Crimson Tide Roll Call: Jan. 29, 2021

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Alabama athletics, and how to watch the Crimson Tide

Today is … National Puzzle Day.

BamaCentral Headlines

• Best-Ever Debate has 2020 Crimson Tide in Elite Company in College Football History

• Practice Report: Najee Harris Withdraws from 2021 Reese's Senior Bowl

• Alabama Basketball Midseason Report Card

• Talk of the Tide: Alabama Primed to Run Roughshod Through 2021 Schedule

• Alabama Women's Basketball Overmatched in 81-66 Loss to No. 14/15 Kentucky

• Alabama Named Preseason Favorite in SEC Softball Coaches’ Poll

• Throwback Thursday: 1964-65 Alabama Basketball

• Mike Stoops Hired by FAU as Defensive Coordinator

• Breaking Down Alabama Football Player Projections in the 2021 NFL Draft

• Herbert Jones Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Midseason Watch List

• How Good is this Alabama Women's Basketball Team? We're About to Find Out

• College Football Isn't Over Yet, as Other Divisions are Set to Kick Off Spring Seasons

• Best of Crimson Tikes: Sticker Shock

Today’s Crimson Tide Schedule

• Volleyball vs. South Carolina, noon CT, Live Video, Live Stats

• Men's tennis vs. Alabama, 1 p.m., Video Stream Only, Video Stream and Live Scoring; vs. Chattanooga, 6 p.m., Video Stream and Live Scoring

• Gymnastics at Kentucky, 4 p.m., ESPN2

Crimson Tide Results

• Women's Tennis: Alabama 5, South Florida 2

After taking the doubles point, Anne Marie Hiser earned the Tide’s first singles win at No. 5. Anna Parkhomenko then won at No. 4 to give the Crimson Tide a commanding lead as Alabama improved to 3-0 on the spring season. "Today Bama took a step forward,” Crimson Tide coach Jenny Mainz said.

• Women's Basketball: No. 15 Kentucky 81, Alabama 68

Did You Notice?

• Former Crimson Tide baseball player Alex Avila celebrated his 34th birthday by signing a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. The left-handed hitter is expected to serve as the backup behind the plate with Yan Gomes. 

• The Crimson Tide volleyball team will resume its 2020-21 schedule with 14 matches this spring, starting this weekend with a pair against South Carolina at Foster Auditorium. Alabama ended its fall slate with a 2-6 record, splitting a pair of matches against LSU in November on the final weekend.

• Anyone want to take a guess how long it is before Donta Hall gets another shot in the NBA? 

G League Ignite Head Coach, Brian Shaw, said that he had no knowledge of Donta Hall before he signed with the team. Upon seeing him play, Shaw believes that Ignite won't have him for long.

"He deserves and should be on an NBA roster."#NBAGLeague pic.twitter.com/72rPLAAqyc

— Matt Evans (@Matt_Evans_6) January 27, 2021

• Thursday morning, Derrick Henry surprised 10 healthcare workers in the Nashville area when he got on a virtual call to thank them for their continued efforts to help those in need in the community. It was done as a part of FedEx's partnership with Direct Relief. He also got another big award: 

Derrick Henry selected as AFC Offensive Player of the Year

101 Awards 🏆 » https://t.co/ureMixe6id

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 28, 2021

On This Date in Crimson Tide History:

January 29, 1963: The first charter members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio (they were enshrined when the Hall opened in September 1963). Among them was former Alabama player Don Hutson. He led the NFL in receiving in eight of his 11 seasons and in scoring five straight years. Hutson was also named the league’s MVP twice, in 1941 and 1942.

January 29, 1974: Alabama offensive line coach Jimmy Sharpe was hired as head coach at Virginia Tech, replacing Charley Coffey. Sharpe, an assistant since 1963, played for the Crimson Tide from 1960-62.

January 29, 1993: Bradley Sylve was born in Port Sulphur, La.

Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

"It is still an individual thing, a question of running the pass pattern correctly. Pass patterns have probably changed less than anything else in football.” – Don Hutson

We’ll leave you with this …