SEC Hoops Preview: Alabama

Who: Alabama Crimson Tide (14-9, 4-6) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-12, 4-6)

Where to Watch: SEC Network, The Hump

When to Watch: February 10, 8:00 PM CST

Mississippi State will be looking to snap a four game losing streak to Alabama as the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide meet for the 192nd time. Rick Ray is currently winless against the Crimson Tide and has lost all three meetings against Bama by an average of 29 points.

Ouch! There are not a lot of positive things to say about this weekend's performance against Arkansas. The Bulldogs have to make sure they don't let the loss to the Razorbacks beat them twice. Craig Sword also needs to shake off a rough performance and be the player that everyone knows he can be. However, Sword can't do this alone, his teammates need to step up and  give him more consistent support. The pieces are there for Mississippi State to continue their climb up the SEC but they're gonna have to stop the turnovers if they want to win consistently.

Alabama's Anthony Grant is on the hot seat and he simply cannot afford any more losses to bottom tier teams if he wants to keep his job. The Crimson Tide have played fairly poorly on the road this season with their only road win coming against Tennessee in early January. Alabama is similar to Mississippi State in the fact that the Crimson Tide often struggle to score but find a way to stay in the majority of their games thanks to a much improved defense.

Can Mississippi State stop Levi Randolph, Alabama's most efficient and consistent scorer? The Bulldogs certainly have the capability of stopping any team from scoring, as we found out when the Bulldogs held the high scoring Hogs to a season low. The issue will which player will step up and score the points for the Bulldogs? The past few games it has been Craig Sword but MSU needs another consistent threat, and I think they get it tomorrow night against Alabama. Expect a tight game tonight as both teams have something to prove. #HailState

Prediction: Mississippi State 70-65

Dawg Facts: Gavin Ware grabbed 9 rebounds against Arkansas this weekend, putting him at 20th all-time in the MSU record books with 598 rebounds.