After surviving the gauntlet stretch of its non-conference schedule, No. 6 Alabama will hope a chilly trip to the Great Plains won’t cool down its recent run. North Dakota native Grant Nelson will get a homecoming game as the Crimson Tide travels to face North Dakota on Wednesday night. The matchup will be the first leg of a two-for-one series with the Fighting Hawks traveling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2025 and 2027.

Wednesday will mark the first matchup between Alabama and UND. Nelson, on the other hand, boasts a 6-1 record against the Fighting Hawks, dating back to his time at North Dakota State. The Devils Lake, North Dakota native averaged 16.8 points and 5.28 rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor, including 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc in those seven games. That includes his last outing against UND when he dropped 36 points and seven boards while shooting 13 of 20 from the floor.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game.

Who: No. 6 Alabama (8-2) at North Dakota (4-8)

When: 8 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 14

Where: Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Watch: CBS Sports Network (play-by-play: Alex Heinert, analyst: Shon Morris, sideline Missy Heidrick)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (play-by-play: Roger Hoover, analyst: Bryan Passink)

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 17.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.0 apg, 39.0% FG, 31.8% 3-pt

Labaron Philon: 6-foot-4, 177 pounds, freshman

Stats: 11.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 53.5% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Jarin Stevenson: 6-foot-11, 215 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 4.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 38.5% FG, 24.1% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, graduate

Stats: 12.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 51.2% FG, 27.6% 3-pt

Clifford Omoruyi: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, graduate

Stats: 8.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 71.4% FG

Eli King: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 6.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 33.8% FG, 34.3% 3-pt

Mier Panoam: 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 11.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38.6% FG, 24.0% 3-pt

Treyshen Eaglestaff: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, junior

Stats: 18.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 42.4% FG, 37.1% 3-pt

Deng Mayar: 6-foot-8, 180 pounds, senior

Stats: 4.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.3 apg, 41.0% FG, 35.7% 3-pt

Amar Kulijuhov: 6-foot-8, 2225 pounds, senior

Stats: 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 53.4% FG

Nate Oats knows he’ll have far more talent on the floor than his opposition on Wednesday night. The Alabama head coach even admitted as much during his Tuesday press conference. It’s hard to find a betting line for Wednesday’s matchup, but it’s safe to say the Tide is heavily favored.

While Alabama is confident about coming back from North Dakota with a win, Oats is hoping to see his team display better focus than it has at times this season. The Tide played with its food during non-conference wins against Arkansas State and McNeese State in November. Last week, it allowed Creighton to get back into the game twice before polishing off the Bluejays for an 83-75 victory. Regardless of the score Wednesday night, Oats said he wants to see his team play winning basketball for 40 minutes.

“We’ve got some guys that are really talented, want to be good, don’t quite realize the mental side of it, staying locked in on every possession to close the game,” Oats said. “We’ve got to play every possession. We can’t play the score. We’ve got to be locked in and try to get stops every possession.”

North Dakota guard Treysen Eaglestaff leads the Summit League averaging 18.6 points per game and has recorded at least 12 points in all of his 12 starts this season. While the majority of that production has come against mid-major opposition, the 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior scored 13 points while shooting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc during a loss at Notre Dame in November.

“He’s a good shooter, can get to the rim, get to the free-throw line,” Oats said. “He’s good, and they know he’s good. They get him the ball all kinds of different ways.”

Oats said Alabama might treat Eaglestaff the way it did North Carolina guard R.J. Davis, by putting a bigger body on him. Davis scored 18 points during Alabama’s 94-79 win at North Carolina earlier this month. However, the Tide was able to hold the reigning ACC Player of the Year to 1 of 11 shooting from beyond the arc.

— Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the best rebounding teams in the nation. North Dakota ranks No. 8, averaging 15.08 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Alabama ranks No. 8, averaging 30.4 defensive boards.

— Nelson currently ranks fifth in the SEC averaging 8.0 rebounds per game.

— Wednesday’s game will be a drop in competition for an Alabama team that has faced eight programs that currently rank inside KenPom’s top 100. Six of those rank inside the top 50.

— Paul Sather is in his sixth season at North Dakota. With 65 victories, he is one of eight coaches in program history to reach the 60-win mark.

— North Dakota was picked to finish sixth in the Summit League while Eaglestaff and Amar Kuljuhaovic earned First Team All-Summit League recognition.