Alabama

Alabama basketball vs. South Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

Alabama basketball vs. South Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report

Alabama basketball is aiming to score a victory over South Carolina on Tuesday, and it figures to be the Gamecocks’ toughest test yet this season.

South Carolina (13-1, 1-0 SEC) has only lost once all season, a 72-67 loss to Clemson on the road. But none of the wins have been especially signature. The best win was just this past Saturday against Mississippi State at home; the Bulldogs are ranked No. 29 in KenPom’s rankings.

Now, the Gamecocks will have to face the Crimson Tide on the road on Tuesday (6 p.m., SEC Network) at Coleman Coliseum. The question for Alabama is if it can not only get the win but also find a way to finish strong. That has been an issue at times this season for the Crimson Tide.

Ahead of the first SEC game of the season at Coleman Coliseum, here’s a look at how Alabama (9-5, 1-0) and South Carolina stack up.

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Projected starting lineup for South Carolina

Guard Meechie Johnson (junior): 6-foot-2, 184-pounds. Averages: 18.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 1.5 turnovers.

Guard Ta’Lon Cooper (senior): 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. Averages: 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 1.1 turnovers.

Forward Myles Stute (senior): 6-foot-6, 209 pounds. Averages: 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks, 1.4 turnovers.

Forward Stephen Clark (senior): 6-foot-8, 208 pounds. Averages: 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0. 1 steals, 0.9 blocks, 0.9 turnovers.

Center BJ Mack (senior): 6-foot-8, 270 pounds. Averages: 13.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.9 blocks, 1.1 turnovers.

This is an overall veteran group in the starting lineup. If not Clark starting at the four spot, Collin Murray-Boyles or Zachary Davis could start there.

South Carolina’s rotation

The Gamecocks have 10 players who have averaged 10 or more minutes per game. Outside of the starting five listed above, Davis has averaged the most time with 19.5 minutes per game. Two freshmen, Morris Ugusuk and Murray-Boyles, are included in that group, each seeing at least 12.4 minutes per game.

How South Carolina stacks up with Alabama in scoring, defense and tempo

KenPom tracks adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, which are points scored and allowed per 100 possessions. The Gamecocks are decent at both offense and defense but not elite in either.

As is the case in most matchups that Alabama plays, it will look to go significantly faster than South Carolina. KenPom measures the adjusted tempo statistic based on the number of possessions per 40 minutes.

Adjusted offensive efficiency:

South Carolina: 113.4 (49th nationally)

Alabama: 124.8 (1st)

Adjusted defensive efficiency:

South Carolina: 100.5 (78th)

Alabama: 100.5 (76th)

Tempo

South Carolina: 65.4 (329th)

Alabama: 73 (29th)

Score prediction

Alabama 90, South Carolina: 77: The Gamecocks defense will have its hands full, and they haven’t faced near the gauntlet of a schedule that Alabama has. With the game at Coleman Coliseum, the Crimson Tide offense has a strong outing to remain undefeated in SEC play.

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men’s basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

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Alabama

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

Published

3 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

How to watch, stream Alabama softball vs Texas for SEC championship

For the first time in five years, Alabama is heading to the SEC Softball Tournament championship.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) is coming off a 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11) on Thursday.

The Crimson Tide will face No. 4 Texas, which is coming off a walkout 5-4 win over No. 9 Georgia.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won its last conference championship.

Here’s what to know about how to follow the Crimson Tide against Texas in the SEC Tournament title game.

When does Alabama softball play vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

Location: John Cropp Stadium in Lexington, Ky.

Game time — 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9

First pitch in the Alabama softball vs. Texas matchup is set for 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 9 for the championship title.

What channel is Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament?

The 2026 SEC Softball Tournament conference championship game will air on ESPN.

How to listen to Alabama softball vs Texas in SEC Tournament

You can tune into each Alabama softball game on Catfish 100.1 FM.

2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket

Click here to see the full 2026 SEC Softball Tournament bracket.

2026 SEC softball standings, conference records

All conference records are as of entering the SEC Softball Tournament.

Oklahoma (20-4)
Alabama (19-5)
Florida (17-7)
Texas (16-8)
Tennessee (16-8)
Texas A&M (16-8)
Arkansas (15-9)
LSU (12-11)
Georgia (12-12)
Mississippi State (9-15)
Missouri (9-15)
South Carolina (7-17)
Ole Miss (6-18)
Auburn (4-19)
Kentucky (1-23)

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Published

15 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Alabama softball sends Florida home from SEC Tournament: What we learned

Alabama softball dominated all the way in its win to advance to its first SEC Tournament championship in five years.

