Alabama basketball vs. Oklahoma in SEC opener: What to know, including a familiar face

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A familiar face will be in Coleman Coliseum as Alabama basketball tips off conference play this weekend.

The No. 6 Crimson Tide will host No. 10 Oklahoma for the SEC opener on Saturday with a start time of 5 p.m. CT.

Mohamed Wague will be back in the Plaid Palace to face his former Alabama (11-2) teammates for the first time since hitting the transfer portal in April.

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More Mo in the building for Alabama basketball SEC Opener

With Wague’s return, Alabama’s Mouhamed Dioubate won’t be the only “Mo” in the building.

The 6-foot-10 Wague notched eight starts in 33 games played last season at UA. Despite playing through a knee injury down the stretch, he put up 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.6 assists per contest with three double-digit outings.

Now with the Sooners (13-0), Wague has yet to start, averaging 7.3 minutes off the bench. As the first-year SEC members stay undefeated, he’s registered averages of 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Oklahoma basketball will be pesky at perimeter

Feb 3, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama forward Mohamed Wague (11) hangs on the rim with a huge smile after dunking over Mississippi State guard Shakeel Moore (3) at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 99-67. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama will need shots to fall like they did against South Dakota State − and probably better − to outlast Oklahoma from deep. The Crimson Tide has been productive in the paint this year, but beating an OU team that’s limiting opponents to just 27.1% from the arc requires a presence from 3-point range.

UA shot 31.7% on threes through non-conference play while Oklahoma cleared 36.7%.

While OU has picked up statement wins over Arizona, Louisville and Michigan, and advanced into the top 10 of the coaches poll, it’s ranked 43rd in the NET compared to No. 9 Alabama….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-basketball-vs-oklahoma-sec-090142217.html

Author : The Tuscaloosa News

Publish date : 2025-01-03 09:01:00

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