Alabama Basketball: Sexton vs Young matchup in SEC-Big 12 Challenge
By Mike Parham
The Collin Sexton vs Trae Young matchup is one of the most anticipated matchups of the season and a huge non-conference game for the Alabama basketball team
All Eyes will be on Tuscaloosa Saturday when the Alabama basketball team takes on the Oklahoma Sooners. More specifically, for the matchup between freshman superstars Collin Sexton and Trae Young.
Sexton and Young are easily the two best freshman point guards in the country. NBA scouts will be in Coleman Coliseum in full force Saturday afternoon and with good reason.
In nearly every mock draft, Sexton and Young have fluctuated within the top-10 spots all season. Young, peaking as high as four, and Sexton, as high as five.
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This should be an interesting matchup because of the different playing style that each player possesses. Young is a crafty playmaker with unlimited range and has even drawn comparisons to NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
Sexton, on the other hand, is an explosive player that specializes in getting to the rim and drawing fouls. He has even drawn comparisons to NBA superstar Russell Westbrook from Alex Scarbrough of ESPN:
"Sexton is the closest thing college basketball has to Russell Westbrook. Their size is the same, as is their game: scoring point guards with 3-point range and the ability to get to the rim at will. But it’s their approach that is eerily similar: an unmistakable, white-hot intensity that is borderline maniacal"
Sexton and Young aren’t close to being the caliber of players that Curry and Westbrook are right now. However, highly regarded players at the same position in college basketball rarely meet, especially at point guard.
So, this matchup is not only good for the scouts that will be in attendance, but for college basketball as a whole.
Alabama enters this game with a 13-7 (5-3) record following a 78-66 road loss to Ole Miss Wednesday night.
Collin still recovering from abdominal strain
This will be Collin Sexton’s second game back from an abdominal injury that caused him to miss two games. Against Ole Miss, he logged 20 minutes of play and shot an inefficient 2-of-13 from the field.
Hopefully, Sexton has shaken off some of the rust that showed during Alabama’s last game in time for this matchup.
Trae Young enters this game following his most efficient game of the season in a come from behind victory against Kansas. Young went 7-of-9 from the field and scored 26-points.
Alabama needs this victory not only for bragging rights in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, but to build on their NCAA Tournament resume. A victory against the No.12 team in the country can definitely help a bubble team like Alabama.
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The Tide tips off against the Sooners Saturday at 1:15 CST on ESPN. Alabama basketball will return to SEC play Wednesday night, hosting Missouri in Tuscaloosa.