Both of the lower seeds won in the first round of the 2014 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament yesterday (Mississippi State and South Carolina), and Alabama will look to keep that trend going today as the #10 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide [13-18 (7-11)] will take on the #7 seeded LSU Tigers [18-12 (9-9)] at 7 pm ET/6 pm CT tonight at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The All-Time Series
This will be the 172nd meeting between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, the second most frequent opponent in Alabama’s history. The Crimson Tide own a 103-68 series lead, and tonight’s game will be the first time since March 8, 1987 that these two teams have met in the SEC Tournament. That was a game that Alabama won 69-62 to win the SEC Tournament Championship. In the earlier meeting between the Tide and Tigers this season Alabama was victorious 82-80. That game was on January 25th.
Game Facts
Alabama comes into the SEC Tournament as winners of 3 out of their last 5 games, including wins over NCAA Tournament hopefuls Missouri and Arkansas, the latter whom they beat 83-58 this past Saturday in their last regular season game at Coleman Coliseum. In that game Alabama shot 54.7% from the field, and scored a conference season high 83 points, including 24 from Senior point guard Trevor Releford. The Tide will attempt to build on that effort tonight against LSU.
The LSU Tigers will enter the SEC Tournament having split their last 6 games. One of those losses was at the hands of the Kentucky Wildcats (who the winner of tonight’s game will play tomorrow) in a 77-76 overtime game where the Tigers lost by one point. LSU’s most recent game was against the Georgia Bulldogs this past Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center where they fell 69-61. The Tigers only shot 36.4% in that game.
Coaches’ Quotes
Coach Anthony Grant on LSU:
“Playing a team in LSU that we played once this year, we were fortunate to win the game at our place. But obviously we understand they’re a very talented team, and a team that has a lot of different weapons on the inside and on the perimeter. We have got to be able to do a great job from a defensive standpoint, and offensively be able to handle their pressure as well. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
Coach Johnny Jones on Alabama:
“Alabama has done a great job in terms of trying to guard the interior, and trying to make you play up over the top and make sure that they put Johnny (O’Bryant III) in traffic. And they did a great job of that, and you have to make sure that you shoot the ball well against them from the perimeter. If your perimeter shots are falling, then you make it a little bit more difficult for them to stay back in that defense.”
Notes from practice
Alabama:
During Alabama’s practice yesterday Coach Anthony Grant really tried to push the tempo during the session. They scrimmaged the first team vs the second team, and during the scrimmage there really seemed to be an emphasis on pushing the tempo in the transition offense. They also did a couple of different fast-break drills. During the Crimson Tide’s last game against Arkansas they really pushed the tempo and it brought them a lot of success. Perhaps that is what Anthony Grant will be aiming for once again tonight against LSU.
LSU:
Coach Johnny Jones talked during the LSU press conference about trying to adapt to the depth perception of the Georgia Dome, and how it can have an affect on shooters if they are not used to it. Jones said that is why the Tigers would really focus on shooting drills during their practice session yesterday to hopefully adapt to that. That is exactly what they did as they used over half of their 45 minute practice session Wednesday doing shooting drills. The Tigers hope this will pay dividends tonight against Alabama.
Players to watch for
Alabama: Levi Randolph
The Junior guard is enjoying one of the best stretches of his career at Alabama right now as he enters the SEC Tournament averaging 17.8 points per game in his last five. In that five game stretch he is 29-of-57 from the floor (50.9%), and 10-of-22 from the 3 point line (45.5 percent). With all the attention the First-Team All-SEC point guard Trevor Releford is sure to get, Randolph’s ability to score will be a vital key to Alabama’s success in the SEC Tournament.
LSU: Johnny O’Bryant III
It is easy to see why Johnny O’Bryant III was a First-Team All-SEC selection, after watching him in practice yesterday he is an absolute stud. At 6ft 9in, 256 pounds he moves up and down the court with ease. Also the guy can handle the ball well for a big man. He was LSU’s leading scorer when the Crimson Tide and the Tigers played back on January 25th, as he finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
