By Chris DePew
TideFans.com Staff
Dec. 30, 2018
Where to watch: Alabama (8-3 – #66 Pomeroy Rating) at Stephen F. Austin (7-4 – #175) – Today, 5 p.m. Central, William R. Johnson Coliseum, ESPNU
Who to watch: Donta Hall. The senior from Luverne has met or exceeded his 11 points-per-game average in each of his last five contests, so hopefully the nights where he barely gets scoring chances are just an uncomfortable memory. Hall is finally reaching his full potential as a rebounding machine in his final go round, pulling in 7.6 rebounds per night. The Lumberjacks’ best line of defense is Minnesota transfer (by way of Texas A&M) Davonte Fitzgerald, but the 6-foot-8 senior never made much impact over three seasons in the Big Ten and SEC. If all goes well, Hall should get a chance to knock off rust and build confidence ahead of next weekend’s Kentucky showdown.
What to watch for: A seasonally-appropriate spirit of sharing. The Crimson Tide is actually a little better at getting assists this season but still averages an anemic 12.6 per game, outside the top 200 nationally. No player averages even three assists per game. SFA is a hard team to get a bead on statistically because it loaded up the schedule with small schools, but in six games against Division 1 schools, the ’Jacks are giving up 16.3 assists per contest. At least one of Kira Lewis or Dazon Ingram should be able to show off their playmaking skills today.
Follow Chris DePew on Twitter @TideFansChris