MBK Preview: Arkansas Travels to Alabama

This Saturday, Alabama and Arkansas face off in Tuscaloosa. The Razorbacks have been on a winning streak since early January – but Alabama is coming off an impressive win against Ole Miss.
Here’s what you need to know for this weekend’s match.

Razorbacks on a Roll

Arkansas is 19-5 so far this season. Their last match against Auburn was an overtime victory. The team is aiming for its 10th straight win this weekend. Currently, the Razorbacks lead the Arkansas-Alabama series 23-19.

Players to watch:

Jaylin Williams

• Williams leads the team in rebounds for the season.
• He’s ranked among the best SEC players this year, earning the No. 2 spot for rebounds in the conference.
• It was Williams who tied up the score & sent Wednesday’s match against Auburn into overtime.

JD Notae

• Notae leads the team in both points & assists
• He’s averaged 19.1 points per game so far this season
• Notae is the top-scoring player in the SEC
• He’s also No. 2 in steals for the conference

In a post-game presser following the win against Auburn, Notae highlighted the importance of the team’s defense:

“I feel like we just gotta keep going; keep on being gritty on the defensive end … and I think we’re gonna do great things.”

Jaylin Williams, JD Notae, & Eric Musselman were on the mic last night after Arkansas beat #1 Auburn.

Video from KNWA

More: https://t.co/9qaEGnjjSL pic.twitter.com/J9tMcqFPxB

— Chris Hudgison (@ChrisHudgison) February 10, 2022

Bama Coming Back?

After a few tough losses to Auburn and Kentucky, the Crimson Tide took down Ole Miss on Wednesday. The Tide went 1-1 against the Razorbacks last season. Despite their overall season record of 15-9, ESPN has Alabama projected to win Saturday’s match.

Players to watch

Jaden Shackelford

• Shackelford leads the Tide in points
• He’s currently the 4th highest-scoring player in the SEC for the season
•  In Alabama’s match against Ole Miss, he produced a career-best 30 points

Jahvon Quinerly

• Quinerly currently leads the team in assists
• He ranks No. 5 overall in assists for the SEC

Charles Bediako

• Freshman Bediako is No. 3 overall in blocks for the SEC
• Though this is his first season, he’s already earning high praise

Broadcast analyst Richard Hendrix stated that he’s “totally impressed with [Bediako’s] activity” this season:

"Charles Bediako is the perfect complementary big for the style of play coach Nate Oats wants to play."
– @rhendrix35 on @AlabamaMBB.

Watch Full Interview on Tuesday's Crimson Drive driven by @TUSCALOOSATOYO at 2 pm on @UA_CTSN: https://t.co/wHRiEtDzvf pic.twitter.com/O1NIFvbbkc

— Roger Hoover (@Roger_Hoover) February 8, 2022

Tip-off is set for 11 a.m. this Saturday. Catch live coverage of the game on the SEC Network.