Grant, Alabama Make Debut Wednesday

The University of Alabama men’s basketball team and first-year Coach Anthony Grant make their public debut Wednesday when the Crimson Tide hosts the University of Montevallo in an exhibition contest at Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CST.

Alabama has had two intra-squad scrimmages in its preseason practices, but Wednesday will be the first opportunity to test its mettle against competition.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Grant said. “It’ll be a different environment for them and it will be interesting to see how they react to it. The last couple weeks of practice have gotten us to the point where we’re ready to play someone else.”

Grant will unveil his up-tempo style of play to Alabama fans with a roster that features seven players returning from last season and four newcomers.

Junior Senario Hillman is the team’s top returning scorer from 2008-09 with 12.9 points per game from his guard position. Inside, the Tide is led by preseason all-SEC selection JaMychal Green. As a freshman last season, he was a unanimous pick to the SEC All-Freshmen team and averaged 10.3 points and 7.6 rebounds with seven double-doubles.

The Tide’s opponent for the evening, Montevallo, is an NCAA Division II institution and new member of the Peach Belt Conference. Last season, the Falcons posted a 15-16 record and under seventh-year head coach Danny Young. Senior guard Freddy Little returns as UM’s top scorer with 15.7 points per game last season and nine 20-point performances under his belt.

The Tide and Falcons have met once before, in an exhibition setting, with Alabama winning 81-72 on November 4, 2006.

Wednesday’s game is the first of two exhibition tilts for the Tide. On Tuesday, November 10, it welcomes Augusta State to Coleman Coliseum before opening the regular season on November 14 against Cornell.

Tickets for Wednesday’s game are $5 and available at www.RollTide.com or by calling the Athletics Ticket Office at 205-348-BAMA.