The No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide (49-6) didn’t trail once in its 9-1 run-rule win over No. 3 seed Florida (48-10) on Friday, May 8. Alabama first opened tournament play with a 7-1 win over No. 7 Arkansas (42-11, 15-10) on Thursday.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Crimson Tide’s win over the Gators.

Alabama softball offense is starting to click at the right time

Alabama did not have to wait until the middle innings to find its offense this time.

Freshman Ambrey Taylor opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. It was Taylor’s 11th home run of the season and her second in as many days after also going deep against Arkansas in the quarterfinals.

Alabama continued to build from there. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second, Ana Roman singled to right field to bring in another run. Marlie Giles followed with a two-run single, pushing Alabama ahead 4-0 before the inning ended.

Jena Young doubled to drive in two more runs, with one coming across on a fielding error, at the bottom of the third. Alexis Pupillo followed with an RBI single to stretch Alabama’s lead to 6-1 by the end of the inning.

Pupillo shot an RBI-double off the wall and Audrey Vandagriff doubled to score another, extending Alabama’s lead to 8-1, threatening run-rule territory with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, securing the run rule with an RBI single by Taylor.

After needing a later-than-preferred power surge to pull away from Arkansas, Alabama’s lineup looked more comfortable early against Florida. The Crimson Tide finished with nine runs on 13 hits.

Vic Moten handles early pressure in first SEC Tournament appearance

Vic Moten’s first SEC Tournament appearance did not start easily, but the freshman pitcher kept Florida from taking advantage of the new kid on the block.

Moten walked two batters in the first inning but answered by striking out three straight Gators to keep the game scoreless heading into the bottom half.

Her pitch count climbed quickly. Moten threw more than 30 pitches in each of the first two innings and more than 20 in the third, reaching 87 pitches after just three. But after battling through traffic early, she settled in with a seven-pitch 1-2-3 fourth inning.

Alabama’s lead gave Moten margin for error, but Florida’s offense still had enough firepower to threaten a comeback. Moten ended the complete-game effort striking out four and one run on three hits with seven walks. Not bad for the freshman’s first postseason appearance.

Alabama moves one win away from SEC Tournament history

Alabama’s win over Florida moved the Crimson Tide one step closer to separating itself in SEC Softball Tournament history.

Both No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Florida entered Friday tied with six SEC Softball Tournament championships apiece. With the semifinal win, Alabama will now have a chance to become the first program in conference history to win a seventh SEC Tournament title.

The Crimson Tide had won only two of its last seven meetings against the Gators entering Friday, including a loss to Florida in the 2024 Women’s College World Series. This was the first postseason meeting between the two programs since then.

Alabama had not reached the SEC Tournament championship game since 2021, when it won the tournament title.

When does Alabama softball play again?

After beating No. 7 Arkansas and No. 3 Florida on back-to-back days, the Crimson Tide will face the winner of No. 4 Texas vs. No. 9 Georgia in the SEC Softball Tournament championship game at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 9.

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at ameliahurley_ or reach her at ahurley@usatodayco.com.

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Alabama

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Rabies warning issued after fox attacks person in Alabama

State health officials are urging people to keep their pets vaccinated for rabies after a fox in Elmore County and a raccoon in Lee County tested positive for the virus.

On May 1, the raccoon was spotted acting strangely near Auburn, and the fox emerged from a wooded area and attacked a person in Tallassee, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The person has sought medical treatment.

“Rabies is not seasonal, and we continue to see cases year-round, but late spring is a time when activity peaks, particularly in wildlife,” said Dr. Dee Jones, state veterinarian for the ADPH, “The primary risk of rabies from wildlife is our pets, and keeping them up to date on rabies vaccine is critical.”

Alabama state law requires that dogs, cats and ferrets 12 weeks of age and older be current with rabies vaccination. In addition to vaccination, area residents are advised to take the following precautions to avoid possible exposure to rabies:

Do not leave uneaten pet food or scraps near your residence.
Do not allow pets to run loose; confine them within a fenced-in area or with a leash.
Do not illegally feed or keep wildlife as pets.
Do not go near wildlife or domestic animals that are acting in a strange or unusual manner.
Caution children not to go near any stray or wild animal, regardless of its behavior.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

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