Alabama Gores Spanish Select Team
Alabama officially tipped-off their foreign tour with a staggering 108-64 win over the Spanish Select team which features pros including Ricky Rubio and Juancho and Willy Hernangomez. The lineup also features the legendary Gasol brothers. Alabama controlled the Spanish Select team like a master matador.
Alabama displayed a balanced attack with five double-digit scorers, with freshman Brandon Miller and Rylan Griffen leading the way with 19. The Tide dominated the glass out-rebounding Spain 55-31, 17 of those 55 being offensive rebounds and shot an impressive 59% (41-70) from the field and 41% (11-27) from 3-point range. Alabama newcomers provided most of the scoring, combining for 85 out of the Tide's 108 total points.
Tide newcomer Rylan Griffen was awarded the first Hard Hat award of the 2022-23 season. The Hard Hat award is given out to the player that plays with the most hustle. The accolade is decided by a system of points that rewards players for effort plays such as diving on the floor and taking a charge. Griffen (15.5) barely beat out fellow freshman Noah Clowney (14) for the award.
Alabama is set to depart to France and is going to face two more teams. The Lithuanian "B" Team and possibly their biggest foe, the Chinese National team, which features former Houston Rocket Zhao Qi. The 7-1 big man should prove to be a daunting challenger for the 'Bama big men.
The Tide looks to make a big jump after a disappointing 2021-22 campaign. This foreign tour is only a slight glimpse at potentially one of the best Crimson Tide teams that have been showcased in recent memory.