SEC Tournament: Florida vs. Alabama Preview, Prediction, Where to Watch

Everything you need to know before the Gators take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in round three of the 2023-24 SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Photo: Florida center Micah Handlogten and Alabama forward Grant Nelson; Credit: Zach Goodall

The Friday nightcap in Nashville, Tenn., will feature a rubber match for a spot in the 2023-24 SEC Tournament semi-finals.

After each team defended their home floor during the regular season to split the season series, the Florida Gators will take on the Alabama Crimson Tide vying to advance to a date versus the winner of Kentucky-Texas A&M on Saturday.

Florida is freshly removed from a narrow win over No. 11 Georgia on Thursday, while Alabama competes for the first time this conference tournament season.

You can find everything you need to know before tip-off below, including an in-depth rundown of Florida's opponent, game prediction and more.

No. 6 Florida Gators vs. No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: Friday, March 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET

Watch: SEC Network | fuboTV (start your free trial)

Radio: Gators Sports Network from LEARFIELD | FloridaGators.com | The Varsity Network App

Odds: The Gators are 4.5-point underdogs to the Crimson Tide on Friday, according to SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the contest is set at 173.5 points.

Series history: Florida trails the all-time series against Alabama, 71-79 and are tied at 7-7 in SEC Tournament matchups.

Important stories

• Gators Advance in SEC Tournament With 85-80 Win Over Georgia Bulldogs
• Gators Extending Head Men’s Basketball Coach Todd Golden
• Florida to Face Georgia in Second Round of SEC Tournament
• Gators Forward Tyrese Samuel Named to AP All-SEC Second Team
• Florida Hoops Trio Earns 2023-24 Regular Season SEC Honors
• Florida Suffers Road Loss to Vanderbilt in Regular Season Finale, 79-78
• Gators Roll Over Tide on Senior Night, 105-87
• Todd Golden: Florida Gators' A Little Ahead' in Program Rebuild Process
• No. 24 Florida Falls Short of OT Upset vs. No. 13 Alabama, 98-93
• Column: Gators Guard Zyon Pullin Deserves More National Recognition
• Gators in 'Great Spot' for March Madness Bid
• Exclusive: Golden's Gators Striving for 'Next Step' With Reconstructed Roster

The rundown

Friday night’s contest provides a battle of prolific offenses anchored by rote guard play and a complementary frontcourt.

Alabama has sported the nation’s top offense, statistically, throughout most of the season. The Crimson Tide are averaging 90.8 points per game, winning predominantly by deploying a modern philosophy — predicated on hunting open looks from three and rim twos early in the shot clock.

Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada have proven to make the offense click, showing a strong ability to work out of the pick and roll from the top of the key to elicit offense as scorers and facilitators. The duo, considered one of the best tandems in college basketball, accounts for 34.5 points and 8.6 assists per game combined.

Starting forward Grant Nelson has added supplementary aid from the frontcourt with over 12 points, five rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

The Gators are one of the few programs who have been able to match the offensive firepower of the Tide this season, largely thanks to the impressive output from guards Zyon Pullin and Walter Clayton Jr. — totaling 32.6 points and 7.7 assists per game between the two.

Florida’s advantage in the contest seemingly comes from the array of bigs at Todd Golden and Co.’s disposal, aiding the unit to impose its will on the inside consistently — whether that comes from a scoring or rebounding perspective. 

Tyrese Samuel, Micah Handlogten, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have proved vital to UF’s surge from year one to two under the current regime. Their dominant efforts on the glass have specifically pushed the Gators to reach higher highs throughout the 2023-23 campaign.

Both squads are equipped with other capable role players as well, allowing for a nine-to-ten-man rotation in one of the nation’s most competitive leagues. It’s a testament to each team’s year-long fortitude in the SEC despite middling defensive efforts.

As a result, another closely contested, high-scoring affair is expected in Nashville.

Brandon's Prediction (19-7): Florida 90, Alabama 87

The first two renditions of this matchup have been drastically different, but Florida’s held its own against an Alabama squad widely considered a legitimate contender in the conference and nation.

Overall, the Gators have outperformed the Tide, making predicting the contest a difficult task.

Florida’s proven to play to the level of its opponents, and a neutral site contest against an Alabama squad it’s found considerable success against this season suggests the recipe for another victory is in place.

Through the play of its dynamic backcourt duo in Walter Clayton Jr. and Zyon Pullin, the Gators match up well with the Crimson Tide’s guard-centric offense. Barring any lag from Thursday’s late-night contest against Georgia, their performances in Florida’s second night of action in Nashville will dictate the contest.

I think they produce admirably, as they have all season, to lift UF to a semi-final clash with either Kentucky or Texas A&M on Saturday.

The Gators best the Tide in another high-scoring affair, 90-87. 

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