Game Nineteen Preview: No. 4 Alabama versus Mizzou
The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide (16-2, 6-0) is set to finish off their 2-game road trip in Columbia on Saturday against the Missouri Tigers (14-4, 3-3).
The last time it took the court, the Crimson Tide took care of the Vanderbilt Commodores, sinking the 'Dores in a 78-66 victory. This marked Alabama's 7th-straight double-digit victory, 6 of which have been against SEC foes.
The Tide's Tuesday victory was an emotional one, being the first time Alabama suited up since junior forward Darius Miles was arrested on a capital murder charge Sunday following the shooting death of a 23-year old woman.
Head coach Nate Oats shared his thoughts on his team's emotional state under the circumstances after the game.
“I did see some guys break down postgame. I think they were bottling some stuff up. You know, we had a job to do. We had to get to the game, got to the game, took care of business and then it’s almost like there’s a big relief the game is over and we let out a sigh of relief," said Oats.
Another tough road contest will continue to test the maturity and resilience of this Alabama team. Alabama also hasn't beaten Missouri on the road during Oats' tenure.
On the other side of the court, the Missouri Tigers are looking to add on to an already historical first year under head coach Dennis Gates.
Gates already has the Tigers to a 14-4 start, their fastest start since '13-'14.
Mizzou is coming off one of their biggest wins of the season, after they took down the 25th ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in a 79-76 thriller. The Tigers also have wins over Illinois and Kentucky.
The Tigers are led by senior Kobe Brown and former Cleveland State Viking D'Moi Hodge. Brown and Hodge are Mizzou's top two scorers and will be relied upon to upset the Tide Saturday. Hodge also averages 2.6 steals a night.
Watch the No. 4 Crimson Tide take on the Missouri Tigers on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. central on the SEC Network.