7:00 PM EST, ESPN2 – Line: Tennessee -3, Over/Under: 147
Buckle up for a top-ten showdown in Knoxville, folks, as the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide face off with the tenth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, who are looking to stop the bleeding after suffering back-to-back narrow defeats. Wait a minute, we may need to check to see if it really is basketball season in Tuscaloosa, for Alabama (22-3, 12-0 in SEC) is your newly minted number one team in the land, earning that distinction for the first time since the 2002-2003 campaign. Indeed, the Crimson Tide entered as number twenty in the preseason rankings, only to steadily climb up the polls, spending the last four weeks entrenched in the top-four. Now in his fourth season in Tuscaloosa, (Head Coach) Nate Oats has done a tremendous job of turning this program into a powerhouse, with an eye toward surpassing the heights that they reached two years ago; in just his second year after making the transition from Buffalo, Oats led his troops to SEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, while driving them to an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen, their best showing in the NCAA Tournament in seventeen years. Granted, last season was a letdown (19-14, 9-9 in SEC) despite qualifying for the tourney, though it now appears to be nothing more than a blip on the radar as the Tide look like one of the legitimate favorites to cut down the nets next month. So, what in the name of Wimp Sanderson has gotten into Alabama, you ask? Well, Oats has recruited his @#$ off, bringing in a stellar Freshman class that would make his counterpart in the football department blush. One shy of a proverbial Fab Five, the Tide field a fantastic foursome consisting of (Forwards) Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney along with (Guards) Jaden Bradley and Rylan Griffen, who together have combined for 43.7 points, 21.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, with each member of the quartet ranked in the RSCI Top 100. The best of the bunch, particularly from an NBA perspective, has been Miller (pictured above), who is tailormade for the professional game; standing 6′-9″ with an ability stretch the defense with his shooting, while also proving able to defend multiple positions. Starting all twenty-five games, Miller leads the team with 18.8 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the field, including 42.7% from beyond the arc, while also securing 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He has been the tip of the spear for the top-ranked offense in the Southeast Conference, with the Tide pacing the league in scoring (84.4), field goal percentage (46.6%), two-point percentage (56.5%), and three-point percentage (36.6%). With that said, they’re no slouch on the defensive end of the hardwood either, ranking second in the conference in points allowed (63.3), field goal percentage (33.4%), two-point percentage (39.7%), and three-point percentage (21.9%) defense. Add it all up and it’s no surprise that they’re the lone unbeaten team left in the SEC. When we last saw ‘Bama, they extended their winning streak to four games with a 77-69 victory over (No. 25) Auburn in the basketball equivalent of the Iron Bowl, thanks in large part to a strong second half in which they outscored their rivals 40-32. This one wasn’t nearly as close as the final score would indicate, as Oats’ unit shot a blistering 59.2% from the field, including an insane 23-of-28 from within the arc (82.1%), while limiting the Tigers to a miserable 32.3% shooting, including 13-of-38 from inside the perimeter (34.2%). The hosts managed to keep it close by netting 22-of-26 free-throws, which equated to a +9 advantage, while attempting thirteen more shots thanks to forcing a dozen turnovers. It was a rare off-night for Miller, who finished with thirteen points on just 5-of-12 shooting (41.7%), including a dismal 0-of-7 from downtown, and three turnovers, though Griffen showed out off the bench with a team-high sixteen points on 5-of-7 shooting (71.4%), including half of their six treys, while one of their few upperclassman (Junior Guard) Mark Sears, added fifteen points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the victory. Looking to tonight’s trip to Knoxville, this is the 110th meeting between the two schools dating back to 1958, with Alabama owning a 62-47 record (.569) in the all-time series, including each of the last three meetings. Their most recent encounter, in which they were ranked nineteenth and fourteenth respectively, saw the Crimson Tide outlast the Volunteers in a 73-68 affair in Tuscaloosa, in which (Seniors) Jahvon Quinerly and Noah Gurley combined for thirty-eight points and fourteen rebounds. From a betting perspective, the Crimson Tide have covered the spread in seven of their last ten outings, regardless of the venue, while matching that record over their last ten trips away from Tuscaloosa. With that said, it’s been a bit cloudier when they’ve been branded as an underdog by the oddsmakers, covering six of their last ten games in that role. However, they’ve been successful in this regard against opponents with a win percentage above .600, posting a 7-1 mark over their last eight meetings with such teams. On the injury front (Sophomore Center) Charles Bediako is listed as questionable after the seven-footer missed the last two games with a knee injury. Looking ahead to the rest of the schedule, this figures to be the last major test for Oats & Co, who don’t face another ranked opponent the rest of the way, with three of their final five outings to be contested at Coleman Coliseum.
