The Southeastern Conference has racked up a lot of quality wins so far this season. One of them came on Wednesday afternoon at the Battle 4 Atlantis, an early-season tournament in The Bahamas. Tennessee rallied to beat Purdue and make yet another statement for a conference which has struggled in recent years. This Saturday’s neutral-site game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Minnesota Golden Gophers is yet another chance for the SEC to improve its basketball reputation. Can Alabama keep the momentum going for itself and its conference?
Details
Date & Time: Saturday, November 25, 5:00 PM ET
Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NJ
Broadcast: TBA
Reasons To Bet On The Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide have one of the most electrifying and dynamic players in America, freshman guard Collin Sexton. This is a difference-maker and one of the most exciting recruits Alabama basketball has ever had, the kind of recruit who could profoundly change the program’s identity and its fortunes. It could also make the college coaching career of former NBA veteran Avery Johnson, who coached in the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks in 2006.
Sexton is quick, able to create his own shot, skilled at finishing shots, and in generally being able to score in many ways from many different positions on the floor. He keeps defenses guessing and can draw so much attention from so many sources that he will make his teammates better, putting them in position to score or, at the very least, get into one-on-one situations against their defenders.
Yet, Sexton is not the only thing going for Alabama. There is reason to believe that the Tide’s supporting cast has grown and evolved. Alabama won its season-opening game against Memphis (as opposed to a lower-level directional school way down the food chain) without Sexton, who was withheld over eligibility concerns. Sexton’s teammates picked him up, and so it’s clear that the star and his teammates are helping each other. That’s a recipe for sustained success, putting Alabama in very good shape for this game.
Reasons To Bet On The Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Golden Gophers went on the road to play a very solid Providence team earlier in the season, and they won comfortably, not allowing the Friars to challenge them down the stretch. Minnesota finished at the bottom of the Big Ten at the end of the 2015-2016 season, so when the 2016-2017 season began, few were expecting Minnesota to become an NCAA Tournament team. Yet, that’s exactly what the Gophers became. They played tough defense more than anything else. They displayed a ruggedness in the paint and a willingness to challenge shots which had not existed in previous seasons. They had reasonably capable offensive players, but their commitment to defense and rebounding sparked their resurgence. They contested opponents’ shots and possessions and forced opposing teams to work far harder for baskets than in the previous failed season.
Now Minnesota has the toughness of last season’s team with more skill among the returning starters. No player has evolved and improved more than Jordan Murphy, a muscular power forward who has surprisingly developed a scoring touch. Murphy scored 35 points in one game and is averaging 23.8 points per game. With Murphy leading the way, Minnesota is a lot more dynamic on offense, not just defense.
Outlook
The Golden Gophers have had an easy time of things to start the season. They have won their first five games and haven’t really had to sweat much. Their tightest game was a 12-point win at Providence.
Minnesota will get a tough challenge from Alabama. The Crimson Tide have played very well this season and are now ranked in the Top 25 as the No. 25 team. However, the Gophers are playing even better and have more balance throughout their roster. Minnesota’s interior defense is likely to give the Gophers the edge down the stretch. Look for them to take care of business in this spot and get the ATS cover.
Prediction: Golden Gophers
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