Alabama basketball hits the road to North Dakota in a Grant Nelson homecoming game ending seven straight games against teams in the power five. Read more for a full Alabama vs North Dakota prediction and preview.
The Crimson Tide is hitting the road for the last time before SEC play. Its headed up North to the Dakotas to face off against North Dakota in a home game for North Dakota native Grant Nelson, who will be surrounded by tons of friends and family in attendance.
General Information:
Teams: Alabama (8-2) and North Dakota (4-8)
Tip time: 9 p.m. EST
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Listen: Tide 100.9
Latest on North Dakota basketball:
North Dakota has been not so good to begin the season, getting off to a really slow start. It just wrapped up a home-and-home game with UTSA, losing 80-76 and 95-85. Treysen Eaglestaff had 24 points in the second game and has been the leading scorer for much of the season thus far. UND will be entering the contest, having lost four out of its last five contests, and will be facing its first AP-top 25 team this season.
Eaglestaff leads the team in scoring at 18.6 PPG. Omar Kuljuhovic leads the team in rebounding averaging 6.7 RPG. North Dakota has four guys averaging double-figures on the season and will need to step up in a big way to be able to pull off the upset.
Latest on Alabama basketball:
Alabama, is heading into its last three games of the non conference slate and will be facing off against mid majors the rest of the way figuring out its rotation while getting guys more minutes like Houston Mallette and Chris Youngblood, who are both getting acclimated and their feet back under them after being gone for majority of the season thus far. With Alabama being big favorites in this one it will be interesting to see its mentality after the seven game straight. Nelson, who will be playing in familiar territory, will probably be due for a big time performance. The Tide have consistently played 11 guys so far coach Oats usually plays nine to 10 guys a game.
Alabama, coming off a 6-30 night from the three point line will look to get back on track with getting Aden Holloway, Youngblood, and Mallette more looks from the outside.
As a team, Alabama is putting up 88.6 PPG and shooting 31.8% from three. By the analytics, Alabama’s defensive efficiency moved down after the Creighton game a couple of spots and is now just inside the top 40. The leading scorer for the Tide is Sears at 17.5 PPG and the leading rebounder is Grant Nelson, averaging 8.1 RPG.