Another week, another top-25 matchup in the SEC. The Alabama Crimson Tide are heading to Starkville to face No. 15 ranked Mississippi State tonight at 9 p.m.
The big story coming out of Alabama this week is star guard and leading scorer Mark Sears being benched in the second half of their game against LSU on Saturday after he went scoreless from the field. Head coach Nate Oats mentioned the situation this week, stating “We went with the guys in the second half that we thought gave us the best chance to win this game, and we won the game.”
Despite those seemingly troubling comments, he also had some positive feedback about the senior, stating “Mark Sears has definitely had the best two days going into a game that he’s had all year.” Sears will most likely be back in the starting lineup and be an X-Factor in tonight’s game, which is the exact type of player that he is.
Mississippi State has been competitive all year, led by sophomore guard Josh Hubbard who averages 16.2 PPG. The Bulldogs have only lost one game at home, and it was against a very fast-paced Kentucky team that plays very similar to this Alabama squad. Mississippi State allows 69.5 PPG this year, while Alabama leads the country in scoring, averaging 90.4 PPG. An absolute must for the Bulldogs will be guarding the three-point line very well and stopping the Tide in transition.
Playing in Starkville is difficult, but the Tide have yet to lose a road game in SEC play this year, as their only conference loss in general was against Ole Miss at home. That game is the blueprint of what Mississippi State is going to aim to do; force Alabama to play sloppy from behind the arc and force them to shift elsewhere from Sears’ driving ability. The Bulldogs rank No. 37 nationally in adjusted defense, which is above average. They need to bring intensity and get the crowd into it tonight.
With a Mississippi State win, they will only be a game and a half back of the SEC lead and it would also be a huge resume-builder, taking down a top-five team in the country. Alabama on the other hand could use a true road win against a ranked team, which could help them move up a spot in the national rankings.
This game will come down to the wire and is a true coin flip. Weirdly enough, I have confidence Alabama will come out on top despite their hiccups from Saturday’s game. Oats is 5-0 against Mississippi State while Chris Jans has been the Bulldogs’ head coach, but the real difference-maker is going to be Sears. He is the Tide’s leader and will have his team’s back and come through with a great performance, which will ultimately lead Alabama to another huge win in this historic season.
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