By Chris DePew
TideFans.com Staff
Jan. 13, 2018
Where to watch: Alabama (10-6, 2-2 SEC) at LSU (11-4, 2-1) – Today 7:30 p.m. Central, Pete Maravich Assembly Center, SEC Network
Who to watch: Collin Sexton. While his showdown at the end of the month with Oklahoma’s Trae Young is already drawing national hype, he has another high-stakes point guard matchup waiting in Baton Rouge against Tremont Waters. Sexton is a more aggressive shooter and does a better job getting to the foul line, which is a big part of why he is the SEC’s leading scorer. Waters can score too, especially from 3-point range, but he’s more of a classic point guard whose average of 6.1 assists per game is tops in the league. For the Crimson Tide to get a crucial road win, Sexton must avoid foul trouble in order to stay in the flow of the offense and will have to probably stretch himself past the 29 minutes he plays on average.
What to watch for: Bama’s interior defense. LSU scores better than 82 points a game on the strength of its ability to hit from close range. The Tigers shoot 59 percent from inside the arc, sixth-best in all of Division I, and ripped up Arkansas’ press Wednesday in a road blowout. To counter, Alabama may turn to one of its most underrated abilities – blocking shots. Led by Donta Hall (2.4 blocks per game) and Daniel Giddens (1.4), the Tide swats more than six shots per game. If Bama can alter a few shots early, it could throw LSU off rhythm and provide an opening to spring the upset.
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