The nickname Alabama basketball has given facemask-wearing Juwan Gary

If you spot a bat signal beaming into the sky from Coleman Coliseum, Alabama basketball is trying to get Juwan Gary's attention.

He's been wearing a black facemask during games since he returned for the Baylor game on Jan. 29. He suffered a facial contusion after taking an elbow to the face against LSU on Jan. 19.

Gary said Tuesday the new look has led to his teammates calling him Batman.

"At the same time, they say it looks scary," Gary said. "So I just go out there and be intimidating and still be me basically."

In the debut of the mask in the win over the Bears, Gary finished with 15 points as he went 7-for-8 from the floor and shot 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed three rebounds.

"It affects me shooting wise, but it really doesn't affect me how I actually play," Gary said.

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In the three games wearing the mask, Gary has gone 10-for-16 with 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and tallied two blocks. He has yet to hit a 3-pointer, though, going 0-for-2 in the loss to Kentucky on Feb. 5. Alabama as a whole struggled that day from beyond the arc, going 3-for-30.

Alabama forward Juwan Gary (4) dunks with Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan (1) defending in Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Ja. 29. 2022.
Alabama forward Juwan Gary (4) dunks with Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan (1) defending in Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, Ja. 29. 2022.

Contact Alabama reporter Nick Kelly: nkelly@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball gives facemask-wearing Juwan Gary a nickname