By Chris DePew
TideFans.com Staff
Dec. 6, 2017
Where to watch: Alabama (6-1) vs. Rhode Island (5-2) – Today 7 p.m. Central, Coleman Coliseum, SEC Network-Plus (online only)
Who to watch: Donta Hall. Coming off a career-high 20 points against UCF, will Hall start demanding more of the offense run through him? He was perfect from the field against the Knights and is hitting better than three-quarters of his shots from the floor this season. Arguably he should be asking for the ball more, which in turn should open up better opportunities for Bama’s slumping guards. He is the one player on the floor the undersized Rams won’t have an obvious answer for, and the moment is ripe for Hall to dominate.
What to watch for: Will Rhode Island’s veteran guards show up Bama’s young backcourt? Even with their best player, E.C. Matthews, unavailable due to injury, the Rams feature three other senior guards that can make life miserable for Alabama’s slumping freshmen. Rhode Island racks up assists, seldom turns the ball over and makes 40 percent of its 3-pointers. The Rams gave Oregon a scare last spring in the second round of the NCAA tournament and have beaten a pair of Big East teams expected to reach the big dance this season. The Crimson Tide’s season will ultimately be defined by how well Collin Sexton and John Petty can blend their individual talents into a high-functioning unit, and this is an early gut check to see how far along that development is.
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