Alabama is hoping to have not less than another participant accessible Saturday when it takes on Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.
The 18th-ranked Crimson Tide (12-5, 2-2 Southeastern Convention) recorded a 97-82 win over Mississippi State on Tuesday regardless of having simply eight scholarship gamers accessible.
Whereas a number of of the gamers who missed the sport additionally will likely be out in opposition to the Sooners, Alabama coach Nate Oats stated he was hopeful 6-foot-10 junior Taylor Bol Bowen might return.
Bol Bowen, who’s averaging 9.0 factors and 5.6 rebounds, missed the win over the Bulldogs with a left hand damage.
He could possibly be a key in opposition to the Sooners (11-6, 1-3), who struggled to deal with inside measurement throughout Tuesday’s 96-79 loss to Florida.
“He is performed a whole 180 within the final month,” Oats stated of Bol Bowen. “He was a part of our rebounding points, not rebounding effectively in any respect a month in the past. He has fully changed into one in every of our hardest gamers.”
Oats stated Bol Bowen pushed to play in opposition to Mississippi State, although his hand was bruised and swollen.
If Bol Bowen is ready to play in opposition to the Sooners, it is possible he’ll put on some sort of pad on the injured hand.
“He is gotten a lot harder, he is gotten extra vocal and his management has turned up,” Oats stated.
Alabama is seeking to proceed its momentum after Tuesday’s highway win, which snapped a two-game dropping streak.
After Saturday’s sport, the Crimson Tide have every week off earlier than their subsequent sport, which Oats stated ought to give a number of extra injured gamers an opportunity to return.
Alabama is led by Labaron Philon, who’s averaging 21.9 factors and 4.9 assists. Philon is coming off a career-high 32-point efficiency in Tuesday’s win.
Aden Holloway is averaging 18.4 factors and three.7 assists for the Crimson Tide.
Whereas Alabama is seeking to proceed its momentum, Oklahoma is seeking to flip round its fortunes.
The Sooners have dropped three consecutive video games on the heels of successful 5 in a row.
Oklahoma hopes to get extra out of senior guard Nijel Pack, who’s coming off a season-low 5 factors in Tuesday’s loss.
Pack and Xzayvier Brown lead Oklahoma with 15.7 factors per sport, with Brown including 3.2 assists and Pack 3.1.
One of many issues the Sooners are hoping will proceed is the event of 6-foot-11 heart Kirill Elatontsev.
Elatontsev joined Oklahoma in late December after being dominated eligible for the second semester by the NCAA. He scored simply eight whole factors throughout his first 4 video games earlier than erupting for 17 — highlighted by 4 3-pointers — in opposition to the Gators.
“Hopefully we are able to construct off that with him,” Sooners coach Porter Moser stated. “… I feel day-after-day is getting extra snug. You’ll be able to simply see it.”
Moser stated the Sooners might proceed to make use of a two-big look with Elatontsev and 6-foot-10 Mohamed Wague collectively on the ground, which they did some in opposition to Florida.
“We have got to play the most effective gamers on the ground,” Moser stated. “Proper now we have some guys that we have to play higher. Regardless of the mixture is. If the mixture is 2 facilities which are giving us an opportunity to win and compete and rebound within the SEC, then we will do this.”
–Area Stage Media
