No. 10 Alabama Basketball Prepares for "Big Game" at No. 18 Missouri

The Crimson Tide and the Tigers are currently first and second in the SEC

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Make no mistake, No. 10 Alabama basketball will have its hands full on Saturday morning when it takes a trip to Columbia, Mo. to take on the No. 18 Missouri Tigers (11 a.m. CT, ESPN).

The Crimson Tide currently sits in first place in the Southeastern Conference with its 10-0 record over SEC foes. Meanwhile, the Tigers are quietly lurking in second place with their 5-3 conference record.

This season, Alabama has garnered attention on a national stage. Meanwhile, Missouri has gotten some glances, but its praises have remained largely unsung despite being the second-place team in a conference packed with talent.

Second-year Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats is well aware of how impactful Saturday's game could be.

“It’s a big game,” Oats said on Friday afternoon. “They’re in second place in the league right behind us. This is the only time we play them, so any tiebreakers that come up, whoever wins this game would have it. Our guys need to be locked in. We didn’t play well there last year. They’ve had some big wins. They’re talented, they’re deep, they’re physical. We’ve gotta get better on the offensive end. They’re a good team on both sides of the ball.”

While Alabama currently holds a four-game lead over Missouri, a win for the Tigers combined with more losses on the Crimson Tide's end could result in a tie. Should that happen, Missouri would win the tiebreaker and be named regular-season conference champions.

For Oats, that's the last thing he wants to see happen after such a successful season for Alabama.

“A win Saturday would go a long ways in the league championship race,” Oats said. “They know. It really shouldn’t matter, to be honest with you, but sometimes with 18-22 year old kids, it doesn’t hurt to remind them of the significance of games. You should be playing with max effort, as focused as you can possibly be every game out, but we kind of reminded them.”

Alabama is off to its second-best start in SEC play in program history. The last time the Crimson Tide was 10-0 in the conference was in the 1955-1956 season during the famous Rocket 8 era of Alabama hoops. That season, the Crimson Tide ultimately finished a perfect 14-0.

That being said, that won't happen if Missouri has anything to say about it.

The Tigers have relied heavily on their seniors so far this season. When you combine the likes of Jeremiah Tilmon, Xavier Pinson, Dru Smith, Mark Smith and Kobe Brown, the five players score 79 percent of Missouri's points this season and 83 percent over the last five games.

The Tigers are also 9-0 when holding the opposition to 70 points or fewer, while the Crimson Tide averages 70.4 points per game. If Missouri wants to win, it will need to limit Alabama's offensive output while also putting up points on offense.

For the Crimson Tide, limiting the Tigers' seniors both in the starting lineup and off the bench will be key in picking up its 11th SEC win. It won't be easy, but it's definitely doable.

Oats' perspective on the upcoming game being a tough matchup is not lost among his players. On Friday afternoon, senior guard John Petty Jr. also noted the importance that Saturday's game holds on the future of the SEC standings.

“We know how big of a game this is," Petty said. "We know how good of a team they are, so we’re just really locked in. Our preparation these last two days have been real good. I see guys locked into more film, guys studying more. We know how big of a game this is, so we’re gonna treat it like that and go down there and try to play our best basketball.”