Missouri-Alabama lineups, broadcast, tipoff time, facts and figures
Missouri at Alabama
WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TV/RADIO: ESPNU; KMBZ (98.1 FM)
Projected starters
P No. Missouri Ht. Yr. PPG
F 21 Jordan Barnett 6-7 Jr. 12.7
F 24 Kevin Puryear 6-7 So. 11.4
F 25 Russell Woods 6-8 Sr. 7.5
G 11 K.J. Walton 6-3 So. 7.5
G 15 Jordan Geist 6-2 So. 6.9
P No. Alabama Ht. Yr. PPG
F 1 Riley Norris 6-7 Jr. 7.9
F 25 Braxton Key 6-8 Fr. 10.2
F 35 Donta Hall 6-9 So. 6.5
G 5 Avery Johnson Jr. 5-10 So. 6.8
G 12 Dazon Ingram 6-5 Fr. 9.6
ABOUT MISSOURI (5-11, 0-4 SEC): The Tigers have lost eight straight games, nine in row in Southeastern Conference play and are 2-7 all-time against Alabama, including 0-4 in Tuscaloosa. Mizzou fans looking for a reason for optimism should take note that third-year coach Kim Anderson’s squad shot 52.2 percent in the second half Saturday at Arkansas. That marks the first time the Tigers shot 50 percent or better in a half since the second half of a Nov. 26 win against Northwestern State, a span of 12 games. Sophomore forward Kevin Puryear also snapped out of a scoring funk in conference play, scoring 11 second-half points against the Razorbacks by going 3 of 4 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Terrence Phillips is averaging 14.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds since shifting to a reserve role during conference play, while junior forward Jordan Barnett and sophomore guard Jordan Geist are averaging 28.2 combined points since joining the starting the lineup for the last five games.
ABOUT ALABAMA (10-6, 3-1 SEC): The Crimson Tide boast the SEC’s second-best scoring defense, allowing only 65 points per game in conference play. South Carolina (61.2), Georgia (68.8) and Florida (69.6) are the only other SEC teams allowing fewer than 70 points per game in SEC action. Alabama also ranks third in field-goal percentage defense at 40.5 percent and three-point defense at 31.3 percent. The Tide are battle-tested by nonconference matchups against five teams — Dayton, Valparaiso, Texas, Oregon and Clemson — ranked in the kenpom.com top 100. Second-year coach Avery Johnson’s squad lost all of those games, but the experience helped propel Alabama to a 3-1 start in conference, including wins at Mississippi State and LSU. Freshman forward Braxton Key, who averages only 10.2 points per game, is the Tide’s leading scorer, but nine players average at least five points per game.
Tod Palmer: 816-234-4389, @todpalmer
This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Missouri-Alabama lineups, broadcast, tipoff time, facts and figures."