Furman @ Alabama preview

The good news for Alabama entering Tuesday’s home matchup with Furman is that sophomore guard Kira Lewis Jr. continues living up to his preseason All-SEC billing, but that hasn’t been enough for the Crimson Tide to avoid losing two of their first three games. Lewis scored 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field Friday at Rhode Island in a game Alabama trailed by 21 points with 17 minutes left and then rallied to within five points before falling 93-79.

“I thought our guys did a pretty good job of staying with it in the second half,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats told reporters postgame. “We just didn’t have anything left. I don’t think we handled adversity well in the first half.” Lewis is averaging 22.3 points on 51 percent shooting from the field and 38.9 percent shooting from 3-point range along with 6.3 rebounds (second on the team) and a team-leading 5.7 assists. But one problem in the early going has been turnovers, as Alabama is averaging 18.7 miscues as opponents have registered 36 steals in three games. The Paladans have won their first four games by an average of 24.3 points and are averaging 82.8 points on offense.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT FURMAN (4-0): Junior forward Clay Mounce leads a balanced scoring attack at 15.5 points, one of four players averaging double figures scoring, and is shooting 22-for-35 from the field and 10-for-19 on 3-point attempts. The Paladins are shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range, as sophomore forward Jalen Slawson (10.0 points) is 16-for-23 from the field and sophomore forward Noah Gurley (15.0 points) is 23-for-34 shooting. Furman will return to the state of Alabama next month to face No. 18 Auburn on Dec. 5.

ABOUT ALABAMA (1-2): Redshirt freshman forward Javian Davis scored 11 points with seven rebounds at Rhode Island and has made a positive impression in two starts, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 9-for-17 from the field. Alabama junior guard/forward Herbert Jones returned against Rhode Island after missing a game with an injury, finishing with 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting and two blocked shots. The Crimson Tide have averaged 42.3 rebounds through three games and are outrebounding opponents on average by 8.6.

TIP-INS

1. Tuesday’s contest is part of the Battle 4 Atlantis, with Alabama facing No. 4 North Carolina on Nov. 27 followed by a matchup with either Michigan or Iowa State the next day.

2. Alabama freshman G Jaden Shackelford is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points, including 16 points in a season-opening loss to Penn and 17 points in a victory over Florida Atlantic.

3. Furman is 20-2 in its past 22 non-conference regular-season games, the two losses coming in December 2017 at Tennessee and in December 2018 at LSU.

PREDICTION: Alabama 81, Furman 78