How to watch: No. 5 Alabama basketball at South Carolina

A blowout win over Oklahoma in Alabama’s SEC opener was great to see, but Nate Oats is interested in learning how his team’s success will translate on the road in conference play. The head coach will get his wish this week as the No. 5 Crimson Tide travels to South Carolina on Wednesday before visiting No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday.

“Looking forward to our first conference road game,” Oats said. “These are games where you find out if your team is going to be able to compete for a championship or not.”

First up for Alabama (12-2, 1-0) is a matchup against South Carolina (10-4, 0-1). The Gamecocks will be looking to shake off an ugly start to SEC play after suffering an 85-50 defeat to Mississippi State over the weekend. Alabama is currently a 10.5-point favorite heading into the matchup. However, Oats is expecting to face a much better South Carolina team when the Tide takes the court inside Colonial Life Arena on Wednesday night.

“This is a team that has beaten Clemson at home,” Oats said. “They’ve been a little bit up and down. Obviously, they didn’t play well against Mississippi State – we all saw that score. But I think we should expect a team more like what played Clemson than what played Mississippi State. Coming off that loss, I’m sure Coach Paris will have them ready to go.”

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Alabama’s first SEC road game of the season.

Who: No. 5 Alabama (12-2, 1-0) vs. South Carolina (10-4, 0-1)

When: 6 p.m. CT, Wednesday, Jan. 8

Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia S.C.

Watch: SEC Network (Play-By-Play: Dave Neal, Analyst: Ron Slay)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink, Sideline: Roger Hoover)

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

Stats: 18.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.4 apg, 40.5% FG, 33.3% 3-pt

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

Stats: 12.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.0 apg, 53.5% FG, 28.3% 3-pt

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

Stats: 4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 35.0% FG, 20.9% 3-pt

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

Stats: 13.1 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 55.9% FG, 28.6% 3-pt

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

Stats: 7.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 0.7 apg, 73.6% FG

Jamarii Thomas: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, senior

Stats: 12.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.5 apg, 37.4% FG, 36.8% 3-pt

Jacobi Wright: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, senior

Stats: 8.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 41.3% FG, 41.0% 3-pt

Zachary Davis: 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, junior

Stats: 9.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 45.7% FG, 28.1% 3-pt

Collin Murray-Boyles: 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 15.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 61.8% FG, 33.3% 3-pt

Nick Pringle: 6-foot-10, 220 pounds, graduate

Stats: 10.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 apg, 66.7% FG

At this point, the only reminders that Labaron Philon is still a freshman are the conference awards he continues to rack up. The starting guard certainly hasn’t been playing like a first-year player.

Philon earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for a second straight week, following a strong performance against Oklahoma over the weekend. The Mobile, Alabama native recorded 16 points on 5 of 10 shooting against the Sooners, tallying five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. It marked his 10th double-digit scoring performance and the fifth time he posted five or more assists in a game. Philon now leads the conference with three SEC Freshman of the Week Awards this season.

Following Tuesday’s practice, Oats was asked what he’s seeing from Philon now that he wasn’t seeing when the guard first joined Alabama over the summer.

“That’s a good question because he was pretty good in the preseason,” Oats responded. “He’s definitely got some experience. I think he understands that every play matters. … He’s starting to realize that the margin for error at this level is pretty thin, so every play matters — both offense and defense.”

Mark Sears gets more attention, but the other returning starter from last season’s Final Four run is putting up some impressive numbers as well. Grant Nelson logged his fourth double-double of the season against Oklahoma, scoring 12 points to go with 11 rebounds while also chipping in a pair of blocks and steals.

The graduate forward’s double-double tally should be even higher. He finished one rebound away from the feat during wins over North Carolina and Rutgers and a point away in the win over Kent State. Nelson also finished two rebounds away from a double-double in victories over South Dakota State and Illinois.

Nelson currently leads Alabama with 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while ranking second on the team averaging 13.1 points. He is making 55.9% of attempts from the floor, including 28.6% from beyond the arc. Each one of those stats is an improvement from last year when he was battling through some bumps and bruises while adjusting to an increased level of play following his transfer from North Dakota State.

“I think he’s been a lot more aggressive on the glass. I think he’s just being more assertive. He’s getting to the rim,” Oats said. “He’s been shooting the 3 a little bit better here the last week or two. If we can get him to keep his foot on the line he’s have three more 3s the last two games, but he has been shooting it better. We’re trying to post him a little more because he can pass out of it. He was turning it over a month or so ago, he’s done a better job of that, not turning it over when we post him.”

While Nelson’s post play has improved, the addition of Rutgers transfer center Cliff Omoruyi has allowed him to play more at his preferred four position. That’s given Nelson more opportunities to use his 6-foot-11 frame to his advantage against smaller competition.

The Gamecocks will be down a starter on Wednesday night, as Myles Stute was ruled out indefinitely with a left lower leg deep vein thrombosis (blood clot). Stue has started all 14 games for South Carolina this season, averaging 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by Zachary Davis or Morris Ugusuk.

— Sears became the fifth player in program history with 1,500 points and 200 three-pointers in their Alabama career.

— Since the start of last season Alabama has scored 100 points or more in 14 games, which ranks No. 1 throughout Division I.

— Since Oats arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2019-20, Alabama is tied with Kentucky for a league-best 63 wins during SEC play.

— South Carolina has made 10 or more 3-pointers four times this season, winning each one of them.

— The Gamecocks have eight South Carolina natives on their roster, including former Alabama player Nick Pringle.

— South Carolina is 11-1 when shooting 50% or better under third-year head coach Lamont Paris. That includes a 3-0 mark this season.