By Chris DePew
TideFans.com Staff
Nov. 24, 2017
Where to watch: No. 25 Alabama (4-0) vs. BYU (3-1) -1:30 p.m. Central today, Steinberg Wellness Center (New York), Stadium via Facebook Live (online only)
Who to watch: John Petty. The freshman guard has attempted 49 field goals in his brief college career, and 40 of them have come from behind the arc. Excluding his 10 treys against hapless Alabama A&M, Petty is just 7-for-27 in the other three games. His shot will come around, but he needs to develop a more complete game and attack the basket more (only two free throw attempts all season). It was no coincidence that Bama nearly got upset by Texas-Arlington on the night Petty only managed eight points.
What to watch for: How the Crimson Tide defends another quality backcourt. UTA point guard Erick Neal scorched Bama on Tuesday for a dozen assists and 16 points, but the Tide turned the game around when it started pressuring him more and forcing turnovers after halftime. Today’s challenge is BYU point guard T.J. Haws, who was an all-WCC player as a freshman last year. So far this season he is averaging 13.3 points and five assists per game and hitting better than 44 percent from 3-point range. Junior guard Elijah Bryant is another sharpshooter and leads the Cougars with 21.5 points per game.
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