SEC Tournament championship: Alabama basketball vs. LSU live stream, odds, channel, pick
Alabama basketball can win the SEC Tournament by topping LSU in Nashville this afternoon.
The SEC Tournament has turned into a bit of a referendum on how good the Alabama Crimson Tide really is. A strong regular season cemented a spot inside the Top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament for Nate Oats’ team but there were concerns about Alabama’s play down the stretch.
The Crimson Tide have risen to the occasion of win-or-go-home basketball in Nashville, earning their first trip to the final of the SEC Tournament since 2002 with a 73-68 semifinal win over Tennessee on Saturday. The Volunteers built a 15-point lead before the Crimson Tide mounted a massive second-half rally, showcasing some guts to punch their ticket to the final.
Alabama hasn’t won the SEC Tournament since 1991 and will look to secure the conference’s automatic bid to dance against LSU this afternoon. The Tigers put together an impressive performance of their own in the semifinals, cooling off red-hot Arkansas to make their first finals appearance since 1993.
The star-studded backcourt of Cameron Thomas and Ja’Vonte Smart led the way for LSU, scoring a combined 40 points in the win over the Razorbacks. The Tigers have certainly improved their seeding with their performance in Nashville even if their defensive performance still leaves plenty to be desired.
Alabama swept the season series over LSU in emphatic fashion, winning by 30 points in Baton Rouge and 18 in Tuscaloosa, racking up a combined 183 points in the process. The Tigers will need to play a much better defensive game to top the Crimson Tide in this game and win their first SEC Tournament title since 1980.
How to bet and watch Alabama vs. LSU
For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.