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Arkansas plays the first of back-to-back road games Saturday. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the matchup...
Arkansas (19-5, 8-3) at Alabama (15-9, 5-6)
The Basics
Location: Coleman Coliseum (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
Tip off: 11 a.m. CT
How to Watch/Listen
TV: SEC Network (link to watch online)
On the call: Tom Hart and Carolyn Peck
Radio: Razorback Sports Network (TuneIn / Razorback Gameday App)
XM/internet: 382/972
Projections
-- Vegas spread: Alabama, -5
-- O/U: 157
-- ESPN BPI: Alabama has 70.0% chance to win, favored by 6.1
-- Bart Torvik: Alabama has 62% chance to win, favored by 3.5 (proj. score: 82-79)
Scouting Report
~Alabama has wins over four of the top-10 teams in the NET ranking, but has also lost to SEC cellar-dwellers Missouri and Georgia, as well as Davidson and Iona.
~Despite those ugly losses, the Crimson Tide are ranked No. 23 in the NET rankings through Thursday's games, making it a Quadrant 1 opportunity for Arkansas. The Razorbacks, meanwhile, are up to No. 32, so it just outside of the Q1 range for Alabama.
~In their most recent game, a 97-83 win at Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide shot an incredible 14 of 22 (63.6%) from beyond the arc. That followed a loss to Kentucky in which they were just 3 of 30 (10.0%) from deep. For the season, Alabama is shooting 31.5 percent on 3-pointers. That dips to 29.0 percent in conference play.
~Junior guard Jaden Shackelford is the Crimson Tide's leading scorer. After dropping 30 points on the Rebels, he's averaging 17.6 points. He was an whopping 8 of 13 from 3-point range against Alabama and is now shooting 37.6% on 8.5 attempts from beyond the arc per game.
~This will be a matchup of two of the fastest teams in the country. Alabama is 16th in KenPom's adjusted tempo rankings, while Arkansas checks in at No. 18.
~Both teams are among the country's highest-volume free throw shooting squads, as well. Arkansas is tied for third nationally with 554 attempts and Alabama has taken 506 free throws, which is tied for 19th.
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