Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball

The No. 8 Alabama men's basketball team beat previously undefeated No. 1 Houston 71-65 on Saturday afternoon from Fertitta Center.

Freshman forward Noah Clowney led the Crimson Tide with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds and two blocks to take down the host Cougars, who fell to 9-1.

First-year guard Jaden Bradley added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Freshman forward Brandon Miller missed all eight of his field goals but hit eight of nine free throws alongside five rebounds and two steals.

Houston led 44-29 early in the second half, but Alabama outscored the Cougars 42-21 for the remainder of the game.

The Crimson Tide slowly chopped away at the Cougar advantage before a Mark Sears three-pointer gave Alabama a 63-62 lead with 3:05 remaining.

Miller hit six free throws in the final minute to keep Houston at bay and lead Alabama to an 8-1 mark.

Junior guard Jamal Shead's 19 points led Houston and all scorers. Tramon Mark added 10 points for the Cougars.

This was a rough offensive outing for the Cougars, though. Houston shot 39.1 percent from the field and hit just three of 13 three-pointers. The Cougars also made just 12 of 22 free throws.

Alabama didn't shoot particularly well either (40.7 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three). But the Crimson Tide frequently went to the line, making 20 of 32 shots from the charity stripe.

Both teams will play at home Tuesday. The Crimson Tide will host Memphis, and Houston will welcome North Carolina A&T.

Jahvon Quinerly scored 20 points to lead the unranked Alabama men's basketball team to an 87-78 upset win over the visiting No. 4 Baylor Bears on Saturday.

Alabama shot 59.2 percent from the field and hit 22 of 26 free throws en route to a dominant offensive performance.

Five Crimson Tide players scored 11 or more points, with Jaden Shackelford notably adding 19 of his own in addition to nine rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Jeremy Sochan posted 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench to lead all Baylor players. Adam Flagler added 16 points, and James Akinjo provided eight points, seven assists and three steals.

Alabama, which never trailed by more than two points, held a 38-34 halftime advantage and led wire-to-wire in the second half. The Crimson Tide later went on a 14-2 run that included eight Keon Ellis points, including a dunk following a steal and a three-pointer.

With that stretch, Alabama grabbed a 57-42 lead at the under-12 timeout.

Baylor chipped away at the lead, though, and trailed 75-71 with 4:05 remaining in the second half after an Akinjo layup.

Alabama responded with six straight points capped by a JD Davison steal and dunk:

Alabama outscored Baylor 24-14 in points off turnovers.

Baylor scored a pair of buckets to cut the edge to 81-75 with 1:52 left in regulation. However, Davison hit a three in response before Juwan Gary sealed the game with a dunk that put Alabama up 86-75 with 37 seconds remaining.

With the loss, Baylor fell to 18-3 overall (6-2 Big 12). Alabama improved to 14-7 (4-4 SEC).

The No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide upset the No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs 91-82 on Saturday night in the "Battle in Seattle" to move to 7-1 on the season. It was the first time the two schools met and the first half of a home-and-home series, as Gonzaga will play Alabama again next year.

It was an incredible evening for the Crimson Tide, who took a dominant 51-35 lead into halftime. The 16-point halftime deficit was Gonzaga's largest since a 2009 game against Memphis, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Junior guard Jaden Shackelford was the most impressive player on the court in Seattle, notching 28 points (which led all players), nine rebounds and two assists in the win. He scored 20 of his 28 points in the first half alone.

Gonzaga was able to keep things close through 10 minutes, but a Jahvon Quinerly layup at 10:31 and a Shackelford jumper at 9:37 gave Alabama a 25-20 lead, and they never looked back after that.

While the Bulldogs began cutting into the Crimson Tide's lead in the second half and were able to get within four points at 6:32 of the second half, Alabama scored 10 unanswered points late to take back control of the game.

In addition to Shackelford, freshman guard JD Davison had an incredible performance off the bench for Alabama, notching 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Quinerly, meanwhile, finished with 17 points, two rebounds, six assists and a steal.

As for Gonzaga, they were paced by junior forward Drew Timme, who finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Freshman center Chet Holmgren finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and four blocks.

