Home games against Final Four participant Wichita State and Big East member Xavier, as well as contests against NCAA Tournament teams Oklahoma and UCLA highlight the 2013-14 Alabama men’s basketball non-conference slate, which was announced by head coach Anthony Grant Wednesday.
In addition, the Crimson Tide will also be one of four host schools for the 2013 NIT Season Tip-Off, which marks the first time since the 2005-06 season that Alabama will appear in the annual event.
In all, the challenging 13-game non-league schedule features eight home games and boasts five teams that participated in postseason play.
“We are excited about our 2013-14 non-conference schedule,” Grant said. “Each year we look to put together the most challenging schedule we can, and we feel these games will be great preparation for the rigors of the always difficult SEC season.”
The regular season tips off Nov. 8 when the Crimson Tide will take on Oklahoma in Dallas, Texas, at the American Airlines Center in the Tip-Off Showcase.
The Tide will then play its first home game of the season when it hosts Texas Tech as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Nov. 14. Alabama and Texas Tech will play the inaugural game of the newly formed event, which will feature 10 games in all against between two conferences.
Alabama will begin play in the NIT Season Tip-Off by hosting a pair of games in Coleman Coliseum Nov. 18-20, with opponents to be named later. The semifinals and finals are scheduled for Nov. 27 and 29 in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Other host schools of this year’s event include Arizona, Duke and Rutgers.
After returning home to host North Florida on Dec. 4, the Tide will play its first true road game of the year when it travels to Tampa, Fla., to square off with South Florida on Dec. 7.
The University will return home for a three-game home stand beginning with a contest against Charleston Southern on Dec. 14.
The Tide will then host the Shockers, who finished last season with a record of 30-9 on their way to the Final Four, where they lost to eventual national champions Louisville, 72-68.
Alabama will close the home stand when it welcomes the Xavier Musketeers to Coleman Coliseum on Dec. 21.
The Tide will return from Christmas break when it travels to Los Angeles, Calif., to take on the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 28. The Tide and Bruins will meet in the first of a two-game series, with UCLA coming to Coleman Coliseum in 2014-15.
Alabama will then close out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a home contest against Robert Morris on Jan. 4.
Alabama’s Southeastern Conference schedule, as well as all start times and television carriers, will be announced at a later date.
