Alabama Basketball Opponent Preview: LSU Tigers

Alabama basketball is one of the hottest teams in the country, currently undefeated in the SEC and on a five-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide will try to defend their post at the top of the league when they host the LSU Tigers on Saturday afternoon in Coleman Coliseum.

LSU is 12-4 (1-3 SEC) under new coach Matt McMahon. The Tigers are currently on a three-game losing streak, dropping games at Kentucky, at Texas A&M, and at home against Florida. LSU also lost a close game earlier this season to a Kansas State team that has proven to be very good.

LSU will come out hungry for a big win to boost its tournament resume. It currently owns two quality wins, beating Wake Forest at a neutral site and beating Arkansas at home.

Murray State transfer KJ Williams leads the Tigers, and is a load in the paint. Williams averages 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting over 44 percent from the three-point line.

He doesn’t get as much shine, but KJ Williams is the only player in the SEC and one of the only players in the nation putting up comparable numbers to Brandon Miller. Mississippi State transfer Derek Fountain is a good complementary piece in the frontcourt.

Adam Miller leads a really good group of guards for LSU, averaging 13 points per game. NC State transfer Cam Hayes is in that group as well, averaging 8.7 points per game and shooting just under 40 percent from three-point range.

Seniors Juice Hill and Trae Hannibal both came to Baton Rouge from Murray State, along with McMahon and Williams. Hill and Hannibal are savvy competitors that handle the point guard duties for LSU.

They don’t post eye-popping numbers, but they work well in tandem and play hard on both ends of the floor. Hill and Hannibal combine to average 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game.

Adam Miller, Cam Hayes, Juice Hill, and Trae Hannibal will be a difficult test for the Crimson Tide backcourt. The guards for Alabama basketball have been among the nation’s best, despite Jahvon Quinerly still working to get back to full strength.

Transfer Mark Sears and freshman Jaden Bradley have made seamless transitions in Tuscaloosa and turned one of Bama’s major question marks into an unrelenting strength.

Alabama basketball should also be able to throw quality bigs at KJ Williams. LSU is not as deep in its frontcourt, and Williams will have his hands full with Charles Bediako, Noah Clowney, Noah Gurley, and Nick Pringle.

The Crimson Tide hope to take care of business at home and remain undefeated in SEC play.