Alabama basketball can complete its first SEC sweep of the season Saturday as it hosts Mississippi State at 7:30 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. Last month, the Crimson Tide overcame a slow start in Starkville, Mississippi, to hold on for an 82-74 victory over the Bulldogs.

Alabama (15-6, 7-1 in the SEC) has won nine of its last 10 games and has sole possession of first place in the conference. Mississippi State (14-7, 3-5) has lost four of its last six games but upset Auburn last week.

Here’s a look at everything you need to know for Saturday’s matchup.

Who: No. 24 Alabama (15-6, 7-1) vs. Mississippi State (14-7, 3-5)

When: 7:30 p.m. CT, Saturday, Feb., 3

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Watch: SEC Network

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink, Engineer: Tom Stipe)

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

Stats: 20.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.0 apg, 52.3% FG, 44.4% 3-pt

Aaron Estrada: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 43.2% FG, 35.2% 3-pt

Latrell Wrightsell Jr: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, senior

Stats: 8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 42.4% FG, 44.8% 3-pt

Rylan Griffen: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 10.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 49.0% FG, 39.6% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, senior

Stats: 12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 46.4% FG, 26.9% 3-pt

Josh Hubbard: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, freshman

Stats: 15.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 40.0% FG, 36.2% 3-pt

Shakeel Moore: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, senior

Stats: 8.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 45.9% FG, 34.1% 3-pt

Cameron Mathews: 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, senior

Stats: 9.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 61.7% FG, 5.9% 3-pt

D.J. Jeffries: 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, senior

Stats: 6.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 36.4% FG, 23.6% 3-pt

Tolu Smith: 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, senior

Stats: 16.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 59.8% FG

Alabama has one of the hottest 3-point shooters in the SEC, as Latrell Wrightsell has made 18 of 38 (47.36%) shots from deep over his last six games. The hot streak started at Mississippi State as the senior guard hit 5 of 9 shots from beyond the arc during the Tide’s win on Jan. 13.

Wrightsell matched his season-high with 19 points while playing 27 minutes off the bench in his previous meeting against Mississippi State. However, a passed-up shot during the standout performance temporarily put him in Oats’ doghouse.

“I yanked him and told him he’s never passing another open one up again,” Oats recalled Friday. “He came in and hit the next two. So hopefully he just comes out not passing up open shots. He’s a pretty good shooter. He’s shooting it about as well as anyone in the country in my opinion.”

Oats said Wrightsell performed well during practice Friday, stating he was playing well on defense and taking care of the ball along with connecting on shots. The Cal State Fullerton transfer is averaging 8.2 points per game and has scored in double figures in six of his last nine outings.

Friday, Oats said Wrightsell is just coming into his own in Alabama’s system after dealing with a series of minor injuries in the summer and fall.

“He’s pretty comfortable in it now,” Oats said, “and he’s playing really well.”

Since the 2020-21 season, Alabama boasts an 8-1 record over Mississippi State. That includes wins in all three meetings inside Coleman Coliseum. However, each one of those home victories have come by single digits as the Bulldogs have held their own during their trips to Tuscaloosa.

Friday Oats attributed the narrow wins to Mississippi State’s defensive-minded approach, noting that the Bulldogs don’t get blown out by many teams regardless of where they play. There’s also the fact that Starkville is just 85 miles down the road from Tuscaloosa.

“This is a rivalry game,” Oats said. “We’re the two closest teams in the SEC. Auburn’s obviously a big rival with both of us being in Alabama, but we’re closer to Mississippi State than we are Auburn. I think in these rivalry games guys get up, they play well and it’s hard to blow teams out when they play as hard as they play.”

Alabama will be down a man as senior forward Nick Pringle continues to face an indefinite suspension for conduct detrimental to the team. However, the Crimson Tide will receive a boost as redshirt freshman guard Davin Cosby has returned from an illness that kept him out of the game against Georgia earlier this week. Friday, Oats said Cosby looked great at practice and will be available for this weekend’s game.

“Matter of fact, he looked bouncier than he has been,” Oats said. “His legs are a little fresh. He wasn’t hurt, he was just ill. He’s back, the doctors took care of it. He got some rest and he’s back.”

Cosby has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 4.1 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 41.5% from the floor.

Alabama holds a one-game lead in the SEC standings over South Carolina and No. 16 Auburn. The Tide is also ahead of No. 5 Tennessee by 1.5 games, while the Volunteers have an extra game in hand. A win this weekend could create even more wiggle room for Alabama as each one of its main conference title competitors will face tricky matchups Saturday.

South Carolina and Georgia start off the day’s key games with a noon CT tipoff in Athens. The Bulldogs have lost three of their last four games but had Alabama on the roads inside Stegeman Coliseum earlier this week.

Auburn faces a challenging trip to Ole Miss at 5 p.m. as the Tigers will look to tame a Rebels team riding a three-game winning streak. Auburn will need to avoid losing more ground to Alabama before it hosts the Tide next Wednesday.

Saturday’s most-anticipated matchup will feature Tennessee at No. 10 Kentucky for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Volunteers are coming off an upset loss to South Carolina earlier this week, while the Wildcats have dropped two of their last three games.

If Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Kentucky all win, the Crimson Tide will have at least a two-game lead over every team in the conference.