Alabama @ Arkansas preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2018 ) Arkansas 76, Alabama 73

Alabama enters its regular-season finale Saturday at Arkansas with no margin for error after a disappointing loss to Auburn that further damaged the Crimson Tide’s NCAA Tournament hopes. Alabama blew a 13-point second-half lead at home Tuesday in falling to its in-state rival, its fifth loss in the past seven games that dropped the Crimson Tide below .500 in league play and increases the urgency to make a run during next week’s SEC tournament.

“We are still trying to put our finger on why we just don’t have the effort and energy in the second half that we need, and why we don’t make great decisions with the basketball,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson told the media postgame, after the Crimson Tide committed 19 turnovers – six in a six-minute span as Auburn rallied. The Razorbacks also need a long surge in the SEC tournament to have any shot at reaching the NCAAs, but following a six-game losing streak enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak after an upset over Mississippi and a blowout of Vanderbilt on Wednesday. “Our defense was really good, and once our defense was going, we obviously started to execute offensively and then we made some shots,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson told the media after his team scored 55 points in the second half. Both teams are guaranteed of finishing no worse than 10th in the league, meaning both will get a bye into the second round of next week’s league tournament.


TV: 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT ALABAMA (17-13, 8-9 SEC): Freshman guard Kira Lewis Jr. leads the Crimson Tide in scoring at 14 points per game and is shooting 36.8 percent from 3-point range, leading the way with 13 points against Auburn. Senior forward Donta Hall ranks second in the SEC in rebounding per game (8.6) and is second on the team in scoring at 10.9 points per game. Alabama is next-to-last in the league in defending opposing shooters (43.8 percent).

ABOUT ARKANSAS (16-14, 7-10): Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford scored 20 points in the victory over Vanderbilt and begins the weekend leading the SEC in field-goal percentage (66.1 percent) and fourth in scoring at 16.6 points per game. Freshman guard Isaiah Joe made his 104th 3-pointer of the season Wednesday, setting a new school record, and is nine off the all-time freshman SEC mark. Arkansas has forced 504 turnovers this season, second in the SEC, and has nine games of 20-plus turnovers forced.

TIP-INS

1. Joe finished 4-of-6 from 3-point range against Vanderbilt and leads the SEC in shooting from long range (43 percent).

2. The Crimson Tide are 13th in the SEC and 283rd in the country in free-throw percentage (67.4 percent).

3. The Razorbacks are second in the SEC and 21st nationally at 16.2 assists per game.

PREDICTION: Arkansas 76, Alabama 72