Alabama basketball squares off against familiar foe in Coach Will Wade for a Monday night showdown to finish off the three-game homestand inside Coleman Coliseum.
From coaching against one another in the intense one-point win for Alabama in the SEC Title game in 2021, Will Wade and Nate Oats are clashing against one another again this time, with Wade coaching a different team from last time. Alabama and McNeese State are meeting for the fourth time in program history, with the Tide winning the first three with the previous matchup in over 24 years, where Alabama won 90-61.
General Information
Teams: Alabama (2-0) and McNeese State (1-1)
Tip time: 7 p.m. EST
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: Tide 100.9
What to know about McNeese State:
McNeese State is coming off a 1-1 week, taking a tough loss to South Dakota State on a neutral floor, but bounced back in a big way against Division II school Biblical Studies 111-57, where six guys had double-figure scoring with Javohn Garcia leading the way in scoring with 21 points.
This season, the team was projected to win the Southland Conference with a loaded team filled with former power five transfers, Bryant Selebangue, Brandon Murray, and Quadir Copeland. In total, the team has six transfers into the program this season alone. McNeese will not be like a lot of lower-level mid-majors because they will have opportunities to match up 1-5 with their size and athleticism all over the court.
The team likes to press after scoring, which has given Alabama tough times in the past.
Latest on Alabama basketball:
Alabama is coming off the barn burner of a game on Friday night against Arkansas State in a very sloppy game overall where the Tide could not get going offensively with the many stoppages. Alabama shot 6-31 from three on Friday, which probably will not happen often, so expect the shots to fall from the outside on Monday.
Through two games this season, Alabama has four guys averaging double figures in Mark Sears, Clifford Omoruyi, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., and Labaron Philon. Sears leads the way averaging 19 PPG despite not hitting a three last time out. The team is shooting 28.6% from three and looks to get into a rhythm from behind the arc.