The weekend kicks off with a fantastic matchup as St. John’s welcomes a strong Alabama squad to town; which program really cements a strong opening to the season?
TV schedule: Saturday, November 8, 12:00 pm ET. FS1
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
Alabama’s Reloaded Roster Ready for the Spotlight
It’s the usual story for an Alabama (1-0) squad entering the season with high expectations, though things are a bit different in Tuscaloosa. Recent stars like Mark Sears and Grant Nelson are gone, but the Crimson Tide remain a highpowered offense, putting up 91 points in their season debut against North Dakota.
A lot of the attention turns to sophomore Labaron Philon and he answered early questions with a 22-point, 8-assist effort in their opening game. We didn’t see much of Houston Mallette last year, but his 15-point, 8-rebound performance showed that he’s an important piece of this Alabama puzzle. A crew of freshmen really showed out in the opener as well, with notable work from forwards Amari Allen and London Jemison.
The Crimson Tide begin the year #15 in the AP rankings and sit 24th in KenPom’s most recent update. There isn’t a ton to say right now, especially since we didn’t see Jalil Bethea, Aden Holloway, or Latrell Wrightsell Jr. on opening night. Alabama has the pieces to be an elite offense once again. They’ll need to get healthy fast as this schedule is pretty ruthless in November for the Crimson Tide.
St. John’s Looks to Keep the Momentum Rolling
The story at St. John’s (1-0) certainly features heightened expectations, especially after the season the Red Storm had last season. The defending Big East champions added a plethora of talented pieces in the offseason and showed out in a 34-point win against Quinnipiac on opening night.
Returning forward Zuby Ejiofor is a big part of the plan for St. John’s and he showed up with 17 points in that debut against the Bobcats. The transfers each had solid showings, getting 18 points from Dillon Mitchell and double-figure efforts from both Ian Jackson and Joson Sanon in the backcourt.
The season opened with the Red Storm sitting at #5 in the AP Top 25, but they’re also a bit lower in KenPom, coming in at just 14th on those ratings. Considering they put up 108 points on opening night, St. John’s certainly has the talent on offense to be a superpower this season, but Rick Pitino’s squad should have the pieces on defense to have a complete package this year.
Game Outlook and Prediction
We don’t know the status of those injured Alabama players and it’s clear that this would be a great matchup if both teams were at full strength. The Red Storm has its full-fledged new talent and showed cohesive offense, while the Crimson Tide got great steps forward from their freshmen. If Holloway and Wrightstell play, it could be the edge Alabama needs to pull off a big win on the road.
Nate Oats and his team are no strangers to these types of matchups, constantly challenging themselves in the nonconference. This is unquestionably a marquee matchup, but it’s also a pair of teams still feeling themselves out. Rotations haven’t been finalized, and there are still question marks on both sides, but we’re leaning with the healthier and more experienced team playing in their home city.