Longtime SEC Hardcourt Rivals Clash At The Hump On Saturday
Tip at Humphrey Coliseum is slated for 3 p.m., and the SEC Network will air the game with Clay Matvick and Joe Dean Jr. handling the broadcast. In addition, the first 750 fans in attendance will receive free mini-basketballs commemorating Mississippi State's 100 Years of Basketball.
The Bulldogs enter the contest sporting a 14-3 overall record following Thursday's 62-58 win against Tennessee. Alabama is 13-3 with its 69-53 home victory against LSU on Wednesday.
"Alabama will get up into you and will pressure you on offense," said 14th-year MSU coach Rick Stansbury, whose team is 1-1 in SEC play. "They will get up into you in the half-court defense, and they will also mix it up with their zone defense. Alabama is a very good defensive team, and they will be very physical."
Alabama leads the SEC in fewest points allowed (55.7) and is second in field-goal defense (36.6). The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are fourth in scoring (74.8) and third in field goal percentage (47.2).
"It's a big game," junior forward Arnett Moultrie said. "It's going to be physical. Alabama is one of the best teams in the league, and we're going to have to play our style."
Against Tennessee, Moultrie finished with 13 points, as did Dee Bost and Renardo Sidney. And it was Bost's steal and dunk in the waning seconds that sealed the victory.
Bost currently leads MSU in scoring with a 16.0 clip, while Moultrie is second at 15.9.
The Tide, 2-0 in SEC play, is led by forwards Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green at 14.9 and 14.2 points, respectively.
Alabama has also won the last two in this series, including last year's league opener at the Hump, 75-57.
"They've got a very good team," third-year Bama coach Anthony Grant said. "They've got a combination with Dee Bost being a senior point guard and the leadership he provides. He leads their team and they're getting great play out of their other guards as well. The guys up front with Moultrie and Sidney are probably one of the biggest frontcourts that we'll see this year. They've played extremely well and have had a lot of success this season."
After Saturday, the Bulldogs are back on the road at in-state rival Ole Miss for an 8 p.m. showdown on CSS.
