Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide’s five toughest SEC opponents
By Ronald Evans
Alabama Basketball has three games against the Vols and Wildcats
Tennessee Vols
The Vols did not live up to last season’s high expectations, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to 12-seed, Oregon State. Attrition would be an issue with the departures of Keon Johnson, Jaden Springer and Yves Pons, but for the second straight year, Rick Barnes has brought in a top class.
The Vols have experienced players returning, but it is two of the newcomers who are expected to make the biggest impacts. Barnes added two big men in 6’11” Jonas Aidoo and 6’10” Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. Huntley-Hatfield is more than a big man, he can be effective on the perimeter. The Vols also have returning, 6’9″ forward-center, John Fulkerson.
An even bigger impact than what Huntley-Hatfield offers should come from potential one-and-done guard, Kennedy Chandler, who some services tabbed as the top point guard in the 2021 class.
Kentucky Wildcats
One down year has not slowed John Calipari. The Wildcats will return to normal with arguably the best roster upgrade in the SEC. Calipari added three top recruits and four transfers. They will make up for (and more) the Cats’ five exiting players. Headlining the Kentucky newcomers are Georgia transfer guard, Sahvir Wheeler and freshman, 5-Star, TyTy Washington.
Wheeler has already proved himself as an outstanding player. Washington, now driving a Porsche thanks to a recent NIL deal, is expected to be a first-round pick in the next NBA Draft. How Calipari uses the pair in the Kentucky backcourt will be interesting.
Kentucky fans have high hopes for 6’9″ West Virginia transfer, Oscar Tshiebwe. The big man has nearly a seven and a half foot wingspan. He was impressive as a West Virginia freshman. His game dipped as a sophomore and after 10 games (all starts), he transferred to Kentucky, though not then eligible to play for the Cats. The word from Lexington is Tshiebwe is stronger and is a likely starter for the Cats.
Calipari’s choice of high, annual, roster turnover requires patience as new players learn to play with each other. Last season, the strategy did not work, but this season should be different.