STARKVILLE – Two programs that think they can contend for a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball title will get their chance to prove it in Humphrey Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
Without a Western Division to battle over, the University of Alabama and Mississippi State University will be a pivotal matchup to possibly see who gets the final of the four byes in the SEC Tournament in March.
The two schools, just 85 miles apart, will showcase a style of big-boy or as MSU junior forward Arnett Moultrie referred to it Thursday night, which is “grown man” physical basketball where the game will likely be one close to the hoop with the large man in the paint.
Alabama’s defense is its calling card under coach Anthony Grant, as it is eighth best in the nation, with an allowed average of 55.7 points per game. The Tide’s opponents are connecting on just 36.7 percent of their field goal attempts, the sixth lowest rate in the country.
Forward Tony Mitchell leads Alabama with 15.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg and he has been consistent all season, scoring in double-figures in 15-of-16 games so far.
“Alabama will get up into you and will pressure you on offense,” MSU coach Rick Stansbury said. “They will get up into you in the half-court defense, and they will also mix it up with their zone defense. Alabama is a very good defensive team, and they will be very physical.”
The Crimson Tide (13-3, 2-0 in SEC play), who started the season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press preseason poll, is led by forwards Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green at 14.9 and 14.2 points respectively. Green only had eight points with his 10 rebounds last game, but the senior forward has proven to be an impact player this season as he continues to get fully healthy after an injury slowed his progress after Christmas break. Green, a former McDonald’s All-American has had three 20-point performances in his last seven games and is second on the team in scoring and rebounding.
The Bulldogs is going to counter with the two frontcourt players that led MSU (14-3, 1-1) in scoring and rebounding with Moultrie and junior center Renardo Sidney.
“They’ve got a very good team,” third-year Bama coach Anthony Grant said. “The guys up front with Moultrie and Sidney are probably one of the biggest frontcourts that we’ll see this year. They’ve played extremely well and have had a lot of success this season.”
Tennessee’s frontcourt physicality was able to hold Moultrie to just four rebounds, a season-low total by four and just one on the offensive end. Moultrie’s inability to get to the offensive glass limited the Bulldogs to just eight second-chance points. The Tide will gladly take that lack of production from the MSU big athletics players in the paint.
Alabama was the momentum opponent that dictated the direction of which last year’s MSU season went as the Crimson Tide defeated the Bulldogs in both games by more than double digits.
In the SEC opener last season, MSU was embarrassed in a 75-57 loss at Humphrey Coliseum to Alabama while Moultrie watched on the bench in his transfer season and freshman guard Rodney Hood was still dominating teams at Meridian High School. Grant’s Tide program will have to account for MSU’s influx of new talent in the rivalry contest.
“It’s a big game,” Moultrie said. “It’s going to be physical. Alabama is one of the best teams in the league, and we’re going to have to play our style.”
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