While the Zags made 44.8 percent of their shots from the floor and 39.1 percent from deep, the team was awful at the free-throw line, making just 13 of 25 shots (52.0 percent).

Alabama, meanwhile, shot 43.1 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from deep but made 16 of 22 free throws (72.7 percent).

Gonzaga dropped to 7-2 with the loss. The team's only other loss this season came against Duke on Nov. 26.

What's Next?

Gonzaga will host unranked Merrimack on Thursday, while Alabama will host No. 15 Houston on Saturday.

Five-star small forward Brandon Miller, who plays for Cane Ridge High School in Antioch, Tennessee, will attend the University of Alabama. 

Miller made his decision official on Monday. 

Miller is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in Tennessee in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He ranks 11th nationally in his class and third among small forwards. 

Evan Daniels, 247Sports' former director of basketball recruiting, offered this scouting report on the 6'8", 200-pound forward in April 2020: 

Impressive build with plus positional size, a lean body, wide shoulders and long arms. Gifted athletically, Miller bounces off the ground with ease and has impressive body control. At best attacking the rim and in transition at this point. Fairly good ball skills, although could still tighten up his handles. Can guard multiple positions when locked in and has a lot of potential on that end. Long-range shot isn't reliable at this stage, but his shot isn't broken. Major upside here.

Daniels also projected Miller to be a second-round NBA draft choice.

High Level announced in August that Miller had narrowed his post-high school choices down to six schools and two professional options:

On Sept. 3, Miller narrowed that group down to four: Alabama, Tennessee State, the NBA G League and overseas National Basketball League.

Miller will join several other superstar talents in Tuscaloosa. The 2021 class includes 5-star JD Davison and a pair of 4-stars in Charles Bediako and Jusaun Holt.

Now the 2022 class is led by its own 5-star talent in Miller, who will look to continue Alabama's success under third-year head coach Nate Oats.

The Crimson Tide (26-7) are coming off an SEC championship and a Sweet Sixteen NCAA tournament appearance.

Point guard Jaden Bradley committed to Alabama on Thursday as part of the 2022 college basketball recruiting class.

ESPN's Paul Biancardi reported the decision:

Bradley is a 5-star prospect and ranked as the No. 18 overall player in the 2022 group, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also listed as the third-best point guard and the No. 6 recruit from the state of Florida.

The 6'3", 185-pound IMG Academy standout is a floor general in every sense of the description. He's played beyond his years in terms of running an offense and leadership while showcasing great vision and distribution skills to make himself a high-end prospect.

He's also displayed terrific end-to-end speed that should make him a weapon on fast breaks.

Last July, Bradley told 247Sports' Brian Snow he was looking for the program that would best allow him to put those talents on display.

"I think a fast-paced system where the coaches let the players play a little bit is best for me," Bradley said. "Also, I want to go somewhere that puts their guards in a lot of ball screens where they are willing to push the tempo and get up and down the court."

He's got all the tools to become a one-and-done college player if that's the path he decides to take.

While it's too early to project exactly where he'll fit in for head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide, he could be a great fit as the first guard off the bench running the second-unit offense if he doesn't crack the starting lineup right away as a freshman. It wouldn't be a surprise if he's an immediate starter, though.

Nimari Burnett, a former 4-star recruit who played last season at Texas Tech, is transferring to Alabama. 

Burnett told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Thursday that he will continue his college career with the Crimson Tide. 

Coming out of Prolific Prep in Chicago last year, Burnett was rated as the sixth-best combo guard and No. 34 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class by 247Sports' composite rankings. 

Burnett announced in November 2019 that he was going to attend Texas Tech. He only appeared in 12 games off the bench, averaging 5.3 points on 28 percent shooting and 1.8 rebounds. 

Charania reported Jan. 7 that Burnett left the Red Raiders for personal reasons and was planning to either play college basketball next season or declare for the 2021 NBA draft. 

Per Brian Bennett and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, Burnett was ranked as the 14th-best transfer or high school prospect this offseason. The 19-year-old has good size at 6'4" and 190 pounds. 

Alabama is coming off one of the best seasons in program history with a 26-7 record. The Crimson Tide won the SEC regular-season and tournament titles, earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA men's tournament. 

