The second-seed in the SEC Tournament will be on the line on Wednesday night when the Alabama Crimson Tide host the Florida Gators in a top-10 matchup in Tuscaloosa.
Both teams have explosive offensives, and the Gators can also shut opponents down on the defensive side of the floor. It’s an intriguing matchup, easily the best on a solid Wednesday night slate.
How To Watch Florida vs. Alabama
- Date and Time: Wednesday, March 5, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: Coleman Coliseum | Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- TV: ESPN
- Line: Alabama -3.5, over/under 178.5 points
Florida vs. Alabama Key Players to Watch
Florida
- Although he’s the third-leading scorer of the Gators’ trio of star guards, Will Richard has been fantastic as of late. On the season, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 13.6 ppg but has combined to score 55 points over his last two games on 66% shooting from the field. Florida will need as much scoring as possible against Alabama; expect Richard to be aggressive early and often.
- Sophomore forward Alex Condon has been an extremely versatile player for the Gators on both ends of the floor. At 6’11”, the Australian native moves very well for his size while creating plenty of chances for others, as evidenced by his four assists in his last outing. He also adds 10.5 ppg and leads the team in rebounds (7.7 rpg) and blocks (1.5 bpg).
Alabama
- It all starts with senior point guard Mark Sears, who has been one of the best players in college basketball for the second consecutive year. He’s second in the SEC in scoring at 19.1 ppg while dishing out a team-leading 5.0 apg. His dynamic scoring ability has been on full display lately; Sears is averaging 27.5 ppg over the last four games.
- An extremely valuable player on the team may be backup guard Aden Holloway. The 6’1″ sophomore has developed into one of the best players off the bench in the conference, scoring in double digits in 10 of his last 11 games. Holloway is giving us a glimpse of what it’ll be like when Sears leaves for the NBA Draft, and he takes over the lead guard role.
Key Stats for Florida vs. Alabama
Points Per Game (SEC Ranking)
- UF: 83.8 (5th)
- UA: 91.0 (1st)
Points Allowed Per Game
- UF: 67.2 (2nd)
- UA: 80.1 (16th)
FG% Per Game
- UF: 46.7 (6th)
- UA: 48.3 (4th)
3pt% Per Game
- UF: 35.4 (6th)
- UA: 35.1 (7th)
Rebounds Per Game
- UF: 42.0 (2nd)
- UA: 43.7 (1st)
Steals Per Game
- UF: 8.0 (5th)
- UA: 6.1 (15th)
What’s at Stake for Florida vs. Alabama?
The stakes for this game can be explained rather simply: the winner will be awarded the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins a week from Wednesday. Both teams come into this game with a 12-4 record in the SEC, tied in second place behind the Auburn Tigers.
With two games remaining in the season, a win by either team would secure second place — even if the winning team loses the final game of the regular season. In that instance, they’d still own the tiebreaker due to this game.
KEEP READING: Florida vs. Alabama Prediction — Crimson Tide Host Gators In Top-10 SEC Matchup
It all boils down to this game, their first season meeting. Whichever team dictates the pace of the game will be interesting. The Crimson Tide loves to get up and down the floor quickly, ranking first in ppg among D1 teams. The Gators, who can do that, would like to slow it down and grind it out.
Come 7:00 p.m. ET, the anticipation in Tuscaloosa will be as high as it’s been this season due to the immense stakes placed on this game.
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