By Chris DePew
TideFans.com staff
Feb. 17, 2016
Where to watch: Alabama (15-9, 6-6 SEC) at LSU (16-9, 9-3) – 8 p.m. Central today, Pete Maravich Assembly Center, SEC Network.
Who to watch: Retin Obasohan. Alabama has found ways to win lately even as its senior guard has cooled off from a stretch of five consecutive games with 20 or more points. In the late January home loss to LSU he scored 20 points but also seemed to find his passing touch with four assists. That began a string of six games in a row with four-plus assists (snapped only Saturday at Florida) in which Bama went 4-2 to turn its season around. Both parts of his game need to be on point tonight against the high-scoring Tigers.
What to watch for: Who can dictate the pace of play? Avery Johnson came to Alabama talking up the frenetic, high-flying tempo he wants to install, but after a few early lumps he wisely downshifted to match the talent on hand, which was brought in to grind out victories on defense. Consequently, the Crimson Tide averages just under 70 possessions per game, last in the SEC and one of the slowest paces nationally. At the opposite end of the spectrum, LSU has just over 75 possessions per game, just behind Arkansas for the conference lead and 36th nationally. The Tigers are the only SEC team averaging more than 80 points per game, are tied for the league lead and are packing in fans to watch future NBA stars. It’s an enviable position, and it may be one Johnson finds himself duplicating soon, but in the present Bama can’t win playing LSU’s game.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter @TideFansChris