On Saturday, the No. 7 Tennessee Volunteers take their show on the road to

visit the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Although the young Alabama team has struggled all season, they have proven

that they can surprise teams at times. The Crimson Tide upset Vanderbilt

77-63 on Feb. 12. They followed that performance Tuesday night when they

stunned No. 8 Auburn, 68-64.

“They have a nice home court advantage with their fans right on the floor,”

Tennessee head coach Jerry Green said. “This is going to be a big test for

us.”

Alabama is no fluke. They might not have the luxurious numbers, boasting a

15-10, 5-7 SEC record, but they will take advantage of a team that might

overlook them.

“They are a team that has been hit hard with injuries,” Green said. “But I

think everybody on their team knows their role.”

Tennessee is still fresh off Wednesday’s dominance of Kentucky, which

erased bad memories of the Vanderbilt loss. The Kentucky game was a big win

for the Vols, but that was Wednesday and Alabama is Saturday. They must not

look past the Crimson Tide or another surprise could be the order of the

day.

Alabama is led by a crew of underclassmen. Although they are a young squad

with only two seniors, they can put up decent numbers.

Alabama will go with an array of guards who will be able to score with the

Tennessee speed.

“They like to run and they can shoot outside,” Green said. “They can be

hard to guard because their number four player is more like a perimeter

player.”

Playing at the three and four positions will be 6-3 junior Terrance Martin

and 6-8 freshman Rod Grizzard. Grizzard averages 13.1 points and 5.4

rebounds for the Tide. He is also a long-range threat, shooting 32 percent

from behind the arc.

The Tide’s leading scorer is sophomore Schea Cotton. The 6-5 guard from

Long Beach, Calif., is averaging 15.3 points and shoots 27.3 percent from

behind the arc. Cotton doesn’t start for Alabama but puts up big stats

while he is in the game.

Holding down the back court will be 6-1 junior Tarik London and 6-2

freshman Terrance Meade. They will look to pass far more than they shoot

and it shows in the stats. London averages 3.8 assists.

The middle rotation for Alabama will be 6-10 senior Jeremy Hayes and 6-8

freshman Erwin Dudley.

Hayes is averaging 14.3 points and shoots 55 percent from the floor. Dudley

completes the rotation, grabbing 8.7 boards for ‘Bama.

Alabama is another Tennessee opponent who will only play seven or eight

players. However, Alabama likes to run the fast break and has the athletes

to do so.

“They will push and go with it when they’ve got numbers,” Green said. “I

look for them to run. They average just under 70 points a game and are very

disciplined.”

They have a well-disciplined team that is not afraid to knock down the big

shot. However, turnovers could be the key to the game. If the Vols can play

defense with the intensity they had Wednesday, they could force many

turnovers, especially in a fast-paced game.

Although this game doesn’t have the high-profile status of Kentucky,

Auburn, or Florida, Green is quick to point out that with the SEC East lead

on the line, every game is equally important.

“All of the games are so huge,” Green said. “You can’t count one as big or

small. They are all important at this point.”

The showdown is Saturday at 2 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and will be

televised locally by Jefferson Pilot sports.