Alabama Basketball returns to Coleman Coliseum late Saturday afternoon seeking a payback win over the Missouri Tigers. A couple of weeks ago the Crimson Tide was a 13.5 point favorite over Missouri – in an SEC road game. The result was Missouri 92 – Alabama 86.
A major reason for Missouri’s success against the Tide was 6’8″, 255 lbs. forward, Kobe Brown. Brown’s season scoring average is 14.2 points per game. He scored 30 against the Tide in Columbia. He also got 13 rebounds as Missouri out-rebounded the Tide, 43-31. Nate Oats had no one who could match Brown’s physical play. Charles Bediako and Noah Gurley were ineffective in trying to slow Brown. Juwan Gary did not have much success either, but he was hampered with foul trouble.
Gary’s status for tonight is not known. He left the LSU game after taking a hard elbow to the face. If Gary can’t play, Nate Oats will have to do more than just letting Brown match up on Bediako and Gurley.
On Friday, Nate Oats talked about what the Tide needs going forward,
"We’ve got to get the arrogance out of us. Realize why we won like we won early this year and last year. We chart the blue collar points, the highest we had this year was Gonzaga, 126. Up to the LSU game we had some of our lowest."
The toughness and intensity Alabama showed against LSU was clearly lacking in the Tide’s three SEC losses going back to the Missouri game.
The teams met just once last season with Missouri winning 68-65 in Columbia.
The Tide sits at 12-6 and 3-3 in SEC play. The latest NCAA NET rankings have the Tide at No. 22.
Missouri is 8-9 on the season and 2-3 in SEC play. The Missouri Tigers are ranked No. 175 in the NCAA NET rankings.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. LSU: Spread, Over/Under
According to WynnBET, the Alabama Crimson Tide is a massive 17.5-point favorite. The Over/Under is at 150 points.
Alabama vs. Missouri Prediction
Ken Pomeroy rates the teams more highly than their NET ranking. KenPom has the Crimson Tide at No. 16 and Missouri at No. 138.
The Crimson Tide should come close to matching the intensity of the LSU game. If James Rojas can stay out of foul trouble, he can slow Kobe Brown and help on the glass. Another Missouri player, guard Amari Davis is coming off an almost perfect game in the win over Ole Miss. Davis was 10-for-10 from the floor and perfect from the line as well. The Tigers held Ole Miss to 53 points in Oxford, for a 25-point victory.
It will be interesting to see how much the Tide learned while losing three games – when the opponent is not a highly ranked team.
Game Prediction: Alabama Crimson Tide 81 – Missouri Tigers 73
Make your pick on WynnBET now!
What Channel is the Alabama Game On?
The 5:00 PM CST game can be seen on the SEC Network. The game’s announcer will be Mike Morgan with analyst, former Arkansas Razorback, center, Joe Klein.
Chris Stewart, Bryan Passink and Roger Hoover will handle the radio broadcast on the Crimson Tide Sports Network and will be available on Sirius/XM, channels 83/83.
Alabama vs. Missouri Live Stream
The broadcast of the game will be streamed on the ESPN App.
Complete Alabama Crimson Tide Game Notes are available here.
Up next for the Crimson Tide is a trip to Athens to play the Georgia Bulldogs. The Baylor Bears in Tuscaloosa finish the January schedule. Auburn, in Auburn, and Kentucky in Tuscaloosa follow.