Alabama vs Vanderbilt: 2022 SEC Tournament game preview, TV schedule

2022 SEC Tournament Game Preview: Alabama vs Vanderbilt

When: Thursday, March 10 at 8:00 pm ET on SEC Network

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL

After a dominant performance Wednesday night against Georgia, Vanderbilt now faces defending SEC Tournament champion Alabama in an intriguing second round matchup on Thursday night.

A projected No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Alabama enters the 2022 SEC Tournament having lost three of their past five games, including an 80-77 overtime road defeat Saturday in Baton Rouge. While it was a back-and-forth contest, the Crimson Tide struggled at times against a tough LSU defensive team, committing 21 turnovers.

After going 9-9 in conference play, Alabama comes to Tampa as the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, as well as owning a 19-12 overall record. One of the SEC’s top offensive teams, the Crimson Tide average an impressive 80.1 PPG, but struggle at times on defense, allowing an average of 76.2 PPG to opponents.

Leading the Crimson Tide is Second Team All-SEC selection Jaden Shackelford, as well as a deep backcourt that features Jahvon Quinerly, Keon Ellis, and JD Davison. Charles Bediako and Noah Gurley will likely start inside for the Crimson Tide, while Darius Miles, James Rojas, and Juwan Gary will also see time.

Vanderbilt on the other hand reached the second round with a dominant 86-51 win over 14-seed Georgia on Wednesday night, a game in which the Commodores never trailed. While it was an all-around impressive showing from Vanderbilt, the Commodores also had four players in double-figures, while also shooting 47.1% from the field and knocking down 16 three-pointers.

The SEC’s No. 11 seed this week in Tampa, the Commodores improved to 16-15 for the year with the win, and will now look to avenge a loss to the Crimson Tide from a few weeks back when Alabama defeated Vanderbilt 74-72 in Nashville. While Wednesday was a phenomenal offensive showing for the Commodores, Vanderbilt only averages 69.5 PPG for the year however, while also allowing 67.5 PPG to opponents.

Led by the SEC’s leading scorer in Scotty Pippen Jr, the Commodores also have other impact scorers in Jordan Wright, as well as wings Myles Stute and Rodney Chatman, both of whom are shooting 40+% from three. Liam Robbins and Quentin Millora-Brown will see time in the frontcourt, while Trey Thomas, Jamaine Mann, Tyrin Lawrence, and Shane Dezonie all also play key roles.

With the winner going on to face 3-seed Kentucky on Friday, this will likely be a very-entertaining matchup once again. While there is the chance that the score might not be as close as it was previously being on a neutral court, we are likely set for a high-scoring contest, with Vanderbilt a team that could easily upset the Crimson Tide.

Prediction: Alabama 83, Vanderbilt 74