Arkansas State basketball team bus breaks down on trip to Tuscaloosa ahead of Alabama game

Arkansas State men’s basketball team already has a tough task ahead of them. They’ll be facing the Alabama Crimson Tide on the hardwood, one of the nation’s most talented rosters. Unfortunately for the Red Wolves, they also experienced some mechanical issues along the way.

Their bus broke down in Holly Springs, Alabama. And the team was stranded for two hours, before their head basketball coach, Bryan Hodgson, replaced the belt. The team will miss practice on Thursday, but they are back on the road and headed to Tuscaloosa, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.

Here’s the picture of Hodgson working his magic on the bus.

Arkansas State bus broke down in Holly Springs on way to Tuscaloosa for tomorrow’s game against Alabama. Shredded belt, stranded for 2 hours before head coach Bryan Hodgson replaced the belt. Will miss practice today, but team is back on road and about two hours from Tuscaloosa. pic.twitter.com/1pDJaUa6eB

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 7, 2024

It’s impressive for the Arkansas State head coach and you’ve got to tip your cap to him for being a man of many talents. Being able to adjust on the fly like that and fix your own team bus is pretty amazing. Especially on such short notice.

Luckily for the Red Wolves, they got back on the road. The bad news is, they’ll still have to face one of the top teams in the country. The Alabama Crimson Tide are a popular pick to go to the Final Four this season and with good reason. Their roster is dripping with a jaw-dropping amount of talent and riches everywhere you look. They obliterated UNC Asheville in their opener 110-54.

Alabama had seven players score in double figures, including their leader, superstar Mark Sears. He’s one of the best shooters in the country and the Crimson Tide star did not disappoint on opening night, draining three of his four three-point attempts. He also hit six of eight shots from the field, while connecting on five of his six free throws. The Tide shot a scorching hot 63.3 percent from the field, draining 44.4 percent of their three-pointers.

Alabama dominated that game in every, way, shape, and form. The Crimson Tide owned the glass, outrebounding UNC Asheville 55-29.