Alabama basketball schedule 2024-25: North Carolina, Houston among Crimson Tide’s top nonconference games

Alabama opens the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 at home against UNC Asheville and faces Arkansas State later in the week before the meat of its schedule begins. The Crimson Tide face McNeese State in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Nov. 11 before traveling to Purdue.

Following the Crimson Tide’s showdown against the Boilermakers, the program faces Illinois in a neutral site game in nearby Birmingham, Alabama, before heading to the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Alabama faces Houston in the opening game of that tournament and would play the winner of Notre Dame vs. Rutgers if they win the first game.

Alabama is coming off its most successful season in school history. The Crimson Tide punched their ticket to the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament by knocking off North Carolina and Clemson in the West Regional to advance. Alabama’s season ended with a loss to eventual national champion UConn in the Final Four.

This Alabama squad could be even better than last season’s. The Crimson Tide, ranked No. 2 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 preseason rankings, return All-American guard Mark Sears, guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and forward Grant Nelson. Alabama added a handful of key players via the transfer portal, including Auburn guard Aden Holloway, USF guard Chris Youngblood, Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyi and Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette.

Here are the top five Alabama nonconference games to watch this season.

1. North Carolina 

When: Dec. 4, 2024 | Where: Dean E. Smith Center (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

There is nothing like a good rematch, and if this game is anything like what happened at the Sweet 16, it should be a treat for college basketball fans. The Tar Heels lost star big man Armando Bacot, but return All-American guard RJ Davis, who should be one of the top candidates to win national player of the year. UNC added sharpshooter Cade Tyson from the transfer portal and landed two five-star recruits: Ian Jackson and Drake Powell. The X-Factor for UNC this season will be Elliot Cadeau, a former five-star recruit from the 2023 recruiting cycle who showed flashes of his elite passing during his freshman campaign.

2. Houston (Players Era Festival)

When: Nov. 26, 2024 | Where: MGM Las Vegas (Las Vegas)

The Players Era Festival in Las Vegas has a loaded field for the inaugural event. The other teams participating in Alabama’s four-team bracket are the Cougars, Rutgers and Notre Dame.

Houston lost All-American guard Jamal Shead to the NBA Draft but return L.J. Cryer, Ja’Vier Francis, J’Wan Roberts and Emanuel Sharp among others. A Kelvin Sampson-coached team will be ready to play no matter who is on the floor.

3. Creighton

When: Dec. 14, 2024 | Where: Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

Trey Alexander and Baylor Scheierman may be off to the NBA, but a matchup between Kansas and Alabama will still be intriguing. Omoruyi is a defensive anchor in the middle who will likely get the Ryan Kalkbrenner assignment, which alone makes it a must-watch game. Creighton leads the all-time series against Alabama 3-0, which includes an 85-82 win over the Crimson Tide last year in Omaha, Nebraska.

4. Purdue

When: Nov. 15, 2024 | Where: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Indiana)

Purdue will enter a new era after Zach Edey, regarded as the program’s most accomplished player, left after capturing back-to-back Naismith Player of the Year awards. The Boilermakers are coming off their first Final Four appearance since 1969 and will turn to rising junior Braden Smith to take on a larger role within the offense after averaging 12 points and 7.5 assists last season. Purdue leads the all-time series against Alabama 3-2, which includes a 92-86 win last fall.

5. Illinois

  When: Nov. 20, 2024 | Where: Legacy Arena (Birmingham, Alabama)

Illinois lost Terrence Shannon Jr. (NBA Draft) and Coleman Hawkins (transfer to Kansas State) from a team that reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 but reloaded by adding blue-chip prospects Will Riley, Morez Johnson, Kasparas Jakucionis and Tomislav Ivišić, the brother of Arkansas big man Zvonimir Ivišić. Brad Underwood also landed former Arizona guard Kylan Boswell and Notre Dame forward Carey Booth via the transfer portal to compete in a new-look Big Ten.

Alabama’s 2024-25 schedule