NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Third-ranked Oklahoma, which went to the Final Four last season, Thursday night tries to start another memorable campaign when it faces No. 8 Alabama in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Oklahoma (0-0) went 31-5 last season, losing to Indiana in the national semifinals. The Sooners finished second in the Big 12, and won the postseason tournament for the second straight season before reaching the Final Four for the first time in four years.
The Sooners return four players from last year's team, missing only the 16.0 points per contest average of forward Aaron McGhee.
Leading scorer Hollis Price is back. The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 16.5 points and shot 46 percent last season.
Shooting guard Ebi Ere averaged 14.1 points per game last season, point guard Quannas White handed out 169 assists, and center Jabahri Brown had 40 blocks in 30 games.
McGhee's spot likely will be filled by freshman Kevin Bookout, who was Oklahoma's high school Player of the Year as a senior.
Bookout averaged more than 30 points per game last season, and also was a shot put champion.
Alabama (0-0) won the SEC West regular season title after going 27-8 last season. The Crimson Tide are opening a season ranked in the top ten for the first time since 1990.
The Crimson Tide feature last season's SEC Player of the Year, Erwin Dudley. The 6-8 power forward, who many times looks like a man among boys, average 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds last year, and has been named the preseason SEC Player of the Year.
Sophomore guard Mo Williams averaged 10.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 2001-02, and poured in 65 points in the Crimson Tide's two exhibition wins. Williams is part of a three-guard lineup with Terrance Meade and classmate Earnest Shelton.
Despite a No. 2 seed in the South Region last year, Alabama ended its season in disappointing fashion with a second-round loss to Kent State.
Oklahoma is 3-0 all-time against Alabama. The last meeting was a 79-61 victory in the 1997-98 campaign in which current NBA players Eduardo Najera and Ryan Humphrey each had double-doubles for the Sooners.
