STANFORD CARDINAL PICKED 4TH IN PAC-12

    Alabama takes on Stanford at 8:30 CST in the Maui (not in Hawaii) Classic.

   The Maui Classic is perhaps the best Holiday basketball tournament in College basketball. Due to Covid, the tournament is being played in Ashville, North Carolina, and not in Hawaii. The Tide is a one-point underdog tonight. It's the Capstone vs. the Farm. Stanford is locked down from practicing in Santa Clara County, California. The Cardinal has been practicing in a high school gym in an adjacent county not under lockdown order. 

   The media has picked Stanford to finish 4th in PAC-12. Zaire Williams. The Cardinal is led by 6-9 Oscar da Silva. He is a two-time All Pac-12 Conference player. Stanford has signed its first five-recruit. Ziaire Williams, a 6-6 small forward, was one of the nation's top 25 high-school players. This pair is where the Cardinal will sink or swim. The Tide will like put  Bruner on da Silva and Jones on Williams. The remaining starters are solid and expect the Cardinal to play at least 8 players.

Alabama will likely start Bruner, Jones, Quinerly, Shackford, and Petty. It will be interesting to see if Nat Oats will go 10 deep in this game, or could he reduce the minutes to give his starters a little more time together. The Tide needs to improve its rebounding. 

KenPom has Stanford a one-point favorite.

My pick: Alabama by five.