Mark Pope and Kentucky have won 4 straight games after starting just 5-4. Alabama has won 5 of its last 6 games, with only a humiliating 20-point loss to Arizona preventing a 6-game winning streak. These two teams played 3 times last year, and the Tide won all 3. Kentucky will be looking for revenge, sure. But they are looking for something far more important: consistency.
Kentucky basketball needs to find itself in T-Town
Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance are as healthy as they can be, and for the first time in a while, Kentucky will start a game with its full roster able to play as many minutes as they can handle. That is very important because when Kentucky is healthy, this is a much different team.
Mark Pope has teased playing Jayden Quaintance at the 4, and flipping starting lineups around; that's all fine and dandy, but Kentucky needs to keep getting better. They need to show they can go on the road and knock off a top-15 team.
Viewing guide for the SEC opener
- Time: 12:00 PM ET
- Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Streaming options: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Orange and Blue Plan)
- Radio options:
- Online: Stream live at UKAthletics.com or on WSGS.com
- Local FM/AM Stations:
- Lexington: 98.1 FM / 630 WLAP
- Louisville: 840 AM WHAS
- London: 103.9 FM WWEL
- Hazard/Pikeville: 101.1 WSGS
- Madisonville: 93.9 FM WKTG
Final odds for Kentucky's SEC tilt with the Crimson Tide
Over at FanDuel, Kentucky is a +4.5 underdog while a +190 morning line dog. In Vegas' eyes, Kentucky should lose this game. Alabama does love shooting 3's; they shot 54 of them against Yale. They have players that will push Kentucky to communicate in a way they haven't all year, and they are a dangerous team.
Kentucky must be at its best to go into Tuscaloosa and walk away with a win. They need every play to step up and do their job. There will be plenty of people there talking about Mo Dioubate's return, and Mark Pope's 0-3 record vs Nate Oats, but none of that will matter when the ball tips off. This game will be won on the boards and on the defensive end.
Kentucky must make it uncomfortable for Alabama, because if they let them find momentum, it could be a long trip back to Lexington.
Prediction
Kentucky needs this game, not just for their record and seeding, but for their confidence. They need to know they can go on the road in a hostile environment and shut the fans up. That kind of confidence only comes from doing it, and I think they go into Coleman and beat up on the Tide. I don't think it will be close, and this will be Kentucky's most dominant performance of the season, announcing to the SEC: be afraid.
Kentucky- 90
Alabama- 69
MVP- Jayden Quataince, who gets a 20-point double-double