The Crimson Tide lost to UCLA in the Sweet 16. 

Alabama got a major upgrade at center, as 4-star prospect Charles Bediako committed to the school Tuesday:

The 6'11" and 215-pound Bediako is considered the No. 5 player from Florida, the No. 4 center prospect and the No. 26 prospect overall in the Class of 2021, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Josh Gerson of 247Sports noted in his scouting report on Bediako that he has a "high ceiling" and is on the "path to be a high major starter with professional upside depending on [his] skill development."

Gerson listed his strengths as his mobility, size, "long arms and budding athleticism." Weaknesses included a raw offensive game and "footwork and face-up ability" that "could improve." As for areas where he's shown growth, Gerson noted he's improved as both a rebounder and rim-protector, adding that he should be able to add more weight to his frame.

Bediako said in February that he was happy with the progress he was making in certain parts of his game.

"I'm definitely more confident with the ball, and I'm confident in my shot even when it doesn't fall," he told Evan Daniels of 247Sports. "My ball-handling has gotten better, and my passing, too. Last year I was a role guy that would wait and see what happens, now I make things happen."

Alabama will be happy to see that continued growth, especially if it translates to immediate dominance at the next level. Namely, Bediako has the ability to control the paint if he continues to add strength, and given the modern NBA trending toward rim-protectors and floor-spacers over post-up scorers, living up to that potential could bode well for his chances to play at the next level.

For now, though, the Crimson Tide has bolstered its Class of 2021 with one of the top centers available. 

Bediako could see immediate playing time for the Crimson Tide, which will be an intriguing team to watch once he hits campus.

Schools like Kentucky, Tennessee and LSU won the 2020 recruiting cycle in the SEC, but Alabama is back on the map with this addition. Crimson Tide fans have a lot to be excited about with Bediako on board. 

The Marion County (Indiana) Health Department is investigating whether patrons attending the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament were exposed to COVID-19 after reports that Alabama basketball superfan and student Luke Ratliff, who was in attendance for the Crimson Tide's three games, died from complications related to the disease Friday.

Per Emily Hopkins of the Indianapolis Star, the department confirmed that it contacted Alabama's Department of Public Health regarding whether anyone in Indianapolis was exposed to COVID-19 by an Alabama resident. 

Marion County did not mention Ratliff's name in particular but said that its research efforts were based on a news report.

"We are conducting an investigation following the county and state's standard contact tracing procedures," the department stated. "We continue to encourage residents and visitors to practice the simple and important habits that keep us all safe: wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing."

Hopkins made it clear that it's unknown where, how or from whom Ratliff contracted COVID-19: "It is unclear whether he had contracted the virus before, during or after his visit to Indianapolis, or where he contracted the virus. It's also unknown whether he was symptomatic while in Indianapolis."

Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News reported Saturday that "multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed" Ratliff's death due to COVID-19.

Alabama's NCAA tournament run ended after the Crimson Tide lost to UCLA in the Sweet 16 last Sunday. The Crimson Tide also played on March 20 and 22.

Ratliff returned to Tuscaloosa on Monday, but he was shortly hospitalized thereafter at DCH Regional Medical Center.

Many people associated with the Alabama program expressed their condolences upon news of Ratliff's death, including head coach Nate Oats and SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones:

The beloved Ratliff, who grew up in North Carolina, spoke with the Tuscaloosa News about his relationship with the school.

“They’ve taken me in. They’re good people and I appreciate how close they’ve let me get with the program. I feel like I owe them something. Because I feel like I don't deserve half the things, half the recognition, half the acknowledgement, half the accolades that I get because I'm just doing what I love.”

Ratliff was 23 years old.

If you're up by three points in the final seconds of a game, preventing the opponent from getting a clean three-point look—no matter where on the court—is always a good idea.

UCLA failed to get a man on Alex Reese, and the Alabama forward drilled a buzzer-beater to send Sunday's Sweet 16 game into overtime.

Between not defending the inbounds pass and then failing to foul a Crimson Tide player, it wasn't a great sequence from the Bruins.

No matter what happens for UCLA over the remainder of the tournament, head coach Mick Cronin is likely to use the play as a learning example for his players for years to come.