By Chris DePew
TideFans.com staff
Jan. 25, 2017
Where to watch: Alabama (11-7, 4-2) at Georgia (12-7, 4-3) – 8 p.m. Central today, Stegeman Coliseum, ESPNU
Who to watch: Riley Norris. Expecting a 20-point outburst like he had at LSU is unfair, but his 13 points against Missouri and 10 against Auburn seems like a sustainable contribution when he is playing well and a positive mercy for a team that remains allergic to scoring. After a deep slump early in the year that got him yanked from the starting lineup, Norris has battled back to raise his average to 8.3 points per game. Surprisingly for someone who has picked up the reputation of a gritty player doing dirty work, his rebounding average has slumped to a career-worst 3.7 per game, including just two boards at Auburn. If he can goose that number up and sustain his scoring average, it gives the Crimson Tide a much better shot to win.
What to watch for: Finding a way to contain Yante Maten. For anyone who misses the days of genuine player development, the Bulldogs’ junior power forward is a delightful throwback. After averaging just five points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, he more than tripled his scoring average last year and has polished his game this season to become a viable SEC player of the year candidate. His 19.6 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per contest are second- and third-best in the league respectively. The best way to attack him may be by going right at him on offense, which would fall primarily to Braxton Key. Maten has fouled out of three games this year, including losses to Oakland and Florida.
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