TUSCALOOSA ?? For the second time this month, the No. 12 ranked University of Alabama and the University of Arkansas face one another in basketball. Alabama, 15-4 overall and 2-3 in the Southeastern Conference, plays host to Arkansas, 13-7 overall and 2-4 in league play, on Saturday at 2 p.m. CST.
The game is a sellout. Alabama has sold out six of its eight SEC home games already and is averaging 15,316, capacity, in its SEC home games. The only home game tickets remain for are the February 7 Mississippi State game and the final home game of the season, Ole Miss on February 28.
Saturday’s game between Alabama and Arkansas marks the 44th meeting between the two schools in a series that dates to the first meeting in 1948. Arkansas has a slight series lead, winning 23 games to 20 wins by Alabama. Alabama has won five of the last seven. The two teams play one another twice each season as SEC Western Division teams. They’ve already played once this season as the two opened league play against one another in Fayetteville on January 6. Arkansas won 88-61.
“They’re pretty tough,” said Tide junior starting forward Mykal Riley who is a native of Pine Bluff, Ark. “We’ve got to stop their transition. We’ve got to get back on defense and stop their transition. They’re a good running team. When we played them a few weeks ago, we had a lot of trouble with transition, getting back on defense with them. We have improved a lot on our defense since then so hopefully that won’t be a problem this time around.
“Their 7-foot-player, Steven Hill-- we’re going to have to go at him and try to get him out of his game quick. He’s a very good shot blocker. He blocked a couple of shots the last game, so we’re going to have to go at him real early in this game. Patrick Beverly and Gary Ervin, and Sonny Weems are also very good. They’re all real fast. So we’re going to have to go at them, play good defense on them. They can run. So we’ll have to stop them early.”
Alabama has a 17-game home win streak going into this game. Gottfried’s Alabama teams are 118-18 at home, a winning percentage of .868% since he took over the Alabama program beginning with the 1998-99 season. Alabama is 10-0 at home this season.
All five Tide starters are averaging in double digits in scoring 19 games into the season. Alonzo Gee leads Alabama at 14.7 points per game but Jermareo Davidson is just a fraction away at 14.5 points. Richard Hendrix, who leads the SEC with his .606% field goal shooting percentage, averages 13.8 points. Riley is averaging 12.6 points and Ronald Steele averages 10.8 points a game.
Alabama is the NCAA stats leader in personal fouls per game. The Tide leads the SEC in fouls and in free throw percentages.
