His father died watching him play. Alabama standout motivated to excel.

In November of 2014, Donta Hall signed with Alabama. The setting was a ceremony in his high school gym.

That sounds like a standard setting. But the back story made it special.

Four years earlier, almost to the day, Hall was an eighth-grader playing for Luverne (Ala.) High School’s junior varsity. His father, Donald Hall, sat in his customary seat high in the bleachers across from the team bench.

After the game, people near that spot in the bleachers began screaming and crying for help. Donald Hall, who had said he wasn’t feeling well that day, suffered a fatal heart attack. Donta Hall, was 13 at the time.

Donta Hall has said he used his father’s death at age 45 as motivation.

Four years later, Donta Hall committed to play for Alabama. His father had been a rabid Alabama fan.

Luverne Coach Richard Dorsey suggested Donta Hall sign the letter of intent at the same spot in the bleachers where his father died.

“I just went along with it,” he told sportswriter Drew Champlin of AL.com. “It felt great because I was signing with ‘Bama. And to be up there doing it, it felt like I was with him. It feels like I’m with him all the time, but up there it felt better.”

Hall, who gets his height (6-foot-9 from his mother Mary’s side of the family), is averaging 11.1 points. He leads Alabama in rebounding (8.2 rpg) and blocks (27). He’s posted double-doubles in the Tide’s last two games (against Penn State and at Stephen F. Austin). They were his fourth and fifth double-doubles of the season.

“Big, athletic, really active around the glass,” UK associate coach Kenny Payne said of Hall. “Excellent rebounder. We have to keep him off the glass. . . . He’s a force around the basket. He’s going to be a big piece for them having success. But we’ve got to make sure he doesn’t have success (against Kentucky).”

Letdown?

Kentucky is coming off high-profile games against North Carolina and Louisville. UK opened the season against Duke.

“It’s nice to play those teams,” Keldon Johnson said. “But it’s really nice to be able to win those games (against UNC and Louisville). It’s a blessing to be able to play those teams, and to play for the University of Kentucky.”

Might playing at Alabama be a letdown after facing such marquee opponents?

“It’s SEC play,” Johnson said. “It’s all important now.”

‘Big jump’

Payne pooh-poohed the assumption that Kentucky should have routed earlier home opponents like VMI, Tennessee State and Southern Illinois. With juniors and seniors, those teams were equipped to compete with UK’s freshmen.

UK’s “defensive lapses” helped earlier opponents, Payne said.

In order to contend for a national championship, “we have to be on point for 40 minutes defensively,” he said. “And we’ve made a big jump. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made a big jump.”

Similar teams?

Like Kentucky, Alabama puts importance on rebounding and physical play. The Tide also likes to score in transition.

“They’re a great team,” Hall said of UK. “You’ve got to give it to them. They’re big inside. We just know we’ve got to bang. We have to come with a hard hat on.”

‘Borderline impossible’

UK coaches ask a lot of PJ Washington. Earlier, John Calipari suggested Washington score 35 points and grab 20 rebounds on a regular basis.

Without mentioning those specific numbers, Payne spoke of Washington seeking great heights.

“I’m saying, ‘Dude, do this every single day of your life and you’ll have a long career,’” Payne said. “It’s very hard to do. It’s borderline impossible. But this is what your dream is: the borderline impossible.”

Losing streak

Alabama has lost 10 straight games against UK. Among SEC teams, only Georgia and Mississippi State have a longer losing streak against the Cats. Each has lost 11 straight.

“We haven’t had any success against Kentucky since I’ve been here,” Alabama Coach Avery Johnson said. “Yes, that’s in the back of your mind.”

More importantly, he said, his players should be thinking of how Alabama wants to play: Embracing the physical nature of basketball, boxing out, not talking to the referees nor opponents.

Etc.

Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas will call the game for ESPN.