After one of the best college basketball games you’ll ever see – and arguably the game of the year in the SEC – the 25th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide hits the road looking to extend its current winning streak to six straight games. Wednesday night’s epic 2OT 117-115 win over the 20th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks was a Nate Oats classic, as Alabama rode a heavy volume of three-pointers and flexed its advantage in guard play and depth to outlast the Hogs in an almost three-hour long game. The Tide weathered one of the greatest single game performances I’ve ever seen from Darius Acuff – not to mention Maleek Thomas shooting like Klay Thompson out there – and never wavered, showcasing an ability to overcome adversity in a way the team had struggled with earlier in conference play.
Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about that game. That being said, the defense absolutely still needs work. The Tide can’t rely on a seven-man rotation losing four guys to foul disqualifications in the future. Still, I can’t overstate how good Arkansas is as an offensive juggernaut this season. I know the SEC isn’t nearly as formidable as it was during last season’s historic campaign, but I can tell you right now that nobody wants to see either of these offenses on their side of the bracket next month.
Speaking of which, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will have its top-16 reveal today on CBS at 11:30 AM CST, and Alabama is highly likely to be included on the four-seed line when that is unveiled. This will be the fifth year in a row that the Tide is included in this reveal. Please do not take Nate Oats for granted, folks. These are the good ole days.
How to Watch
What: #25 Alabama Crimson Tide (19-7, 9-4 SEC) at LSU Tigers (14-12, 2-11 SEC)
Where: Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
When: 5:00 PM CST
TV: SEC Network
Line: Alabama -7.5
LSU is traditionally one of the most mercurial basketball programs in the SEC. However, under Matt McMahon, the Tigers have been consistently mediocre. Believe it or not, this is probably the best team McMahon has had during his four-year tenure in Baton Rouge. They are honestly better than their 2-11 standing in the SEC would otherwise indicate. Still, they’ve earned that record for a reason.
The Bayou Bengals have kind of been Exhibit A in how not to run a program during the transfer portal era – losing what talent they develop any given year and completely replacing it with a group of mercenaries who don’t play well together as a team. Take this year’s squad for example – LSU is 9th in the country in D-1 experience, but 281st in Minutes Continuity. It’s just not a good way to run a program. Contrast that with Nate Oats, who seemingly always blends returning talent with needed veteran additions to create a conference contender year in and year out.
That’s not to say LSU isn’t capable of winning this game. Mike Nwoko – on his third team in three seasons – is a really effective big man. Australian Max Mackinnon can really shoot it (43.2%/39.6%/91.3%). True freshman Jalen Reece has shown real potential at point guard. But this is a Tiger team that was already looking at an uphill climb in the SEC this season and then lost two projected starters to injury in Dedan Thomas and Jalen Reed.
Three Keys to Victory
- Avoid the Let Down. This is going to be the main battle for the Tide tonight. It won’t be anything related to physical talent or X’s and O’s. It’s going to be mental and emotional. Coming off of a win like the one Alabama captured the other night in front of a raucous crowd in Tuscaloosa and then going on the road for a sleepy away game against the team tied for last in the conference? That’s a real struggle mentally. Can the Tide display enough maturity to show up for this one with the same level of energy as it did for the second half and overtime against Arkansas on Wednesday?
- Keep it Hot from Three. Another game, another hot shooting performance from Alabama during its current five game winning streak. The Tide went just 10/29 from three against the Razorbacks the other night, but the guys seemed to hit every big three that they needed, including the final trey from Houston Mallette that gave Alabama enough cushion to close the game out in 2OT. LSU is not a good three-point team on either side of the ledger – they are 259th in the country in 3P% and 281st in 3P% allowed. If Alabama can keep riding its recent shooting form in Baton Rouge tonight, the opportunities will be there, and it will be tough for the Tigers to keep pace.
- Run them Rugged. With the aforementioned injuries to a pair of Tiger starters, LSU really only plays seven guys in their rotation at this point in the season. And we just saw how that worked out for Arkansas the other night. The Bayou Bengals are 229th in tempo, 107th in Defensive Efficiency, and 237th in Free Throw Rate allowed. They are not exactly equipped to handle a team like Alabama who will push the pace all night long.
It’s a major let-down, trap spot in Baton Rouge tonight – can the Tide avoid the hangover and extend its winning streak to six games? Alabama is a solid favorite for a reason, but LSU isn’t totally devoid of talent or skill this year.
