On Sunday, Alabama men’s basketball meets No. 1 North Carolina for the first time since 2019. The Crimson Tide and the Tar Heels play in the third-place playoff of the Phil Knight Invitational after both posting a 1-1 record in their first two tournament games.
No. 18 Alabama defeated No. 12 Michigan State in the opening round but then fell to No. 20 UConn in a resounding 82-67 fashion. North Carolina defeated Portland 89-81 in the first round, but then lost to Iowa State 70-65.
Both teams’ losses in the second round were the first of the season for each program.
***Refresh the page during Sunday’s game for live updates, stats and analysis as the Crimson Tide takes on the Tar Heels. ***
live updates
First half
- Bradley is picking up his staff, and UNC is already in bonus. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels were called out for just three fouls. Seth Trimble misses the front end of the 1-and-1 for UNC, recovering from Alabama.
- Burnett is called for his second foul, a barrier foul in transition.
- Bacot makes two free throws. 16-12 oz.
- UNC ties the game, then takes the lead with a jumper and a layup. 14-12 Tar Heels at U12 media timeout. Miller is called out for his second foul.
- It’s doubtful Clowney will return with a bruise to his lower body. He’s back on the side of the court and being taken care of.
- RJ Davis subtracts a 3 for UNC. 12-10 Alabama.
- At the 2:20 mark and a media timeout, Alabama leads 12-7. The Crimson Tide has done a good job of handling the ball and has only had two turnovers so far. Alabama is also 3-for-4 from 3-point territory.
- Noah Gurley scored his first points of the game with a 3-pointer. After a steal from Sears, he drives down and hits another 3. 12-7 Alabama.
- 7-6 UNC is the new result as starting warden Leaky Black nails a 3-pointer.
- Make that 6-4 as UNC forward Armando Bacot makes two free throws.
- Bediako slams a dunk home. 6-2 Alabama at 4:09 p.m.
- Clowney went off with help but was in obvious pain. He went all the way to the dressing room.
- Clowney is down at the offensive end of the court after falling squarely onto his tailbone from a layup attempt. A break from injury as a coach and Nate Oats comes to check on him.
- UNC called to travel, Ball goes back to Alabama. Previous possession of Tar Heels credited both Nimari Burnett and Clowney blocks. Still 4-2 Alabama.
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- Noah Clowney is fouled on his way to the basket and takes one of two free throws. 4-2 Alabama.
- Mark Sears hits a 3-pointer for the first points of the game. 3-0 Crimson Tide.
- North Carolina wins the opening pick, and we’re underway.
foreplay
- Today’s Officials: Gerry Pollard, Darron George, Deldre Carr.
- Starting five for North Carolina:
- Starting five for Alabama:
- Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 pm CT
As seen: Alabama vs. North Carolina
who: No. 18 Alabama (5-1) vs. No. 1 North Carolina (5-1)
When: 2.30,. CT, Sunday
Where: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Ore.
TV: ESPN
Live broadcast: fuboTV (start free trial)
radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-Play: Roger Hoover, Analyst: Bryan Passink). The pregame show starts an hour before the tip.
Series: Tar Heels lead 8-4 as the Crimson Tide lost three straight games. The last Alabama win against UNC was 101-93 in the 1989-90 season.
Phil Knight invitation preview
Last meeting: Alabama and North Carolina last played exactly three years ago since Sunday in the first round of the 2019 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. The No. 6 Tar Heels won 76-67. With Alabama trailing by three points early in the second half, UNC went on a 14-2 run that lasted just over six minutes. The Tar Heels, who led the nation in rebound margin, possessed a massive 60-31 advantage on the boards. John Petty Jr. led the team in scoring, finishing with 23 points from 7-of-10 shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore Kira Lewis Jr. also added 20 points, along with five rebounds and four assists in the loss. It was his third 20-point game of the season.
Last time, Alabama: After recovering from a 15-point deficit in the first half, turnovers proved too costly as No. 20 UConn defeated Alabama 82-67. The Crimson Tide has posted a season-high 21 turnovers, having committed five on their first seven holdings.
The Huskies went on a 14-0 run midway through the half to take control, and while Alabama continued to drift and tie the game multiple times, Connecticut went on a 16-1 run to pull away for good. Brandon Miller scored a team high with 18 points. Jaden Bradley had a season high with 12 points. UConn shot 87.5 percent (21-24) from the free throw line.
Last time UNC: Caleb Grill hit seven 3-pointers for a career-high 31 points, and Iowa State rallied in the final five minutes to stun No. 1 North Carolina 70-65. Iowa State (5-0) clinched just its third win against a No. 1 team on the AP Top 25. The Cyclones are 3-22 against No. 1 teams, with the other wins coming against Kansas in 1957 and Oklahoma in 2016. Grill had an average 7.7 points and had made just 4 of 24 3-point attempts for the season when he came into play. But he couldn’t be stopped from beyond the arc, hitting a pair of big threes to start Iowa State’s late rally. His deep fadeaway jump just inside the 3-point line with 1:40 left gave Iowa State a 63-61 lead and the Cyclones did just enough in the final minute at the free throw line to end the upset win. Grill’s previous career high was 27 points while playing against Alabama for UNLV in the 2020-21 season. He also hit seven 3-pointers in that game.