Alabama prepared for more than Marshall Henderson when it hosts Ole Miss

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Mississippi forward Sebastian Saiz (11) and guard Marshall Henderson (22) react after making a three-point basket by Henderson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Missouri in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014. Mississippi won 91-88. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- A question about the threat Marshall Henderson poses on an opposing defense elicited an understandable response from Alabama coach Anthony Grant.

Of course the polarizing Henderson is a threat. Anyone who can hit eight 3-pointers in a single game the way Henderson did in Saturday's win over Missouri deserves some special recognition.

"The way he can score the basketball," Grant said, "gives them a different dimension than most teams."

But when Grant was pressed for more, he took it in a different direction.

Yes, Henderson is one of the SEC's most dynamic players, especially when he gets hot from beyond the arc. But there's so much more to an Ole Miss squad that's been among the best in the conference and playing well enough to make the NCAA Tournament.

That was Grant's message Monday as the Crimson Tide prepared for Tuesday's 8 p.m. showdown with Ole Miss at Coleman Coliseum.

"I think you're mistaken if you look at Ole Miss as a one-man team," Grant said. "

Obviously, Marshall Henderson's a big part of what they do ... They've got a lot of good players."
Specifically, Ole Miss (16-7, 7-3 SEC) has more than one good guard, as junior guard Jarvis Summers is averaging nearly as many points (17.4) and Henderson (19.6) per game. He's been held below 14 points just twice since SEC play began and he's been much more efficient than his backcourt mate, hitting better than 50 percent of his shots compared to Henderson's average of 37.5.
In Alabama's loss last year at Ole Miss, Henderson and Summers combined for 38 points. Half came at the foul line, as the two guards combined for 25 free-throw attempts.

"Summers is as good as any guard in our league," Grant said. "He's really, really talented."

Ole Miss' size in the paint is also a strength. Forwards

Aaron Jones

,

Sebastian Saiz

and

Anthony Perez

all top out at 6-foot-9 and "

do a great job of rebounding the basketball and providing hustle plays for the team," Grant said.

Losers of four straight and six of its past seven, Alabama (9-14, 3-7) is running out of time to right a season that's gone mostly wrong since SEC play started. The two most recent losses certainly stung, but there were encouraging signs not seen in blowouts against Auburn and Tennessee.

The Crimson Tide held a first-half lead and took a tie into halftime on the road Saturday at No. 3 Florida. Junior guard Rodney Cooper played well against Arkansas and freshman forward Jimmie Taylor looked much more assertive Saturday with the ball in his hands, as he finished with 6 points on 3-for-3 shooting off the bench.

"He's a young man that's learning basketball, really learning his game and what he's able to do," Grant said. "I was really encouraged to see him be as aggressive as he was offensively. We're going to need more out of that in him. I think the more confident he gets, the more comfortable he gets, the more he continues to develop, I think the sky's the limit for him."

Grant stopped short of declaring any moral victories during one of the worst stretches in his five-year tenure as Alabama's coach.

"In terms of what we prepare for, we prepare to win every game and that's going to require great effort and great energy no matter who we're playing," he said. "E

ach and every day hopefully our guys have the mindset that we need to get better as a team and keep moving forward. We're going to control the things we're going to control."
Projected starters

Ole Miss

F Sebastian Saiz (5.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

F Anthony Perez (6.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

F Aaron Jones (6.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg)

G Jarvis Summers (17.4 ppg, 3.8 apg)

G Marshall Henderson (19.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

Alabama

F Shannon Hale (7.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

F Nick Jacobs (8.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

G Rodney Cooper (8.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

G Retin Obasohan (11.2, 3.1 rpg)

G Trevor Releford (18.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg)

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