Alabama Basketball Receives Dates For Two Naismith Hall of Fame Non-Conference Games

The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team has dates for two of its biggest non-conference matchups in the upcoming season.

Joe Gaither | Jun 21, 2023

Photo Courtesy University of Alabama

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Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program has traditionally played challenging non-conference schedules during head coach Nate Oats's tenure. That won't change in 2023 as the Tide is set to play the reigning Big 10 champion Purdue Boilermakers and last season's Pac-12 runner-up the Arizona Wildcats in two Naismith Hall of Fame games.

The Tide vs. Purdue in The Six 🇨🇦 #RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/hu2U6QEiVJ
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) June 21, 2023

On Wednesday the Naismith Hall of Fame announced dates for the two contests. The Crimson Tide will head to Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto, Canada on Dec. 9 to square off against Zach Edey and the Boilermakers. Alabama then heads across the country to take on the Arizona Wildcats in the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. on Dec. 20.

"We are excited to be a part of the Hall of Fame Series that has been put on by the Naismith Hall of Fame organization,," Oats said. "Arizona and Purdue are two exceptional programs that will certainly test us in the non-conference portion of the schedule. During my time at Alabama, we have always tried to challenge our team during the non-conference schedule and playing two of the top programs in the country affords us that opportunity."

Alabama is 3-1 all-time against the Arizona Wildcats, but the programs haven't met since a home-and-home series in 2017 and 18 with both sides splitting the home contests.

The Tide is 2-2 with the Boilermakers, Alabama defeated Purdue in the NIT in 2001 and in an early season tournament in 2011 but dropped two regular season matchups in a home-and-home series in 2009 and 10.

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