Alabama men’s basketball announced its 2021-22 non-conference schedule on Aug. 31. The non-conference schedule includes games against three of the four teams from the 2021 NCAA March Madness Final Four: Baylor, Gonzaga and Houston. 

The schedule is highlighted by a pair of home games against Houston and Baylor. American Athletic Conference powerhouse Houston will make a trip to Tuscaloosa on Dec. 11. 

Houston was originally set to travel to Tuscaloosa as part of a home-and-home series last year, but that game was postponed due to COVID-19. Houston will host the Crimson Tide in 2022. 

The defending national champion, Baylor, will travel to Coleman Coliseum about a month and a half later on Jan. 29 as part of the Big12/SEC Challenge. 

The Crimson Tide will also face off against the national runner-up and perennial powerhouse Gonzaga. The game on Dec. 4 will be hosted in Seattle. Gonzaga will travel to play the Crimson Tide in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022. 

The Crimson Tide’s only true road test will come from Memphis on Dec. 15. Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway is building a strong team, with the No. 1 recruiting class for the class of 2021. The team also welcomes strong transfer Earl Timberlake who joins the Tigers from Miami. 

The Crimson Tide will participate in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Florida, during Thanksgiving week. They have a confirmed game against Iona, whom the team beat in the opening round of March Madness on Nov. 25.

They will also play either Belmont or Drake on Nov. 26. The final game will be played on Nov. 28. 

Alabama will open the season with a four-game homestand. The season opener will be against the reigning Conference USA West division champions Louisiana Tech on Nov. 9. Alabama will host the Summit Conference regular season champions South Dakota State on Nov. 12. South Alabama on Nov. 16 and Oakland on Nov. 19 will close out the homestand. 

Rounding out the schedule is a game against in-state opponent Jacksonville State. The game will be held on Dec. 18 in Tuscaloosa.

The Crimson Tide will make an appearance in the recently renovated Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, in a game against Colorado State on Dec. 21. Legacy Arena is also the site of the 2022 matchup with Gonzaga. 

This strong non-conference schedule is in addition to a strong conference schedule that will feature 18 games against opponents all over the Southeastern Conference.