PHOENIX, Ariz. — After the loss to Purdue Saturday, Arizona Men’s Basketball dropped to fourth in the nation in the AP Poll.
Arizona plays Alabama for the fifth time in program history Wednesday, with the Crimson Tide leading the series 3-1.
Tonight, Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley takes the court as a Wildcat, matching up against some of his former teammates.
The Wildcats were big part of his initial recruitment out of high school, but Bradley eventually chose Alabama. After his freshman season, Bradley made the transfer to Arizona.
“I feel like Arizona could help me show and progress my game more than at Alabama," Bradley said.
But even now that Bradley’s rolling against the Tide, he and Coach Tommy Lloyd don’t seem rattled heading into this match-up.
“We don’t need him to be a hero tomorrow," Lloyd said in a press conference Tuesday. "We just need to go out and play team basketball and he’s a part of that.”
“It’s just going to be a normal game," Bradley said. "I'm not going to prepare for it a different way or go about it a different way. I'm just go out there and do what it takes to get the win.”
Guard Pelle Larsson, who has also played against former teammates in the past, has made sure to have Bradley’s back.
“There are definitely feelings involved in it, but you just can’t let that get to you," Larsson said. "He’s with us now and we’re with him so we’ve just got to focus on that.”
Coach Lloyd said there was no bad blood between this transfer and is sure both Bradley and the Tide are looking forward to playing this game.
Tip-off is at 9 p.m. at the Footprint Center in Downtown Phoenix.
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Erin Patterson is a reporter for KGUN 9. She's agraduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s in News Media with a Sports Concentration. Erin recently obtained her Master's Degree in Sports Journalism from Arizona State University at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, where she gained experience a sports reporter, anchor and producer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Erin by emailing erin.patterson@kgun9.com.
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