By: Mark Wasik
Sunday, December 21
2 p.m. (ET) – Kennesaw State (8-3, 0-1 CUSA) vs No. 16 Alabama (8-3, 0-0 SEC)
Location: Huntsville, Ala. | VBC Prospt Arena (7,500)
TV: SEC+ (Roger Hoover, Josh Magette)
Radio: KSU Owl Network (Colton Etter, Brandon Johnson)
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State men's basketball closes out the non-conference schedule with its first ranked opponent of the season, as the Owls will take on No. 16 Alabama in the Rocket City Classic on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ET) in Huntsville, Ala., at the VBC Propst Arena. The game will be streamed live on SEC+.
A FEW NOTES
♦ Kennesaw State's neutral contest against the Crimson Tide marks the first time that Owl head coach Antoine Pettway will face his alma mater. Pettway was a starting point guard for the Tide and led them to the 2004 Sweet 16. He also spent a total of 15 years on the Alabama staff as an assistant coach, including his final four seasons under current head coach Nate Oats (2019-23).
♦ KSU is also making a return trip to the VBC Prospt Arena, site of the Conference USA Tournament. In last year's event, the Owls took down fifth-seed New Mexico before seeing a late lead slip away in two-point loss to top-seed Liberty in the semifinals. Coach Pettway is also very familiar with the arena, as it was the host site for the Huntsville Flight, the NBA G League team he played for after graduating from Alabama.
♦ The Owls are 1-16 all-time against teams in the AP Top 25, after knocking off No. 24 Rutgers a year ago. This is the first time KSU has played a team ranked No. 16 in the AP Poll.
♦ KSU is 2-43 all-time against teams currently in the Power Four conferences. That includes an 0-11 mark against the SEC, though this is the first matchup against that conference since an 88-78 loss at Florida on Nov. 11, 2022.
♦ The Owls are scoring at high rate, currently fifth in the nation at 97.2 points per game, which easily leads Conference USA.
