Alabama guard Lavaron Pilon Jr. (0) celebrates winning the NCAA basketball game between Tennessee and Alabama at Thompson-Boling Stadium at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on February 28, 2026. No. 17 Alabama looks to extend its Southeastern Conference winning streak to nine games as it heads into Tuesday’s game against Georgia in Athens.
Alabama (22-7, 12-4SEC) remains in second place in the conference after defeating No. 22 Tennessee 71-69 on Saturday in a matchup of ranked teams.
Georgia (20-9, 8-8) evened its conference record with an 87-68 home win over South Carolina on Saturday. The win gave the Bulldogs their third straight 20-win season.
With two games left in the regular season, both teams appear likely to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Alabama is ranked 16th and Georgia is 31st in the NCAA Net rankings.
Tuesday’s contest pits two of the most aggressive teams in the country against one another. Alabama ranked first in the nation in scoring with 92.1 points per game, while Georgia ranked sixth in the nation and third in the SEC with 89.7 points.
The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide are both near the bottom of the conference in defense. Georgia is 11th with 78.4 points and Alabama is last with 83.1 points. But it was Alabama’s defense that made the difference in the game against Tennessee, coach Nate Oats said.
“We showed some adaptability and ability to change on defense,” Oats said Saturday. “We went with a four-guard lineup because we couldn’t get a stop at any point and we had to figure out if we needed to outscore them a little bit.”
Labaron Philon Jr. hit a Gore jumper with 22.8 seconds left against Tennessee. He scored 23 points (his 16th game with 20 or more points) and leads the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game. Philon ranks third in the SEC in scoring and Aden Holloway ranks 14th in the league with 16.7 points. The Tide has six players averaging double figures.
The Bulldogs showed off their balanced offense in their second win of the season against South Carolina. Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 18 points in the win, one of five players to score in double figures. He leads the team in scoring averaging 17.7 points and is one of four players averaging double figures.
“This is exactly what I wanted when I decided to come to Georgia,” Wilkinson said. “Playing at home, being deeply involved in the tournament and having the opportunity to be around great players. That’s what it is. I love playing in this group and the fact that there’s high stakes in every game doesn’t scare me. That’s what I want.”
Georgia’s Blue Cain needs just 17 more points to reach 1,000 career points. He averaged 13.5 points. The junior has started 70 consecutive games since the last eight games of his freshman year.
Somto Cyril is on pace to set a school record for shooting percentage. He made 111 of 148 shots, a 75% success rate, 10% better than his previous record. The sophomore center went 6-for-7 against South Carolina. Cyril also had two blocks against the Gamecocks, giving him 71 points in 29 games this season.
Alabama has won seven of the last eight meetings with Georgia. The Crimson Tide won 90-69 in Tuscaloosa last year.
–Field level media
