By Martha 
Alabama has a tough challenge ahead with Georgia’s freshman star Asa Newell coming to town on Saturday. Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats knows it, and he wants his team to step up defensively—especially when it comes to shutting down top scorers.
Newell has been a force for Georgia (15-6, 3-5 SEC), leading the team in scoring, mostly by dominating in the paint. He’s a key piece for coach Mike White’s squad, which recently broke into the AP Top 25 for the first time in a long while.
Oats isn’t just worried about Newell—he’s frustrated with his team’s defense against top scorers in general. He pointed out that Rutgers’ Dylan Harper dropped 37 on them, Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard put up 38, and Treysen Eaglestaff scored 40 for North Dakota. He’s looking for someone to take ownership on defense and say, “Coach, I got this. He’s not scoring today.”
Chris Youngblood, who’s started the last two games, showed promise by scoring 23 points against Mississippi State on Wednesday. But Oats wants more guys to step up, especially with Newell’s scoring ability.
Newell averages 15.2 points per game, which would be the second-highest on Alabama’s team behind Mark Sears (18 PPG). He also leads Georgia in rebounding, grabbing seven boards a game. He even put up a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) against top-ranked Auburn on Jan. 18.
The key difference with Newell? Unlike the guards who have torched Alabama this season, he’s more of a presence inside than a perimeter shooter. Still, he’s Georgia’s biggest offensive threat, and Alabama’s job is clear: shut him down.
Now, it’s just a matter of whether someone on the Crimson Tide steps up to do it.