Alabama basketball vs. Georgia: Score prediction, scouting report
Alabama basketball has not yet lost back-to-back games this season, and that's not likely to change against Georgia.
The Bulldogs have been vastly improved from their 6-26 season in 2021-22, but they're still not competing for an SEC title.
The Crimson Tide can't afford to overlook Georgia, though. That happened last year and resulted in an embarrassing loss on the road. Alabama was the only SEC team the Bulldogs beat a season ago.
"We've got that in the back of our heads," guard Jahvon Quinerly said Friday.
This game on Saturday (5 p.m., SEC Network) at Coleman Coliseum is not likely to be a repeat of that considering Alabama will look to get back on track after a loss to Tennessee. The Crimson Tide still must play well to beat the Bulldogs (16-10, 6-7 SEC), who have wins over Kentucky, Auburn and Mississippi State.
The matchup has the potential to be a palate cleanser much like the Vanderbilt game after the Oklahoma loss in which Alabama crushed the Commodores by 57.
Here's a look at how Georgia stacks up with No. 1 Alabama (22-4, 12-1).
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Projected starting lineup for Georgia
Guard Terry Roberts (senior): 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. Averages: 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks, 3.1 turnovers.
Guard Kario Oquendo (junior): 6-4, 220. Averages: 12.7 points, 3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, 1.6 turnovers.
Forward Jusaun Holt (sophomore): 6-7, 190. Averages: 3.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1 steal, 0.3 blocks, 0.7 turnovers.
Forward Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (junior): 6-8, 215. Averages: 6.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, 1.2 turnovers.
Center Braelen Bridges (senior): 6-11, 245. Averages: 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 1.5 turnovers.
Terry Roberts is fifth in the SEC with 4.1 assists per game. He might not be in the starting lineup and instead come off the bench. If so, swap Justin Hill for that spot. Roberts had to deal with a concussion earlier this season that forced him to miss a few games and he has since come off the bench. But he's the top recipient in minutes per game among Georgia players at 29.9.
Holt should be a familiar name to Crimson Tide fans. He spent his freshman season at Alabama before transferring to Georgia. Holt played in 22 games, averaging 0.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 7.1 minutes per game.
Georgia's rotation
The Bulldogs have 11 players who have averaged 10 minutes or more this season. Whoever doesn't start between Hill and Roberts will surely see plenty of time against Alabama. Mardrez McBride (19.6 minutes) and Jabri Abdur-Rahim are among others who have received the most playing time.
Georgia vs. Alabama in scoring, defense and tempo
KenPom tracks adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, which are points scored and allowed per 100 possessions. Neither the offense nor defense for Georgia is remarkable, but neither is horrible.
Alabama is going to try to play faster than Georgia, which is nothing new. That's usually the case in every matchup. Even after Tennessee effectively limited the Crimson Tide's offense, Alabama remained No. 2 in the country in tempo. KenPom measures the adjusted tempo statistic based on the number of possessions per 40 minutes.
Adjusted offensive efficiency:
Georgia: 106.1 (156th nationally)
Alabama: 116.8 (15th)
Adjusted defensive efficiency:
Georgia: 101.3 (97th nationally)
Alabama: 89.6 (4th)
Tempo
Georgia: 68.2 (138th nationally)
Alabama: 73.4 (2nd)
Score prediction
Alabama 89, Georgia 62: Alabama gets back on track at home against Georgia, as the Bulldogs receive the brunt of the Crimson Tide's frustration after the loss to Tennessee.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball vs. Georgia: Score prediction, scouting report
