NCAAM game of the week: Alabama vs. Florida

Tonight, a battle of SEC heavyweights takes place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as the No. 5 Florida Gators travel to take on the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Both teams are currently tied for second in the SEC, with 12-4 records respectively. Auburn has already clinched the regular season title but there is still the 2-seed to play for in the SEC Tournament and even a potential 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Crimson Tide are coming off of a loss on Saturday against Tennessee on a buzzer-beater by Jahmai Mashack. The Tide were up 76-72 with only 36 seconds left and let one slip on the road.

On the other side, the Gators are coming off of a 19-point win over Texas A&M, also on Saturday. The Florida defense locked down the Aggies, only allowing 39% shooting from the floor.

Coming into tonight, Alabama is 2-3 in their last five games, however all five have been against AP ranked opponents, including three of them being in the top 15.

Florida is 4-1 in their last five, with their only loss being an upset against Georgia. The Bulldogs shot a blistering 55% from three on the night and led for most of the game.

A surprising element to this game will be the availability of senior Grant Nelson. The 6’11 forward averages 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season. He appeared unexpectedly on the injury report for tonight and has been listed as questionable.

A player that Alabama is going to have is Mark Sears, the graduate senior guard is one of the best scorers in the country, dropping 19.1 per night. Sears is also a part of the Naismith Player of the Year midseason watch list.

The Crimson Tide are an offensive juggernaut, leading the nation in scoring offense with 91 points per game. The Tide also have a whopping six players that average double figures in points.

Make no mistake though, the Gators are no slouch when it comes to offense, as they are 10th in the country in scoring, averaging 83.3 points per contest.

The leader for Florida is Walter Clayton Jr. The senior guard averages 16.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game this season. Clayton Jr. is also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the nation’s best point guard.

The Gators have two other solid scorers in Alijah Martin and Will Richard. Martin averages 14.7 points per game and Richard a respectable 13.6.

There will certainly be a ton of offense in this game. I think what it comes down to is the home court advantage for Alabama. The Coleman Coliseum is going to be packed out for senior night, creating an intense environment for Florida. This has all the makings of a classic.

Evan Pochas is a second-year student studying broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ejp5753@psu.edu.