Creighton vs Alabama: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Alabama plays host to Creighton in an intriguing showdown on Saturday night; can the Bluejays grab another major victory or will the Crimson Tide continue this fantastic opening to their season with another notable win?

TV schedule: Saturday, December 14, 8:30 pm ET. SECN

Arena: Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Even though just ten games have been played, Creighton (7-3) has already had quite the roller coaster this season. A solid start met a brick wall when the Bluejays lost three straight games, falling out of the national rankings while playing poorly against Nebraska and San Diego State in particular. They’ve since won their last three games, including against #1 Kansas, but just lost Pop Isaacs for the rest of the season.

Instead, the Bluejays will continue to lean heavily on 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg), an extremely talented paint presence on both sides of the ball. Creighton will be leaning even more heavily on this frontcourt in Isaacs’s absence. The play of senior guard Steven Ashworth (15.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.9 apg) will be even more important for the rest of the season while the Bluejays hope he can stay healthy after missing time already. Expect even more from Jamiya Neal (10.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.7 apg) ahead even after a shaky shooting start to his season.

Creighton sits just 42nd in KenPom but find their NET figure down in the 70’s, likely buoyed by that losing streak in late November. This is a very solid offensive team that can outmuscle teams, especially smaller teams that Kalkbrenner has looked great against in the early weeks. It’ll continue to be a challenge without Isaacs in the lineup, meaning the Bluejays likely need some of that young talent in the backcourt to really stand out.

There’s been no shortage of entertainment either by following Alabama (7-2), as the Crimson Tide have played a rigorous schedule and come out on the right side more times than not. A few tough losses exist on the resume, but Alabama also has wins over Houston, Illinois, and North Carolina, with all of those coming away from home. Now they have a chance for another nice victory while finally playing in Tuscaloosa.

It’s another fantastic season for Mark Sears (16.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.0 apg), a potential All-American who you can continue to expect great things from as the season goes along. Another impressive veteran shooter is Grant Nelson (13.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg), the former North Dakota State forward who continues to shine in his second year with the Crimson Tide and does a bit of everything for this team. With Latrell Wrightsell out for the year, Alabama hopes for even more out of freshman Labaron Philon (11.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg), a balanced guard who has shown significant potential.

Last week’s win at North Carolina helped the Crimson Tide get up to #7 in the AP Top 25. They’re also 7th in KenPom and 10th in the NET while boasting one of the nation’s most efficient offenses yet again. Nate Oats constantly challenges this squad and they’ve come up with some stellar offense during this recent rigorous stretch. This will actually be their first game at home in more than a month.

Both teams were dealt bad news on the injury front, though the news is far worse for the Bluejays. We don’t know how this team will adjust to life without Isaacs and he really was a significant part of the puzzle. Kalkbrenner will still be the most dominant frontcourt player on the floor, but does Creighton have an answer for Sears and this high-powered offense outside of the paint?

An uneven season for the Bluejays likely will remain rocky unless someone emerges in Isaacs’ absence, and it’s hard to imagine that’ll happen in Tuscaloosa this weekend. Expect an Alabama victory, though this shouldn’t be any kind of a blowout. It’s a chance for Kalkbrenner to prove he’s one of the best frontcourt players in the country on the national stage, though he doesn’t have enough himself to keep the pace in this showdown.

Prediction: Alabama 89, Creighton 78