By Chris DePew
TideFans.com staff
Feb. 1, 2017
Where to watch: Alabama (13-7, 6-2 SEC) at Arkansas (16-5, 5-3) – Today 6 p.m. Central, Bud Walton Arena, SEC Network
Who to watch: Donta Hall. Even as Bama’s lineups have gotten bigger the past few games, Hall’s role on offense seems to have shrunk. Instead he has concentrated more on patrolling the paint, grabbing rebounds (17 in his last two games combined) and swatting shots (three blocks against Mississippi State). Now he matches up against possibly the best player he’s faced this year, preseason SEC player of the year Moses Kingsley. The Razorbacks will likely be looking to get back to basics after a listless blowout loss at Oklahoma State snapped a four-game winning streak, and that means giving more touches to their 6-10 senior center. Kingsley is actually scoring less this year (12.1 points per game versus 15.9 as a junior) and grabbing fewer rebounds (8.0 a night vs. 9.3 last season). But when he plays with aggression he is hard to stop, and the Crimson Tide has a mixed record at best when it comes to slowing down talented big men.But if Hall can add three or four field goals to the mix, it makes Bama much more dangerous.
What to watch for: If the recent offensive uptick is for real. With 80 points at Georgia and 71 against MSU, Bama broke the 70-plus barrier in back-to-back games for the first time since opening the season with three consecutive games scoring in the 70s. And while both those wins came by comfortable margins, the Tide will need every point it can find in Fayetteville, as the Hogs have been held under 70 points just once this season. The good news is that Arkansas is vulnerable on defense (allowing more than 74 points per game), particularly in the paint, and isn’t a great rebounding team. If Dazon Ingram’s dribble drive is effective and Braxton Key can create mischief down low, Alabama could validate its impressive-looking SEC record with another substantial road win.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter @TideFansChris