In his first season coach Avery Johnson has pulled Arkansas out of the long shadow of the school’s football team, making basketball relevant for the first time ever. Even losses in three of the Tide’s last four games can’t diminish what the former NBA great has done.
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HOW THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE CAN COVER THE SPREAD
For a program accustomed to playing football’s shadow, Avery Johnson’s squad wasn’t ready for what happened after a five-game winning streak in mid-February. The preseason pick to finish 13th in the SEC, Alabama knocked off a ranked Texas AM team then beat Florida and LSU on the road.
Overall it’s been an exciting and rewarding season in Johnson’s first year. The team has overachieved and Retin Obasohan has to be the most improved player over the course of his career.
Obasohan was his usual brilliant self Wednesday, getting to the hole at will and scoring, or getting fouled, or both. His 32 points, however, were not enough to prevent the Tide’s tournament hopes from vanishing.
The senior has shown throughout the season he’s capable of carrying a heavy load for the Tide, but Wednesday again illustrated the downside of only having one reliable and consistent scoring option. For the Tide to close the regular season with a victory, Obasohan will again be the featured player, but help from Riley Norris, Jimmie Taylor and Michael Kessens is a must.
HOW THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Bulldogs coach Mark Fox has preached forgetting the results of each game. Seniors Charles Mann and Kenny Gaines, junior guard J.J. Frazier and sophomore forward Yante Maten have 253 combined starts between them.
Leadership from those three are essential for Georgia to experience success. They set the tone and the others follow them. And that’s’ exactly how the Bulldogs have won this season.
Georgia has plenty of experience playing elite teams this year. The Bulldogs are No. 1 in strength of schedule, taking the top spot in the most recent edition of the RPI. Their 16-12 record is a bit deceiving because of it.
A season-long problem for the Bulldogs has been their inability to score inside. The production has dropped significantly this season following the loss of two big men. While the perimeter play is more than covered by Frazier and Mann, the post has been slow to develop. Derek Ogbeide and Maten are threats, but haven’t been potent enough to be consistent options.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
Alabama has been a surprise under Johnson while the Bulldogs haven’t been able to build off their success from last season. Heading into the regular season finale, both teams are faced with a run through the SEC tournament to make it to the dance. Alabama has dropped three of four following Wednesday’s loss to Arkansas to seriously damage its once robust NCAA Tournament hopes. And once again Bama’s lack of scoring depth left them hanging. Obasohan can do it all and he’s had to for most of the season. Georgia, meanwhile, has the backcourt to compete with any in the SEC, but lacks depth and experience up front. If we were to combine the teams, it would be an absolute juggernaut. Georgia has more depth and secondary scoring, and while Obasohan will score his usual 20-30 points, he will again lack the support necessary.
Georgia 73, Alabama 67
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