TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 1 Alabama basketball’s debut on top of the rankings didn’t go so well as it suffered its first SEC loss in a 68-59 defeat at No. 10 Tennessee on Wednesday.
With five regular-season games remaining, the Crimson Tide sits atop the SEC standings and controls its destiny as it pursues a second conference title in three years. The next step in accomplishing that feat comes Saturday as Alabama takes on a Georgia team coming into its own under first-year head coach Mike White
Here's everything you need to know about the matchup.
How to watch
Who: No. 1 Alabama (22-4, 12-1 in the SEC) vs. Georgia (16-10, 6-7)
When: 5 p.m. CT, Saturday, Feb. 18
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Watch: SECN (play-by-play: Dave Neal; analyst: Joe Klein)
Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer Tom Stipe)
Alabama's projected starters
Jaden Bradley: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, freshman
Stats: 8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 43.4% FG, 31.6% 3-pt
Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, junior
Stats: 13.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 42.8% FG, 38.4% 3-pt
Brandon Miller: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, freshman
Stats: 18.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 45.2% FG, 42.5% 3-pt
Noah Clowney: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, freshman
Stats: 9.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 47.7% FG, 26.8% 3-pt
Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 5.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.6 apg, 60.6% FG
Georgia’s projected starters
Justin Hill: 6-foot, 185 pounds, junior
Stats: 7.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 37.9% FG, 30.9% 3-pt
Kario Oquendo: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, junior
Stats: 12.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 39.8% FG, 26.7% 3-pt
Jusaun Holt: 6-foot7, 190 pounds, sophomore
Stats: 3.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 27.6% FG, 26.0% 3-pt
Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds, junior
Stats: 6.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 55.8% FG
Braelen Bridges: 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, senior
Stats: 8.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 59.2% FG
Update on Bediako
Alabama is waiting to decide how it will use Charles Bediako after the injured center was limited during the Crimson Tide’s loss at Tennessee on Wednesday. Bediako, who injured his knee during last week’s game at Auburn, recorded 4 points and five rebounds over 17 minutes against the Volunteers, seeing the court for just five minutes in the second half.
“You can tell he wasn’t close to 100 percent at Tennessee,” head coach Nate Oats said Friday. “He was slow moving. That’s why we didn’t play him as much there in the second half. He has not practiced just in us trying to get him back to 100 percent. He’s done rehab in trying to get him back.”
Oats said Bediako will be evaluated before Saturday’s game to determine if and how much he will play against Georgia. Bediako has started all 26 of Alabama’s games this season. The 7-foot sophomore is averaging 5.5 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 60.6% from the floor. He also leads the team with 1.7 blocks per game.
Alabama looking for payback
No one is picking Georgia to come into Coleman Coliseum and upset the top team in the nation — especially after Alabama already dropped a game earlier this week. However, the Crimson Tide shouldn’t need any extra motivation against the Bulldogs.
Saturday’s matchup serves as a sour reminder of last year when Alabama handed Georgia its only SEC victory of the season. During that game, the Crimson Tide turned the ball over 19 times and shot just 9 of 34 (26.5%) from beyond the arc, squandering a 6-point lead at halftime en route to an 82-76 defeat.
"We gave them their only win in SEC play," Oats said. "I would hope the guys that are returning from last year that that would be sitting in their minds because that was an embarrassing loss last year.”
Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly assured that the loss is still indeed in the players’ minds.
"We’re looking forward to this game," Quinerly said during Friday's press conference. "They beat us last year, so we’ve got that in the back of our heads.”
After going through a stretch where it lost six of its seven conference games, Georgia has notched back-to-back victories over Kentucky and LSU. The Bulldogs are led by Bradley transfer Terry Roberts who is averaging a team-high 14.3 points, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
"They’re markedly improved to be honest with you," Oats said. "They’re better on the defensive side of the ball. They've got better depth. Seems like they’ve got better chemistry. They’re playing harder.”
Home for the weekend
It’s been more than a month since Alabama has played in front of a home crowd on the weekend. The Crimson Tide’s last Saturday game inside Coleman Coliseum was on Jan. 14 when it blew out LSU 106-66. Alabama has won all 12 of its home games this season.
“It will be good for our fans, good for our guys,” Oats said. “That’s the good thing about basketball is you get to bounce back pretty quick after a loss. I thought we had a good, spirited practice today. I think our guys will be ready to go.”
Game notes
— For the second time in the last three seasons, Nate Oats was named to the late-season watch list for the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year. Oats finished in the top four for the award in 2021.
— Alabama has won 10 SEC games by double digits, which is the second-most in program history behind the 1955-56 team that recorded 11 such victories.
— The Crimson Tide has won by an averaging scoring margin of 26.3 points following a loss this season.
— Eight different Georgia players have been used to comprise 11 different starting lineups for the Bulldogs this season.
— All 12 Georgia players who have logged playing time this season are averaging double-digit minutes per game.
— Seven different Bulldogs have made double-digit 3s this season, the most since eight did so in 1997- 98.
