On Saturday, Tennessee basketball and Alabama are set to meet in Knoxville.
The winner is in a great spot for the 1-seed while the loser will be in line for a 2-seed.
To preview the game, I asked TideIllustrated's Jack Knowlton some questions. Here's what he said.
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What went so right for Alabama to have the success it did against Mississippi State?
Offensively, it was the ball movement mainly. Alabama has switched to a three-guard lineup that features Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood and Labaron Philon and all three have benefited one way or another from it. The team had 28 assists to 11 turnovers and if Alabama is able to keep up that kind of ratio there aren't too many defenses that can slow it down given how many scorer/creator combos it can put on the floor at once.
Defensively, it was the intensity in the first half. They took a lot more pride in guarding, especially trying to Josh Hubbard. Most of his points came in garbage time and he had just six in the first half. They've struggled to guard a team's best player a lot this year but have now done it against Hubbard and Otega Oweh on Kentucky. The communication looked a lot better and the defense fed the transition offense, too.
How similar is this year’s team from last year? What are the differences?
Obviously, two big names are still there, Sears and Grant Nelson. Alabama is still scoring at a high clip but it's come a lot more on 2s and points at the rim rather than lethal shooting. The Tide doesn't live and die by the 3 and is rebounding the ball a lot better this season. Clifford Omoruyi hasn't been as impactful as many were expecting but his presence has helped Nelson out a lot more on the glass and defensively by not having to be on another team's big. Defensive efficiency overall is way up from a year ago.
Do you like the matchup for the Tide’s offense against Tennessee’s defense?
I actually do. Given Alabama's offensive versatility, I think things can go well for it if it limits the self-inflicted wounds. Tennessee has the most efficient defense in the country and on the road, it will be a big test for Alabama's offense. But Alabama has wins over Houston and Texas A&M away from home, both teams in the top five in defensive efficiency. In those games, Alabama played really well on the glass and guarded the rim and will have to do so against the Vols. It will definitely be tough, but if Alabama makes those areas a point of emphasis, I do think enough scoring can follow to get a win.
What needs to go right for Alabama to survive the road trip? On the other hand, what would need to happen for UT to win?
Alabama can't turn the ball over and has to be efficient at the rim. The Tide has gotten away with high TO games in the past but that simply won't fly against the best defense in the country. Tennessee is extremely good at guarding the 3, but Alabama has been able to win games when it's not hitting from deep. It's lost games, however, by missing layups, putbacks and easy looks from 2. Alabama has to get those types of looks to fall because Tennessee won't give Alabama many clean looks.
For Tennessee, I think the glass will be big. The Vols rank pretty high in offensive rebounding categories and Alabama has had some games where it hasn't done enough on the defensive glass for as good as it has looked overall this year. If Tennessee controls the tempo and there aren't many second-chance opportunities, if Tennessee can be more efficient than Alabama that will be big. Zakai Zeigler's playmaking will also be a big key. He'll have to move ball well for Tennessee and keep Alabama's defense on its heels.
How has Alabama played in big games this year?
With the exception of Auburn and Missouri, very well, especially away from home. Mizzou was the first road loss in SEC play and Alabama has ranked wins against Texas A&M, Kentucky and Mississippi State on the road. The players definitely seem more juiced up to try and empty out an opponent's stadium and play the villain role. I don't think they'll be intimidated by anything, but certainly, a slow start could end in a similar result to the Missouri game. But if it's crunch time, I don't expect Alabama to fold on the road. They've been really solid in late-game situations and Sears is one of the best options in the country to turn to for a clutch bucket in a big-game scenario.
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