Troy University Athletics
Trojans Set To Open Season At Alabama
11/8/2007 6:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
With a solid exhibition performance against West Alabama under its belt, the Troy University men's basketball team will officially embark on the 2007-08 season on Friday night in Tuscaloosa against Alabama.
The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff from Coleman Coliseum.
It will be just the second ever meeting between the Trojans and Crimson Tide in basketball. The two schools first met during the 2000-01 season, with Alabama taking a 92-64 victory that year.
In their exhibition opener, the Trojans unveiled a new pressure defense that attacks over the full 94 feet of the floor. The Trojans forced West Alabama into 31 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 42 points in a 112-76 victory.
Offensively, all 11 Trojans who saw action in the game scored. Troy was led by seniors Justin Jonus and O'Darien Bassett with 25 and 20 points, respectively. Those two keyed an 18-of-44 shooting performance from beyond the three-point arc while West Alabama made just six of 22 three-point attempts.
Opening against Alabama, a team Troy coach Don Maestri considers to be a top 25 caliber club, presents major challenges for a Trojan team with so many new faces.
“This is probably not the kind of game you'd like to open with because we have such a new team,” Maestri said. “Alabama has a very veteran team, with the exception of a new kid a point guard, and they are very physical and athletic.”
Maestri said the Trojans will go into the game with their full-court defense in an effort to rattle freshman guard Rico Pickett, but that the key to the game will be in hitting the boards.
“We have to do everything we can not to get pounded on the boards,” Maestri said. “Our players are looking forward to the challenge.”
Following the game at Alabama, the Trojans will play their regular season home-opener on Wednesday night, Nov. 14, against Paul Quinn College. Game time that night is set for 7 p.m. and it will be the only home game for the month of November.
The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff from Coleman Coliseum.
It will be just the second ever meeting between the Trojans and Crimson Tide in basketball. The two schools first met during the 2000-01 season, with Alabama taking a 92-64 victory that year.
In their exhibition opener, the Trojans unveiled a new pressure defense that attacks over the full 94 feet of the floor. The Trojans forced West Alabama into 31 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 42 points in a 112-76 victory.
Offensively, all 11 Trojans who saw action in the game scored. Troy was led by seniors Justin Jonus and O'Darien Bassett with 25 and 20 points, respectively. Those two keyed an 18-of-44 shooting performance from beyond the three-point arc while West Alabama made just six of 22 three-point attempts.
Opening against Alabama, a team Troy coach Don Maestri considers to be a top 25 caliber club, presents major challenges for a Trojan team with so many new faces.
“This is probably not the kind of game you'd like to open with because we have such a new team,” Maestri said. “Alabama has a very veteran team, with the exception of a new kid a point guard, and they are very physical and athletic.”
Maestri said the Trojans will go into the game with their full-court defense in an effort to rattle freshman guard Rico Pickett, but that the key to the game will be in hitting the boards.
“We have to do everything we can not to get pounded on the boards,” Maestri said. “Our players are looking forward to the challenge.”
Following the game at Alabama, the Trojans will play their regular season home-opener on Wednesday night, Nov. 14, against Paul Quinn College. Game time that night is set for 7 p.m. and it will be the only home game for the month of November.
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