After getting off to a perfect 8-0 start in SEC play, No. 2 Alabama basketball will take a quick break from the conference schedule as it travels to Oklahoma on Saturday for the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Alabama is 2-1 under head coach Nate Oats in the yearly clash of conferences, netting home wins against Kansas State (77-74 in 2020) and Baylor (87-78 in 2022) while losing 66-61 at Oklahoma in 2021.

Saturday will feature a matchup of two teams headed in separate directions. The Crimson Tide has won 13 of its last 14 games, including nine straight victories. Meanwhile, the Sooners are riding a three-game losing streak and have dropped six of their last eight contests.

Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup.

Who: No. 2 Alabama (18-2, 8-0 in the SEC) vs. Oklahoma (11-9, 2-6 in the Big 12)

When: 1 p.m. CT, Saturday, Jan. 28

Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma

Watch: ESPN (play-by-play: Karl Ravech; analyst: Jimmy Dykes)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer Tom Stipe)

Jaden Bradley: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, freshman

Stats: 8.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 42.6% FG, 31.3% 3-pt

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, junior

Stats: 14.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 41.2% FG, 38.6% 3-pt

Brandon Miller: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, freshman

Stats: 19.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 46.4% FG, 45.1% 3-pt

Noah Clowney: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, freshman

Stats: 10.1 ppg, 8.5, rpg, 0.8 apg, 49.9% FG, 25.3% 3-pt

Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 5.2 ppg, 5.8, rpg, 0.7 apg, 56.8% FG

Grant Sherfield: 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, senior

Stats: 16.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 42.4% FG, 42.0% 3-pt

Milos Uzan: 6-foot-4, 183 pounds, freshman

Stats: 6.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 50.5% FG, 35.7% 3-pt

Jalen Hill: 6-foot-6, 232 pounds, senior

Stats: 9.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 50.4% FG, 31.0% 3-pt

Jacob Groves: 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, senior

Stats: 8.4 ppg, 2.7, rpg, 1.2 apg, 44.8% FG, 39.1% 3-pt

Tanner Groves: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, senior

Stats: 10.1 ppg, 7.3, rpg, 1.8 apg, 52.0% FG, 29.1% 3-pt

It’s been a frigid couple of weeks for two of Alabama’s starters. Over the past four games, Mark Sears and Noah Clowney have combined to shoot 4 of 40 from beyond the arc. That included an 0-for-11 performance during Wednesday night’s 66-63 win over Mississippi State.

Friday, Nate Oats said he’s evaluated both players’ struggles through the team’s Noah Shooting System which tracks how shots were missed. While minor alterations were made in practice, the head coach is confident the duo should be able to shoot their way out of the slump.

“Sears is like right there. He’s been a consistent shooter his entire career, so he just needs to get his confidence back," Oats said. "There are a couple little tweaks that we saw maybe, but I don’t want to mess with his head too much. I think he’s a really good shooter who’s been a consistent shooter his whole career. He’s just got to get back to making shots."

Clowney has been particularly cold, missing all 16 of his shots from deep over the past four games. Still, Oats doesn't seem too concerned with the forward's current struggles.

“Clowney, he’s been making shots in practice," Oats said. "So we worked a little bit with him on his footwork, just being ready, stepping in. I really don’t want either of them not taking open shots. It hurts our offense when we’ve got those guys turning down shots.”

Fortunately for Alabama, it has seen an uptick in shooting from a couple of its other players. After missing his first 17 shots from beyond the arc this season, St. Bonaventure transfer Dom Welch shot 2 of 3 from deep against Mississippi State. Jahvon Quinerly has also begun to heat up from 3, shooting a combined 8 of 19 from beyond the arc over his last four games.

“We’ve got a stable of shooters on this team,” Oats said. “Hopefully we can get the right ones going here.”

Alabama might need “Angry Chuck” to calm down a bit on the court. Foul trouble has limited Charles Bediako’s minutes over the past few games as the starting forward’s lack of discipline down low has forced the Crimson Tide to go to its bench.

Bediako played in less than 20 minutes in three of Alabama’s last four games, including just 13 minutes in this week’s win over Mississippi State. The 7-footer has been whistled at least three times in each of the last 10 games, fouling out twice in that span.

“Charles needs to get in his stance and move his feet better so he can get squared up” Oats said. “When he does have to help, I think he’s been out of his stance too much. He’s getting twisted because he’s late on everything because he’s not there on time.”

Oats noted that Alabama’s guards could do a better job of helping out Bediako by staying in front of their man. However, the Tide’s defense is built upon sending opponents to the rim where its 7-footer can use his length to his advantage.

“We’re trying to run guys off the 3-point line,” Oats said. “We want Charles to be at the rim, protect the rim. So he’s got to be able to do his job, and he’s got to do it without fouling.”

On top of Bediako’s struggles, Oats said his forward has also been the victim of a few 50/50 calls from officials. Regardless, Alabama will need to keep the starting forward on the court as much as possible Saturday as it faces an Oklahoma team that features plenty of length in the frontcourt.

“He’s gotten some bad luck,” Oats said. “He’s got to do better himself, and our guards got to do better. Hopefully, a combination of all that can keep him in the game because our defense is definitely better when he’s in the game protecting the rim.”

— Alabama is one of five teams with an unbeaten record on the road this season, beating opponents by a scoring margin of +12.5.

— Brandon Miller is averaging 19.5 points per game, the most by any freshman in the country and No. 30 overall.

— Miller is the only freshman in the country to rank in the top 75 in points and rebounds per game (No. 75).

— Miller is one of nine players in Division I, the only player in the SEC and the only freshman in the country that has scored 385 points and recorded 160 rebounds this season.

— Oklahoma is ranked in the top 50 in five NCAA Division I categories. The Sooners are 20th in field goal percentage (.477), 22nd in 3-point percentage defense (.355), 24th in effective field goal percentage (.552), 41st in fouls per game (14.9) and 42nd in scoring defense (63.8 PPG).

— Oklahoma guards Grant Sherfield is 24th among active NCAA Division I career leaders in assist average (4.75), 25th in scoring average (15.4), 27th in assist to turnover ratio (1.86), 27th in assists (489) and 61st in total points (1,583). The Fort Worth, Texas product is one of 29 DI active men’s basketball players with 1,500 points and 300 assists. Groves is 82nd in career rebounds (683).

— Sherfield has recorded double-digit points in 17 contests this season and scored 15 points in the Sooners’ last outing against Oklahoma State.