Alabama basketball is looking to put the college hoops scene on an upset alert for its first appearance in the Players Era Festival.
As of the Coaches Poll release on Monday, Houston took Alabama’s slot at No. 7, and now the No. 9 Crimson Tide (4-1) find themselves in the unusual position of underdog as the Cougars are a 71.9 percent favorite to win.
Tuesday’s game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT on TBS and will be broadcast on TV, as well as streaming platforms including Sling, Hulu and Max.
Nov 8, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) dribbles against the Arkansas State Red Wolves during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Image
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Alabama basketball to face No. 2 scoring defense in country
After Sunday’s slate of games, Alabama stood at 248th among Division I basketball programs allowing opponents an average 74.2 points per game with 371 total through five contests.
Meanwhile, Houston has given up a meager 203 points on the season, averaging 50.8 given up per matchup, but that’s only through four games of a notably weaker schedule.
As of Monday, KenPom ranks Alabama’s strength of schedule at No. 43 in the country, while Houston − although ranked first overall by the analytics system − has a schedule that ranks No. 276.
The Cougars are 3-1 on the season with wins over Jackson State, Louisiana and Hofstra, only taking one five-point loss to No. 3 Auburn in lieu of the viral plane incident.
Cougars known for keeping it close against Crimson Tide
Although the series is tied 3-3, Alabama has picked up two wins over the last four seasons against Houston, and both meetings came down to the wire.
When UA last visited Texas in December 2022, Alabama won 71-65. In 2021, UA won 83-82.
On the season, Houston’s games have been separated by an average of 36 points. Still, expect this scoreboard to look more like what coach Kelvin Sampson’s crew posted against Auburn in game No. 2 of the season.
Homecoming for Houston basketball’s Milos Uzan
Nov 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) dribbles the ball as Auburn Tigers guard Chad Baker-Mazara (10) defends during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Alternatively, Houston guard Milos Uzan could feel the fire of being back in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Since his transfer from Oklahoma, the 6-foot-4 junior has been out to fill the void of now-Toronto Raptor Jamal Shead for the Cougars. Currently, Uzan is 20th in the country with an average 6.3 assists per game. He also leads Houston with 16 defensive rebounds. While spending about 25 minutes on the floor per game, he’s putting up an average 8.8 points and had 10 at Auburn.
However, Houston’s demise against the Tigers came with the help of five fouls and three turnovers for Uzan, which exposes a weak spot where Alabama can force some costly errors and find room for a run in what’s bound to be a tight one.
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Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Can Alabama basketball overcome No. 2 Houston defense in Las Vegas?
