UA basketball notes

University of Alabama men’s basketball coach Mark Gottfried said on Friday that freshman point guard Rico Pickett would be available to play in Monday’s game against Belmont.

Pickett did not play in the Crimson Tide’s win over Mercer last Tuesday because of what Gottfried called a “coach’s decision.” The freshman from Decatur had been in the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide’s season opener against Troy.

“Rico had a very good day of practice yesterday, which was what I had hoped to see from him,” Gottfried said. “He was disappointed that he didn’t get in the game (at Mercer) and he responded.”

Sophomore Mikhail Torrance started against Mercer, scoring nine points and adding five rebounds and six assists. He is expected to start against Belmont as well.

“I don’t know if there is an absolute 1-2-3 pecking order at that position,” Gottfried said. “Mikhail is playing well and Brandon Hollinger helped us. All three are different players and all three can help us. But I’d say that right now, (the starting position) is Mikhail’s to lose, just like it was Rico’s to lose before that.”

Gottfried said that freshman Justin Knox of Tuscaloosa, who also sat out the Mercer game, was “in good competition” with sophomore Yamene Coleman for the job as Alabama’s top inside reserve.

“There has been good competition there,” Gottfried said. “Yamene played a few minutes at Mercer, but so far, we’ve played a couple of teams that have used smaller lineups and we’ve been more comfortable with Alonzo (Gee) or Demetrius (Jemison) guarding the ‘four’ position. We haven’t been able to play either Yamene or Justin beside Richard (Hendrix) in too many situations so far.”

BELMONT, the Crimson Tide’s opponent on Monday night, defeated Samford 82-73 on Thursday night. The Bears are 3-1 with an upcoming game against Austin Peay on Saturday.

“They are a veteran team that has been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments,” Gottfried said. “They will spread you out and shoot 30 or 35 3-pointers in a game, but they are very disciplined. It will be another challenge for us.”

Alabama has received the paperwork from all three of its November signees, giving the Crimson Tide a class that is generally considered one of the top two or three classes in the Southeastern Conference for 2007-08.

One SEC school is still awaiting word on its top commitment. Scotty Hopson, a 6-foot-6 forward from Owensboro, Ky., who is one of the nation’s Top 30 prospects, had committed to Mississippi State. However, he told several Kentucky newspapers that he does not plan to sign in the early period.

"I just don't want to sign right now," Hopson told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "It's not the right time."

Hopson’s mother, however, has told another newspaper, the Kentucky New Era, that her son will be signing with MSU.

Jeanette Hopson told the paper that the family had reached a decision Wednesday but that her son had not been told of that decision.

"He didn't know because I haven't told him yet," she said.