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Bracketology 2023: UNLV, UConn, and Alabama with key matchups to watch

By Jason Burgess

Feb 21, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Big East logo on the court at the Wells Fargo Center before a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the DePaul Blue Demons. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Big East logo on the court at the Wells Fargo Center before a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the DePaul Blue Demons. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bracketology Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats Mark Sears Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Bracketology Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats Mark Sears Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 15 Mississippi State Bulldogs

Wednesday, December 28, Starkville, MS, 9:00 PM, ET, SECN

Wednesday night in Starkville, No. 15 Mississippi State welcomes No. 9 Alabama to town in a big SEC tilt for both teams. The Crimson Tide have had an interesting stretch, in the past week they’ve bested No. 1 Houston and Memphis and suffered a loss at the hands of a Gonzaga team that looked like their November selves. Now they open league play on the road looking to show that their non-conference performance was no fluke.

Mississippi State enters this one 11-1 after losing to Drake last time out. The Bulldogs have been absolutely fantastic defensively.  The 66 points they allowed to Nicholls State are the most they’ve given up all year. They are the 5th best team in the country in defensive efficiency and it doesn’t really matter if you try and score from inside or outside, Mississippi State shuts you down.  As I wrote about last week, the Bulldogs are in desperate need of a marquee win for their resume. Their best win is Marquette who ranks 35th in the NET and 20th is their best ranking in either the results-based or predictive metrics.

Unlike a lot of power schools this season, Alabama sitting at 10-2 they don’t have a bad loss on their resume has fallen to No. 2 UConn at the Phil knight invitational and Gonzaga last week. They also hold two wins over No. 1 teams having taken down both North Carolina and Houston.

Freshman Brandon Miller has been everything that Nate Oats could’ve asked for and more. He leads the team in scoring with 19.2, is 2nd on the team in rebounding (8.7), and has shot a sparkling 44% from deep. Paired with the veteran leadership of Mark Sears, the duo has netted 33 points and over 12 rebounds per game. The Tide and its bevy of freshmen, Noah Clowney and Jaden Bradley in addition to Miller will be a big test for not only Mississippi State’s defense but also an offense that puts up just 68 points per game.

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