Invitational

Photo Gallery:

Alabama basketball practices at the Moda Center / Alabama Athletics

Nimari Burnett shoots a free throw during practice at the Moda Center / Alabama Athletics

Darius Miles / Alabama Athletics

Alabama basketball practices at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore / Alabama Athletics

Mark Sears / Alabama Athletics

Alabama basketball assistant coach Charlie Henry / Alabama Athletics

Noah Gurley / Alabama Athletics

Rylan Griffen / Alabama Athletics

Charles Bediako / Alabama Athletics

Max Scharnowski / Alabama Athletics

Noah Clowney / Alabama Athletics

Nick Pringle / Alabama Athletics

Mark Sears / Alabama Athletics

Notes You Need To Know

• The Crimson Tide is 6-0 for the first time since 2017-18.
• Brandon Miller was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday. 
• Alabama entered the tournament leading the nation in rebounds per game (56.0), offensive rebounds per game (19.5) and rebound margin (24.5).
• Alabama’s newcomers have scored 294 of the Tide’s 339 points this season.
• Noah Clowney ranks No. 21 in the country averaging 10.5 rebounds per game and No. 1 in the SEC. Charles Bediako is No. 19, averaging 4.0 offensive rebounds.
• Alabama made 44 3-pointers in the first four game, the most under Nate Oats.
• The Crimson Tide was making 11 3-pointers per game, which ranks No. 14 in Division I.
• Alabama welcomed the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history, including McDonald’s High School All-Americans Jaden Bradley and Miller, along with four-star prospects Clowney and Rylan Griffen.
• The Tide is one of just seven schools (Arizona, Creighton, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA) to have a player named to the Bob Cousy, Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watch lists this preseason.

About UConn:

• Junior Adama Sanogo leads the Huskies in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (7.7), while Newton (13.2), sophomore Jordan Hawkins (12.3), and redshirt freshman Alex Karaban (10.2) also average in double figures. Junior Andre Jackson Jr. hands out the most assists (4.7).
• UConn Coach Dan Hurley is in his fifth season at the helm of the Huskies with an overall coaching record of 230-152 (.602) in 12-plus seasons (two at Wagner College, six at Rhode Island and four-plus at UConn). He's 79-47, (.627), has taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament, and is a former Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
• Ten years ago, Dan Hurley recruited E.C. Matthews from Romulus High School in Michigan to Rhode Island, where Alabama head coach Nate Oats was the head coach.
• Junior Adama Sanogo was selected as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year from a vote of the league’s head coaches. Sanogo was a All-Big East First Team selection at the end of last season. Sanogo was the seventh UConn player to win the preseason honor, joining Corny Thompson (1981), Donyell Marshall (1993), Richard Hamilton (1998), Khalid El-Amin (1999), Emeka Okafor (2003) and Rudy Gay (2005).

Phil Knight Invitational

Phil Knight Invitational

See Also:

Brandon Miller Shines on Big Stage

No. 18 Alabama Basketball Makes Statement with 81-70 Win over No. 12 Michigan State

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