By Loveth 
Florida made it to the SEC Tournament semifinals after beating Missouri, and they had to wait for the next game to see who they’d face. It turned out to be Alabama. Alabama, being the higher seed, was expected to win against Kentucky, and with Kentucky missing their best defender, Lamont Butler, it seemed like an easy win for the Crimson Tide. Alabama didn’t disappoint, blowing out Kentucky 99-70, with freshman Lebaron Philon leading the way with 21 points. Kentucky kept it close for a bit, but Alabama’s offense took over in the second half. The win allowed Alabama to rest some of their key players, with Grant Nelson and Cliff Omoruyi playing shorter minutes due to injuries.
Florida and Alabama just played each other on March 5th, so the game is still fresh in both teams’ minds. Florida won 99-94, but the game wasn’t as close as it sounds. With less than six minutes left, Florida was up by 14, but a late push by Alabama made the score closer. The standout player for Florida was Alex Condon, who had an incredible game with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Condon dominated Alabama’s frontcourt, using his size advantage to score easily around the rim. Walter Clayton also had a solid game, putting up 22 points and 8 assists, connecting on several plays with Condon.
Florida’s big challenge will be defending Alabama’s guards, Mark Sears and Lebaron Philon. Sears had 30 points and 5 assists in the previous matchup, despite struggling from three-point range. He’s hard to stop once he gets into the paint, using his quickness and jump-stop moves to get good shots off. Philon, on the other hand, is a speedy guard who relies on straight-line speed and athleticism. He scored 19 points in the last game, so Florida will need to figure out how to guard both players effectively.
Rebounding could also be key for Florida. Alabama’s perimeter players aren’t very strong on the boards, and Florida made them pay last time, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. If Florida can dominate the boards again, they’ll have a good shot at coming out on top.
Florida and Alabama will tip off at 3:30 PM ET on Saturday, March 15th, and the game will be on ESPN.