Here we go again, another must win game...
Tarrant to sit out the game...
Grant reports his team better

   

Bama hopes Randolph has good game

 Once upon a time, if Georgia came to Tuscaloosa to play basketball, it was going the start of a long weekend for the 'Dawgs. Things have changed. Georgia has been very solid team until their last two games. Those two games may have knocked the Bulldogs out of the NCAA Tournament. Seeing the Dawgs lose each of those games was unexpected. Loss number one was to Auburn 69-68. Georgia and Auburn don't like each very much, but no one thought that Georgia would lose the Tigers on their home floors. Next, the Bulldogs got beat in South Carolina. Carolina has been playing much better, and winning on the road anywhere in the SEC is tough. The Dawgs lost against two of the worst teams in the SEC.  

How do those two losses effect the Tide? Georgia will be coming into Tuscaloosa knowing that an additional loss means the end of their NCAA Tournament dreams. For Alabama it's about the same. The Bulldogs record is now 16-9 and 7-6. Alabama is now 16-10 and 6-7. Georgia fans are not happy. Alabama fans haven't been happy for at last two years. Ironically, a win over Auburn gives Tide fans hope of a late season run. There is a cadre of Alabama fans who hope the Tide loses in hopes it will get Grant fired at the end of the season. However; the win over Auburn has re-ignited some support. The game this weekend is big for both schools for a lot of reasons. In a season that has so many ups and downs, the importance of yet another must win game is almost commonplace.

Alabama is going to have some match-ups problems once again. The Bulldogs have five player averaging in double figures. Highly unusual, it will give Alabama problems because the Georgia scoring is so balanced. Georgia is mobile and loves to take it inside. They have shot 642 free throws. Thee opposition have shot only 469. Alabama has shot 542. The reason I mention this is because Bama gave up 35 free throws last weekend to Vanderbilt.  Georgia is going take the ball inside. Taylor and Kessens will be busy. The two Georgia big men who could cause the most trouble are Marcus Thornton and Nemanja Djurisca. Both are 6-8 and weigh around 230. Thornton is muscle. Djurisca is more nimble. Some of his inside moves seem like a contortionist having a bad day. But he is also a good outside shooter. Georgia is shooting 34.5% from downtown and 44% overall. They shoot 68% from the line.

Today's game feature two teams trying to keep their heads above the water. One team leaves the floor going in a downward direction. The winner may not be going up much, but they keeps their hopes alive. Can Georgia snap a two game streak where they have played poorly against two bad team. Can Alabame keep some momentum  from beating on poor team, albeit on the road? The Tide opens up a three point favorite. Ricky Tarrant will not play.JJ Frazier, the guard, is a game day decision. Alabama seemed to have learned to play without Ricky Tarrant. I'm not sure what Ricky's problem is but it seems his return this season may be questionable.

Tonight is momentum vs. lost opportunities. I have a feeling this is going to one heck of a game. I'm taking Bama by 3 IF we keep our inside players our of foul trouble