Meanwhile, as their opponent surges up the rankings, Tennessee (19-6, 8-4 in SEC) has suddenly found themselves in a crisis, losing three of their last four outings. Since upsetting (No. 10) Texas two weeks ago, the Volunteers were blown out in Gainsville against Florida (67-54), and though they managed to survive a sloth-like 46-43 affair with Auburn, they dropped back-to-back games to the likes of Vanderbilt (65-66) and Missouri (85-86) by a combined TWO points. So, what in the name of Allan Houston has happened to the Vols, you ask? Well, in all fairness, apart from suffering a pair of notable injuries (which we’ll get into in more detail shortly), (Head Coach) Rick Barnes’ troops have been very unfortunate to find themselves on the wrong side of game-winning buzzer beaters two games in a row; after getting the benefit of a controversial no-call in the waning moments to hold on against Auburn, they were stunned by a Tyrin Lawrence corner trey at Vandy, before suffering the same fate over the weekend at home versus Mizzou. Indeed, it’s a tough way to lose a game, let alone twice in a week, but there are some other common threads to ascertain the cause of their struggles. In both affairs, their perimeter defense left a lot to be desired, yielding a combined 24-of-51 shooting (47.0%) from beyond the arc to the Commodores and Tigers, who together outscored them by fifteen points in that regard. They also failed to apply much pressure at all to either opponent, forcing a mere fifteen turnovers in comparison to permitting twenty-six assists. It’s an uncharacteristic turn of events for a team that has relinquished the fewest points in the SEC (58.6), while sitting behind Alabama in field goal percentage defense (37.3%), and forcing 12.6 turnovers, which ranks third in the conference. Compounding matters is that while they share the basketball well (16.1 assists, 1st in SEC), this isn’t a particularly prolific offensive unit, ranking eighth in the SEC in points (69.6) and sixth in field goal percentage (43.8%), relying more so on their defense to create opportunities for them. This is where (Guards) Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler need to step in and stop the bleeding, as both players have been bulldogs on the perimeter, with each averaging two steals apiece. Headlining Barnes’ bold international recruiting approach, Vescovi (pictured above), a Uruguay international, has been a starter for the bulk of four years in Knoxville, serving as their three-and-D dynamo during his tenure with the program, currently ranking seventh on the school’s all-time three-point list. Looking to tonight’s battle with Alabama, Tennessee has lost ten of the last fifteen meetings in this series, including three of the last four contested at Thompson-Boiling Arena. Granted, it has been two years since these sides met in Knoxville, with the Crimson Tide escaping Rocky Top with a 71-63 upset of the seventh-ranked Vols in which the hosts shot a downright dreadful 31.8% from the floor and 4-of-21 from three (19.0%), with just seven assists in comparison to committing nine turnovers. In fact, Barnes has had a hell of time cracking his counterpart’s defense over the past few meetings, mustering 66.3 points on just 35.9% shooting overall, including 42.3% from within the arc and 25.3% beyond it, while committing more turnovers (39) than assists (30) over the last three encounters, all of which have ended in defeat. From a betting perspective, the Volunteers have posted a 4-6 record against the spread over the last ten games regardless of the venue, while covering an even five of their last ten affairs hosted at Thompson-Boiling Arena. With that said, they’ve failed to cover the spread in four consecutive games as favorite and overall, along with three straight defeats when favored against the Tide. On the injury front, Barnes is hoping to get back a pair of valuable pieces to his rotation, as (Senior Guard) Josiah-Jordan James is questionable after missing the last two outings with a sprained ankle, while (Freshman Forward) Julian Phillips left the previous game against Missouri with an ailing hip flexor. The duo combines for an average of 19.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, with both players being valuable contributors on the defensive end of the hardwood. Looking ahead to their remaining schedule, Barnes & Co trail the Tide by four games in the SEC standings, so even with a victory tonight it will likely take a miracle to secure a conference championship, particularly with a remaining slate consisting of trips to Lexington and College Station, with the Aggies sitting two games ahead of the Vols.