Alabama will tip off play in the Charleston Classic on Thursday afternoon when it takes on Northeastern.
The Crimson Tide are off to a 2-0 start this season, with an 82-62 win over Southern and an 81-73 victory against Appalachian State.
Meanwhile, Northeastern rebounded from its opening night loss to Boston University with a 10-point road win at Harvard.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this intriguing matchup.
Game Details
- Alabama (2-0) vs. Northeastern (1-1)
- Location: TD Arena – Charleston, SC (Charleston Classic)
- Game Date: Nov. 15
- Game Time: 2 p.m. EST
- Watch: ESPNU
Players to Watch
Kira Lewis (Alabama)
Lewis has been the talk of the Tide’s season thus far thanks to a couple of strong performances through his first two college games.
The 5-star freshman fueled Alabama with 21 points in the most recent win over Appalachian State, and perhaps what was more impressive was him committing just one turnover in 31 minutes of action.
Northeastern will be the toughest and most experienced team that Avery Johnson’s squad has played to this point, so it’ll be intriguing to watch how he handles the Huskies’ impressive guard play.
Herbert Jones (Alabama)
The 6-7 sophomore has undoubtedly been a defensive force for Alabama since he stepped foot on campus last year.
However, for Jones to take the next step forward in his development, he has to continue to hone his offensive skills. He struggled from the field against Appalachian State, going just 2 of 11 from the floor and 6 of 16 from the free-throw line.
The Tide have a solid group of players that can produce 10-12 points each night, and Johnson and company would love to see Jones transform himself into one of the most consistent scorers on the roster.
But even if he struggles to score points in this one, his defense will be invaluable against a strong shooting team like Northeastern.
Vasa Pusica (Northeastern)
After leading the Huskies in scoring a season ago (17.9 ppg), Pusica is picking up right where he left off.
The 6-5 senior already has a 31-point performance this year, as he couldn’t be stopped in the opener against Boston University. He played 39 minutes in that game and was effective inside the perimeter in making 8 of his 12 attempts from 2-point range.
Pusica scored at least 20 points in 16 games last season, and there’s no doubt that Northeastern is going to feed him the ball numerous times in this particular matchup.
Jordan Roland (Northeastern)
Believe or not, the Huskies have already had two players hit the 30-point mark, with the 6-1 junior joining Pusica in that department.
Roland exploded for 35 points in the victory at Harvard and was effective in all phases in making 7 of 10 attempts from long range and 10 of 11 attempts from the charity stripe.
Here’s something worth considering: Northeast returned its top six scorers from a 23-win team last season, and Roland wasn’t one of them (sat out after transferring from George Washington).
That gives Bill Coen an enormous amount of options to work with, and there’s no doubt that Roland will play a huge role going forward.
Key Stats
It’s hard to gather much from just two games this season, but considering how many players return for Northeastern, there are some trends worth noting from the ’17-18 campaign.
The Huskies finished 24th nationally in field-goal percentage at 48.6 percent and were excellent from inside the perimeter in finishing sixth in the country in 2-point shooting (57.6 percent).
This was also a team that excelled on the defensive side of the court, specifically from the arc. Northeastern was third in the nation in 3-point field-goal defense in holding opponents to just 29.9 percent shooting.
And since this feels like a game that could go down to the wire, we have to bring up free-throw shooting.
The Tide haven’t been particularly good in that area of the past several seasons, and they’re shooting 63.4 percent through three games thus far.
As for the Huskies? They’re shooting 82.6 percent.
Game Outlook
- Spread: Alabama -3
- Over/Under: 143
- KenPom Projection: Alabama, 58 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Alabama, 69.3 percent chance to win
The reason why the non-conference portion of the college basketball season is so great is because of neutral-court matchups between good power conference and mid-major teams.
This is a chance for the Huskies to showcase themselves on a national stage and prove why they could potentially be one of the better mid-major squads in the country this season.
If Alabama wants to prevent being on the wrong side of that equation, it had better come out early and match Northeastern’s energy. Coen is a very underrated coach, and he’s going to have this veteran team ready to play right from the opening tip.
From a statistical standpoint, this game should be decided around the Tide’s ability to force tough shots while taking advantage of fast break opportunities when they’re available.
The Huskies had an average possession length of 18.5 seconds last season, and they will try to make Johnson’s team work on the defensive side of the court.
With Northeastern’s experience and efficiency, I’d be surprised if this is anything but a close game. In an early afternoon game in a neutral setting, this could certainly be a prime spot for the Huskies to pull off an upset.
But if Alabama continues to attack the lane and stays relentless on the offensive glass, it should result in a victory for the Tide.
Season Prediction Record (straight up): 27-4
Game Prediction: Alabama 74, Northeastern 69
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.