Losers of the last three games, the Crimson Tide desperately need a victory Saturday night on the road against Georgia. The Bulldogs are in a similar position as Alabama, as they have lost five out of their last six games. Both with losing records in SEC play, a win would possibly kick start their seasons.
Defense has been the issue for Alabama ever since forward Herb Jones went out with a wrist injury sustained against LSU. Allowing an average of 75.5 points in the two games he has missed, the Crimson Tide are going to need to find a way to contain future NBA lottery pick Anthony Edwards.
In the Bulldogs’ loss to Florida on Wednesday, Edwards had 32 points on 58.8% shooting. He was also deadly from behind the arc, making six out of his nine three-point attempts, more than the rest of the Georgia team. Overall on the season, Edwards is averaging 19.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists.
Much like Alabama’s loss to Tennessee, Georgia blew a first-half lead against the Gators. Both teams were up by 15 at one point in the second half and ended up losing.
“It was a tale of two halves,” said Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats about Georgia’s loss.
The key for Saturday’s game will be keeping the pace in both halves. Alabama played well in the first half against Tennessee, but the offense went stale in the second half. Guards John Petty and Kira Lewis are both going to need to have big nights, as they have been struggling the past few games.
The Crimson Tide have proven in previous games that when they shoot the three-ball well, they find a way to win games. When shots are not going through the hoop, they tend to struggle to find any other kind of offense.
Another big part of the offense has been guard James Bolden. Limited in practice this week, Oats say he has “looked good.” Dealing with a stomach problem, he thinks they have it “figured out.”
Only playing 23 minutes Wednesday night against the Volunteers, if Bolden is good to go, he should see a minutes increase. Not only will that help the Alabama offense flow better than it has been the past couple of games, but it will provide a huge boost on the defensive end of the court.
The bigger question of the season for the Crimson Tide looms with Selection Sunday inching closer and closer. As of now, Alabama has not done enough to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Losing to the Bulldogs would not help their case, nearly sealing the door shut on their chances to make it into the big dance.
Getting back in rhythm will be the theme of Saturday night’s game for both Alabama and Georgia. If Alabama can win, their season will be back on track with the winning ways they performed earlier in the SEC season.
With a big set of games coming up next week with Auburn and LSU, tomorrow night’s game is nearly a must-win in Athens.
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