Tennessee basketball hosts rival Alabama in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon in of its most challenging matchups of the entire season.
Both Alabama and Tennessee are vying for a one-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and the winner of Saturday’s matchup will have the upper hand entering the final week of the regular season.
Here’s everything to know about the SEC matchup.
More From RTI: Three Things To Watch For Ahead Of Tennessee Basketball vs. Alabama
How To Watch — No. 5 Tennessee (23-5, 10-5 SEC) vs. No. 6 Alabama (23-5, 12-3 SEC)
- Start Time: 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT
- Location: Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
- Watch: ESPN. PxP: Karl Ravech, CC: Dick Vitale and Jimmy Dykes, Sideline: Molly McGrath
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Betting Lines
- Tennessee -3.5 Alabama
- Over/under 154
- Tennessee -5 Alabama
- Over/under: 153
What Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said About The Crimson Tide
On what Tennessee has done well the last two seasons against Alabama’s offense
“Well, I don’t know. I mean, some of it we all know, when you’re making shots, I know this, when games are over with, again, I talk about they’re trying to do what they’re doing, we’re trying to do what we’re doing. And they still sometimes get the look I think they would say that was good. And as you know, sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn’t. But I just feel that both teams have really have competed at such a high level both ways.
“And I think they’re a better defensive team this year. I’m really impressed with them as offensive rebounders. And I look at how they play, we know that Nate (Oats) has done a tremendous job with his style of implementing what he wants to get done and got his players buying into their roles. And I’m just impressed with the consistency in which they’ve played the last couple years since he’s been there, and the fact that they know what they’re looking for. And he’ll tweak some things here or there, but he has stayed true to what he believes.”
On what makes Alabama’s Mark Sears one of the best guards in the league
“He’s had great success. He should be a confident player. You got to give a lot of credit to him and to Nate and his staff. They put him in a great position and he knows that system, what they want from him. But he’s been in a lot of high-level games and he, pretty much, I think he does what Nate wants him to do. I think a couple weeks back he wasn’t playing well, he didn’t play the whole half of the game, but it speaks volumes to he and his program in terms of what the standard they set and the fact that he has come back, and I think he’s been terrific. But he’s been as consistent as any part in the country in his time in the league.”
Probable Starters
Tennessee (via UT Game Notes):
Alabama (via last game):
Team Statistics (via KenPom)
Tennessee:
Alabama:
Individual Stat Leaders
Tennessee:
Points: Chaz Lanier — 17.8 PPG, 42.5 FG%, 41.3 3PT%
Rebounds: Igor Milicic — 7.6 RPG, 5.4 DRPG, 2.1 ORPG
Assists: Zakai Zeigler — 7.3 APG, 3.1 TOPG, 34.4 MPG
Alabama:
Points: Mark Sears — 19 PPG, 41 FG%, 35.7 3PT%
Rebounds: Grant Nelson — 7.9 RPG, 6.1 DRPG, 1.7 ORPG
Assists: Mark Sears — 5 APG, 2.8 TOPG, 32.2 MPG
Last Five Games
Tennessee:
- 65-59 win at LSU
- 77-69 win at Texas A&M
- 81-76 win versus Vanderbilt
- 75-64 loss at Kentucky
- 70-52 win at Oklahoma
Alabama:
- 111-73 win versus Mississippi State
- 96-83 win versus Kentucky
- 110-98 loss at Missouri
- 94-85 loss versus Auburn
- 103-80 win at Texas
Prediction
Tennessee has had Alabama’s number as of late, winning its last three matchups against the Crimson Tide dating back to the 2023 season. The Vols’ defense has seemingly had the formula to slow down Alabama’s daunted offense.
Turnovers is one of the big stories I’m watching for in this one. If Tennessee can turn Alabama over like they have the last few meetings then I think they have a great chance to earn the win. With Tennessee playing at home, it’s hard for me not to trust them to get the job done.
Tennessee 79, Alabama 73
