Oklahoma
Alabama basketball vs. Oklahoma in SEC opener: What to know, including a familiar face
A familiar face will be in Coleman Coliseum as Alabama basketball tips off conference play this weekend.
The No. 6 Crimson Tide will host No. 10 Oklahoma for the SEC opener on Saturday with a start time of 5 p.m. CT.
Mohamed Wague will be back in the Plaid Palace to face his former Alabama (11-2) teammates for the first time since hitting the transfer portal in April.
More Mo in the building for Alabama basketball SEC Opener
With Wague’s return, Alabama’s Mouhamed Dioubate won’t be the only “Mo” in the building.
The 6-foot-10 Wague notched eight starts in 33 games played last season at UA. Despite playing through a knee injury down the stretch, he put up 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists per contest with three double-digit outings.
Now with the Sooners (13-0), Wague has yet to start, averaging 7.3 minutes off the bench. As the first-year SEC members stay undefeated, he’s registered averages of 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Oklahoma basketball will be pesky at perimeter
Alabama will need shots to fall like they did against South Dakota State − and probably better − to outlast Oklahoma from deep. The Crimson Tide has been productive in the paint this year, but beating an OU team that’s limiting opponents to just 27.1% from the arc requires a presence from 3-point range.
UA shot 31.7% on threes through non-conference play while Oklahoma cleared 36.7%.
While OU has picked up statement wins over Arizona, Louisville and Michigan, and advanced into the top 10 of the coaches poll, it’s ranked 43rd in the NET compared to No. 9 Alabama. That’s because the Sooners have played seven games against teams currently in Quad 4.
Crimson Tide can’t afford too many turnovers against Sooners
OU turns the ball over. Still not as much Alabama.
Entering Saturday, the Sooners are averaging 11.2 turnovers per game to 12.7 for Alabama. With Houston Mallette and Chris Youngblood back in the rotation, UA has gotten better about forcing them. However, if the two can’t get some steals against OU, Alabama could see itself fall victim to the Sooners, who are forcing over 14 turnovers per game on opponents, with an average 9.5 steals per contest.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.