Alabama expert previews the Arizona men’s basketball game, makes a score prediction

Arizona has returned to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll, its first appearance there since December 2023. And just like two years ago, the Wildcats will immediately put that top ranking on the line in a tough road environment.

The UA is headed to Birmingham for a Saturday night clash with No. 12 Alabama, technically a neutral site game but just as neutral as two years ago when the teams met in Phoenix. Arizona won that game 87-74, doing so four days after falling to Purdue for its first loss of the season.

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The Crimson Tide are 7-2 this season, their losses at home to Purdue and against Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. They’ve also beaten St. John’s, Illinois, Maryland and Clemson.

To better understand Arizona’s next foe, we reached out to Roger Myers of SB Nation sister site Roll Bama Roll. Below are his straightforward answers to our cryptic questions:

AZ Desert Swarm: Alabama has played the toughest schedule in the country, per KenPom, with Sunday’s win over UTSA only the second ‘buy game’ on the slate. Besides experience, how has this gauntlet helped the Crimson Tide and in what ways did all these tough challenges expose any flaws?

Roger Myers: “Nate Oats definitely isn’t afraid to play anyone. The biggest thing that has been exposed is the interior defense and rebounding. I do think that Aiden Sherrell has improved a lot over the first nine games, but isn’t getting a lot of help down low.”

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Sophomore guard Labaron Philon is averaging 21.4 points per game with at least 20 in seven of nine games. What has made him so difficult to stop and what would Arizona need to do to slow him down?

“Philon’s biggest improvement over last year is his outside shooting. He has become a deadly 3-point threat, but the best part of his game is his penetration. He is an elite finisher and is strong enough to score through contact. Getting him into foul trouble may be the only way to slow him down.”

Injuries appear to be…

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Publish date : 2025-12-09 11:00:00

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