Arkansas St. Red Wolves vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 8th 2024
Preview and Prediction
Ranked second in the nation, Alabama kicked off their season with an impressive performance and is now looking to secure another dominant victory as they face off against Arkansas State on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The Crimson Tide (1-0) easily defeated UNC Asheville 110-54 on Monday, marking the largest margin of victory in a season opener during coach Nate Oats' six-year tenure.
It's possible that Oats may ease up on the gas pedal during Friday's game, as Arkansas State's second-year coach Bryan Hodgson previously served as his assistant for eight seasons - four at Buffalo and four at Alabama - before taking on the Red Wolves' head coaching position.
See also:
"Tennessee Claims Top Spot as Kansas Falls in Major Shift of Top 25 Rankings"
See also:
"Missouri Upsets No. 1 Kansas for Second Consecutive Loss: Top 25 Recap"
The Red Wolves (1-0) also secured a win in their season opener, defeating Akron 80-75 in overtime.
Alabama dominated from the start, crushing UNC Asheville with their highest point total since December 23rd of last season when they beat Eastern Kentucky 110-67.
The Crimson Tide shot an impressive 63.3 percent from the field and held the Bulldogs to just 27.4 percent. They also dominated the boards with a 55-29 rebounding advantage.
"I'm pleased with the effort from everyone, but we know the competition will only get tougher from here," said Oats.
First-team All-American Mark Sears led the way with 20 points in just 24 minutes, shooting 6 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from beyond the arc.
Clifford Omoruyi, a transfer from Rutgers, also had an impressive showing, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds while making all six of his shots. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. added 13 points, while Mouhamed Dioubate and Aden Holloway each contributed 11 points. Jarin Stevenson and Labaron Philon also had solid performances, each scoring 10 points for Alabama.
"It was a good opportunity for some of our players to get some experience," Oats said. "I was particularly impressed with our defensive start. Mark Sears' defensive effort was much improved from last year. I also loved how the crowd recognized his hard work on defense."
See also:
"Top 25 Recap: No. 4 Kentucky Holds On, Defeats No. 7 Gonzaga in Overtime"
See also:
"Announcement: Creighton Coach G Pop Isaacs to Undergo Hip Surgery, Out for Remainder of Season"
Arkansas State finished with a 20-17 record last season under Hodgson's leadership, ultimately losing to High Point in the Collegiate Basketball Invitational semifinals.
In their first game of the season, the Red Wolves secured a win against Akron with Joseph Pinion scoring a career-high 16 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. Derrian Ford and Kobe Julien also had strong performances, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively.
"I'm extremely proud of our effort," said Hodgson. "Winning a game in overtime against a quality opponent will only benefit us in the long run."
Hodgson was also pleased with the performance of point guard Terrance Ford Jr., who scored seven points and had five assists in 28 minutes. This was Ford's first game in over 11 months after suffering a major knee injury in his second appearance last season.
"He's as tough as they come," Hodgson said. "He had a few uncharacteristic turnovers early on, but he missed almost all of last season due to surgery and has only been fully practicing for a few days now. Terrance is going to be a great point guard for us and will only continue to improve."
The two teams also faced off last season during Hodgson's first year at Arkansas State. Sears led the way for Alabama with 13 points, tying for the team-high scoring honors with Stevenson in an 89-65 victory on December 4th.
Arkansas St. Red Wolves vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Recap NOV 8TH 2024
Mark Sears scored 19 points and No. 2 Alabama held off a strong upset bid by Arkansas State to record an 88-79 nonconference victory on Friday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Clifford Omoruyi had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Crimson Tide (2-0). Labaron Philon and Grant Nelson also had 12 points and Derrion Reid had 10 for Alabama.
Kobe Julien scored 20 points and Taryn Todd added 18 points and three steals for the Red Wolves (1-1). Rashaud Marshall had 11 points and eight rebounds for Arkansas State.
The Red Wolves trailed by as many as 16 points before rallying to tie the score with just over seven minutes left.
Arkansas State second-year coach Bryan Hodgson served as an assistant under the Crimson Tide's Nate Oats for eight seasons -- four at Buffalo, four at Alabama -- before landing the job in Jonesboro.
The Crimson Tide led by three points at halftime and increased the advantage to 67-57 with 10:11 remaining in the game.
Arkansas State responded with an 11-1 burst that was capped by Joseph Pinion, who scored on a driving hoop to knot the score at 68 with 7:08 remaining.
Mouhamed Dioubate and Nelson made consecutive baskets to start an 11-2 burst. Marshall converted a layup for Arkansas State before Sears made 3 of 4 free throws and Reid and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. made consecutive layups to give Alabama a 79-70 lead with 3:23 remaining.
Philon's jumper made it 83-72 with 1:55 to play as the Crimson Tide wrapped up the win.
Sears had 12 first-half points as Alabama led 43-40 at the break. Julien scored 11 in the half for the Red Wolves.
The Crimson Tide appeared to be cruising to a second consecutive lopsided win when Sears made two free throws to give Alabama a 28-14 lead with 9:10 remaining in the first half.
Arkansas State moved within nine on a 3-pointer by Julien with 6:49 left, but the Crimson Tide answered with seven straight to lead 38-22 with 6:01 remaining.
The Red Wolves dominated the rest of the half, scoring eight consecutive points to start an 18-5 burst. Todd's layup with six seconds remaining brought Arkansas State within three at the break.