Where to watch: Winthrop (6-2) at Alabama (6-2). Today 8 p.m. Central, Coleman Coliseum, SEC Network.
Who to watch: Justin Coleman. Bama’s new starting point guard had a mixed showing in his first outing after Dazon Ingram suffered a season-ending injury. He made his first shot (a 3-pointer) at Clemson but missed his other four on a night when the Crimson Tide was desperate for points. He had five assists and a steal against three turnovers, but seemed to lose focus at times down the stretch. On a brighter note, he did unexpectedly take up some of Ingram’s rebounding slack, pulling down five boards. His biggest task tonight may be shutting down Winthrop’s Keon Johnson. The diminutive Eagles guard isn’t an efficient scorer, but isn’t afraid to shoot, particularly from outside, and is an 85 percent foul shooter who gets to the line 7.5 times per game.
What to watch for: A third double-digit scorer. The Tide’s offense has been more Jekyll than Hyde lately, cracking the 70-point barrier only once in the last five games. Retin Obasohan has settled in as a fairly reliable scorer over that stretch after an erratic start, but it’s hard to know who will join him on the score sheet in a given game. Shannon Hale looked good over Thanksgiving and bounced back with 12 points at Clemson after a rough showing at Southern Miss, but he and Obasohan can’t shoulder the whole load, especially not once SEC play starts. Arthur Edwards has shown occasional flashes and may be the best bet of a shaky lot.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter at @TideFansChris