NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Alabama’s victory over Missouri again on Jan. 21 ought to include an asterisk. The Crimson Tide flexed their muscular tissues at Mizzou Enviornment of their 85-64 victory, however that wasn’t the identical Mizzou workforce that’s gained 24 video games, toppled six nationally ranked opponents and heads into Saturday’s rematch on a five-game profitable streak.
When the Tigers hosted Alabama two months in the past, they performed with out All-Southeastern Convention ahead Kobe Brown, who sat out with a young ankle, leaving the Tigers with out their workforce captain, main scorer, main rebounder and most correct 3-point shooter.
The No. 25 Tigers clinched a spot in Saturday’s SEC event semifinals with Friday’s 79-71 win over No. 17 Tennessee, incomes a rematch with the No. 4 Crimson Tide for a midday tip-off and the possibility to play in Sunday’s championship sport. Alabama, the bracket’s prime seed and a possible No. 1 seed within the NCAA Event, made fast work of Mississippi State in Friday’s quarterfinals, a 72-49 thrashing.
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Again in January, Mizzou traded blows with the Tide for the opening stretches however couldn’t get better from a 10-point halftime deficit. The Tigers shot simply 3 of 28 from 3-point vary towards one of many nation’s greatest defenses.
The stakes have modified. The lineups, too.
“Having Kobe is a large distinction, having that submit presence,” Tigers guard D’Moi Hodge stated Friday. “We have now Noah Carter and Mo Diarra, however to have Kobe, a dominant first-team (All-SEC) participant … he shoots the ball at a excessive price, he posts up. We are able to exploit mismatches with Alabama. So simply having the arrogance to know that we’ve bought his again and he’s bought our again, we’ll be absolutely loaded.
“We’ll strive our greatest to return out victorious. We all know how arduous they play. They play quick and sensible like us. We play the identical type of sport.”
“I consider we had Alabama on the ropes for some time at house,” Mizzou’s DeAndre Gholston added. “And we simply made some dangerous defensive errors, which we corrected again then. However having Kobe is certainly a giant piece for us.”
When the Tide and Tigers final performed, Mizzou had guard Isiaih Mosley to hold among the scoring slack — he scored 19 factors in 33 minutes off the bench — however his absence from the workforce continued Friday and he’s not anticipated again Saturday.
With Brown, although, the Tigers have their greatest inside-outside scoring risk, a talented playmaker and prolific rebounder. Brown, a local of Huntsville, Alabama, scorched his home-state workforce for 30 factors in a house victory final yr.
Contemporary off scoring 24 factors Friday, Brown tried to downplay the importance of the Alabama rematch, however getting a shot on the top-seeded Tide clearly means one thing for the senior.
“It’s fairly large to me,” he stated. “Clearly being from there, being an in-state child and going to Missouri, it’s at all times enjoyable to play the house workforce. It’s an necessary sport, however I’m not it prefer it’s a giant deal only for me. I simply need to play with my guys and maintain enjoying so long as we will.”
For the Tigers, Friday’s win prompted a measured celebration within the locker room. Dennis Gates’ first Mizzou roster is Mizzou’s first workforce to achieve the SEC event semifinals, however they didn’t come right here to finish their keep Saturday.
“We consider, as we are saying, we deserve a seat on the desk,” Gholston stated. “Packages like Tennessee, they’ve latest historical past and so they’re a terrific workforce. However we consider we’re right here now. Coach Gates is a superb coach. He has nice gamers. We consider it’s our flip, our time and we’re right here to point out it.”
“We expect we deserve quite a bit. We don’t get quite a bit, but it surely’s all good,” Brown stated. “We’re simply right here to shock the world. That’s our purpose.”
Simpler stated than carried out towards Alabama and SEC participant of the yr Brandon Miller, who’s been the middle of scrutiny for his function in January’s deadly capturing that led to capital homicide prices for a former teammate. Miller, who allegedly delivered the homicide weapon to the scene of the crime however hasn’t been charged with against the law, didn’t miss a sport whereas native authorities investigated the case and completed the common season because the SEC’s main scorer. The Tide are loaded with different abilities, too, together with second-team All-SEC guard Mark Sears and all-freshman workforce standouts Jaden Bradley and Noah Clowney.
The Tigers’ breakout season earned Gates a brand new contract and 60% increase, however he wasn’t going to spend Friday celebrating.
“Tonight’s a sleepless evening,” Gates stated. “I will watch most likely each sport they performed for the reason that final sport we performed them, dial into all of the notes that I’ve.”