Tigers will face No. 4 Alabama in massive matchup

Coming off of a nine-point win over Auburn over the weekend, Memphis will have another huge test against No. 4 Alabama. Penny Hardaway and the Tigers will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on one of the top teams in the country.

The Crimson Tide are 8-1 on the season with its only loss against No. 3 UCONN. Alabama has defeated two top-ranked teams this season in North Carolina and Houston. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Tide have an 81.9 percent chance to win and are currently seven-point favorites.

With former five-star prospect Brandon Miller and Ohio transfer Mark Sears leading the way, Alabama is an extremely formidable foe. Miller, the spectacular true freshman, is averaging 17.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and Sears is averaging 14.4 points per game.

Alabama’s roster also boasts multiple other members of its No. 4 overall 2022 recruiting class, including Jaden Bradley (No. 26 overall), Rylan Griffin (No. 53 overall) and Noah Clowney (No. 78 overall). Needless to say, Nate Oats and his staff have compiled one of the top teams in the country that are early contenders for a national championship.

Although the Crimson Tide are ridiculously talented, this isn’t a game Memphis can be counted out of. The Tigers just handily defeated the No. 11 overall team in the country and have a ton of confidence coming into this game. Also, Hardaway and the staff just received news that UIC transfer Damaria Franklin has been cleared to play.

Hardaway has raved about Franklin all offseason, so it will be very interesting to see how much of a difference he makes in this game. Kendric Davis, Alex Lomax and DeAndre Williams have been the three-headed monster for Memphis this season, but Franklin adds a completely new outlook to this team.

Davis was just named American Athletic Conference Player of the Week, and Memphis will need him to have another stellar performance if they want to upset Alabama. In the win over Auburn, Davis racked up 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The SMU transfer needs to have a very similar game for the Tigers on Tuesday night.

GAME DETAILS

Memphis (8-2) vs. #4 Alabama (8-1)

Tuesday, December 13 at 8 p.m. CST

Coleman Coliseum – Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Television:  ESPN2

Radio:  WKIM 98.9 FM