Mark Pope discusses what Kentucky will face against Alabama on Saturday

The Kentucky Wildcats will get their first taste of what 2025-26 SEC basketball is all about on Saturday, and they start off with a big test on the road at #14 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. This Alabama squad is pretty typical to what they've been in a recent years under head coach Nate Oats, and that's a high-temp offense that is one of the best in college basketball (#2 on KenPom, in fact) and a physically imposing defense.

That's what the Wildcats will be up against on Saturday, but let Mark Pope explain more in-depth about what the Crimson Tide bring to the table. It starts with their elite guard play, led by star Labaron Philon, one of the top players in the entire country, who is a dangerous scorer, but also a very underrated passer. Pope talked about that when previewing the matchup with media on Tuesday.

"He's really hard to contain, he's so great off the bounce," Pope said of Alabama star guard Labaron Philon. "And I'll tell you the thing that I don't think he gets enough credit for, maybe he does, but he is an elite, elite, elite level playmaker off the bounce, man, as a passer, finding guys. He's got a real skill of threading the needle when he needs to get in balls where he does. He's unbelievably hitting a short roll and kind of push screen rolls. He's got an unbelievable first, second, and third step. He's a multiple move guy. He finishes well around the rim. He's shooting at an elite level clip. He's a big time player."

We already know about Alabama's elite-level offense that begins with their guard play, with both Philon (21.9 points per game) and Aden Holloway (17.6) leading the team in scoring, but don't forget about their defense. Despite not looking dangerous overall on that end of the floor, their rim protection is actually elite. Pope talked about that as well on Tuesday.

"Their rim protection is elite. My the first game I watched a couple days ago was Alabama-Arizona. And Arizona is always a huge team inside, and they were dominant on the glass. I don't know the number of blocks in the game, but Alabama was just, their rim protection was elite. I think they're 14 or 16 in the country right now (in blocks), and that's a really impressive stat number for them, and it's been probably the most, maybe, give or take, the most impactful part of their defensive attack right now has been their own protection. It's been elite."

Alabama poses threats on both ends of the floor in different ways, and it's exactly why they're one of the best teams in the country. Having excellent guard play with one of the best players in the country, with a frontcourt complimenting by being a force down low on defense is a recipe for success. Kentucky, who lost all three matchups with the Tide last season, will have their hands full once again.

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