By Chris DePew
TideFans.com Staff
Feb. 21, 2018
Where to watch: Alabama (17-10, 8-6 SEC) at No. 12 Auburn (23-4, 11-3) – Today 7:30 pm. Central, Auburn Arena, SEC Network
Who to watch: Donta Hall. He only got to play 15 minutes and just attempted (and made) one shot in last month’s 76-71 Bama upset in Tuscaloosa. But Hall seems like he could have been crafted in a lab to attack these undersized Tigers. Averaging 11.6 point, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, Hall lives to vacuum up misses near the rim and polish off gorgeous lob passes with thunderous dunks. And he figures to have even more room to operate after Auburn lost Anfernee McLemore over the weekend to a gruesome leg injury. That leaves Auburn with two 6-foot-8 role players to man the paint – and nothing else. As Tennessee, Florida and Rhode Island can attest, Hall can run riot over frontcourts that don’t have the size and physical skills to match him.
What to watch for: Can the Tide close out a tight game? When the seconds wind down and the pressure ramps up, Alabama hasn’t been able to answer the bell for the last round lately. Bama entered the last media timeout Saturday at Kentucky trailing just 69-66 but had five turnovers in the last 3:35 and lost by 10. Over the last 4:29 at Mississippi State, the Crimson Tide went 2-for-10 from the field as a one-point deficit turned into a four-point loss. And despite a listless performance against Missouri, Bama still had a chance to erase a seven-point deficit with 3:56 remaining but inexplicably got outscored 4-2 to end the game. That’s not a comforting precedent when visiting an archrival having a historic season.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter @TideFansChris