Game Preview: Alabama vs No. 13 LSU
When: Wednesday, January 19 at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2
Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
After having lost three consecutive games, and falling out of the Top 25 in the process, Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum to face LSU in what could be labeled a must-win game.
After losses to Missouri and Auburn, the Crimson Tide dropped their third consecutive game on Saturday night as Alabama fell 78-76 on the road at Mississippi State. While the Crimson Tide shot an impressive 24-for-28 from the free throw line, Alabama struggled from long range shooting 8-for-29 from deep, as well as being out-rebounded 43-32.
Currently sitting just outside the Top 25, the Crimson Tide have dropped five of their last eight, and now sit at 11-6 on the year (2-3 in SEC). Led by guard Jaden Shackelford, the Crimson Tide are an impressive team offensively averaging 81.8 PPG, but have struggled in recent weeks defensively allowing 74.6 PPG to opponents.
LSU on the other hand are coming off what-was only their second loss of the season as the Tigers fell at home to Arkansas 65-58 on Saturday. Only scoring two points the entire final nine minutes, the Tigers struggled offensively shooting only 38.2% from the field, as well as being out-rebounded 41-31.
Led by head coach Will Wade, the Tigers enter this matchup as the No. 13 team in the country at 15-2 (3-2 in SEC), and are averaging 75.1 PPG offensively. While LSU’s 2021-22 roster features familiar names such as Darius Days, the Tigers also have multiple key contributors new to Baton Rouge such as leading-scorer Tari Eason and Xavier Pinson, and are also a completely different team defensively allowing only 57 PPG to opponents as the top defensive team in the country (KenPom).
Having struggled in recent weeks, there is a very-real possibility that we could see a desperate and dangerous Crimson Tide team inside Coleman on Wednesday night, and when facing a Top 25 opponent at home in big games in recent years, Alabama has pulled off some notable upsets. While LSU is a team with talent at spots to potentially give the Crimson Tide troubles, expect one of the best all-around showings from Alabama this season against the Tigers, an opponent they swept 3-0 last season and are 4-1 against under Nate Oats.
Prediction: Alabama 77, LSU 70