A monumental clash in the SEC approaches as #12 Oklahoma prepares to face #5 Alabama. Now conference foes, the Sooners travel to Tuscaloosa to battle the Crimson Tide on Saturday. The matchup provides both teams a chance to start conference play with a huge win and also gives their star guards another opportunity to make a name for themselves on a national stage.
Alabama and Oklahoma Feature Two of the Most Exciting Guards in the Country: Jeremiah Fears and Mark Sears
Oklahoma freshman Jeremiah Fears has quickly emerged as one of the major storylines of this season. He is absolutely tearing teams apart, scoring over 18 points per game on 62.7% true shooting with a whopping 31.8 usage rate.
Fears has already drawn the eyes of the nation, becoming one of college basketball’s most exciting talents. The freshman’s signature moment this year was an unbelievable four-point play to rescue Oklahoma from almost certain defeat against the Michigan Wolverines to keep them undefeated. Even Sooners legend and NBA star Trae Young is excited about what Fears has brought to the program.
Y’all gonna know my young killa name!
JEREMIAH FEARS!!! 😤🔐
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) December 19, 2024
Fears has quickly amassed the attention of many NBA teams. Considered a near-lock to be selected in the lottery in the upcoming NBA Draft, Fears is a devastating three-level scorer who can put the team on his back in both the shot making and playmaking departments. He is explosive off the dribble, lives in the paint, and has a knack for finding open teammates in traffic. Paired with talented senior Jalon Moore, Oklahoma has one of the best backcourts in the league.
Jeremiah Fears has been one of the NCAA’s best freshmen, helping Oklahoma to an 9-0 start at 18-years old while shouldering a staggering 33% usage rate. His combination of size, speed, shot creation, scoring instincts and upside makes him a potential lottery-level prospect. pic.twitter.com/Cp5kh5cNZu
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 10, 2024
Meanwhile, Alabama’s Mark Sears has also been on a tear, looking to follow up an incredible 2023-24 season. After leading the Tide to their first ever Final Four, many thought Sears would enter the NBA Draft and forgo his senior season. However, he has decided to return to Alabama with his eyes on the championship.
As incredible as Sears continues to be, he is partnered by another lethal backcourt weapon in freshman Labaron Philon. An equally potent scorer, Philon has already shown noticeable improvement through the Tide’s first 13 games. Averaging 15.3 points per game over the last six contests, Philon is capable of taking the pressure off of Sears. Not many teams are capable of handling either one of these explosive guards, let alone both. After a standout performance against South Dakota State, Philon was named SEC freshman of the week.
Alabama freshman Labaron Philon was getting to it yesterday in a win over South Dakota State:
🔥 21 PTS
🔥 5 REB
🔥 6 AST
🔥 2 STLpic.twitter.com/FE2ayZuExT— SLAM University (@slam_university) December 30, 2024
Alabama Coach Nate Oates and Oklahoma Coach Porter Moser Speak on Keys to the Game
The SEC is easily the deepest conference in the nation, with ten teams already ranked in the Top 25. Undefeated Tennessee currently holds the top spot, followed by Auburn, but both OU and Bama are right there as well. Alabama coach Nate Oats feels that taking care of the ball is something the Tide need to get right to get to where they want to go. After the win against South Dakota State, he praised his team’s improvement in that department.
We did a great job with the turnovers, season low in turnovers. I’ve been stressing that and I think our guys did a good job with that.
For Oklahoma, head coach Porter Moser hinted at potentially using their zone defense to quell the Tide’s talented backcourt. Following their win versus Prairie View A&M, Moser mentioned the importance of their defense. After the team’s struggles with guarding the ball and inability to keep A&M’s guards out of the paint, Oklahoma switched to a zone defense that Moser felt turn the game around. Scheme versatility and depth have helped them be a solid defense so far, but Bama might prove to be their toughest challenge yet.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the NBA and college basketball, click here!