NCAAB Game Preview - Oklahoma at Alabama

Sat Jan 27, 2018 2:15 PM EST

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Oklahoma point guard Trae Young is trying not to get too wrapped up in the hype surrounding Saturday's game at Alabama.

"I'm not going to get caught up in the one-on-one battle," Young said. "It's a team sport and team game but they have a lot of good individuals."

But there are two players the 50-plus NBA executives who are credentialed for the game will be laser-focused on -- Young and his Alabama counterpart Collin Sexton.

They were two of the highest-profile point guards in the 2017 recruiting class, and while Young's status has skyrocketed as the nation's leader in scoring and assists while helping the Sooners (15-4) to a No. 12 ranking, Sexton has lived up to his billing as well, averaging 18.5 points.

The teams are playing as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Young has had a few matchups like this already. He outdueled Wichita State's Landry Shamet in mid-December, struggled under the withering defense of West Virginia's Jevon Carter on the road in early January and then transformed his game to help Oklahoma knock off Devonte' Graham and No. 5 Kansas on Tuesday.

When the schedule for the challenge was released, there was some disappointment that the Sooners weren't matched up with Missouri and Michael Porter Jr. -- one of Young's closest friends and another player expected to be among the top picks in this summer's NBA Draft.

But Porter's season was cut short due to injury, and the matchup has worked out perfectly to showcase two of the nation's best point guards.

While Young, who is averaging 30.3 points and 9.6 assists, might try to down play the individual matchup, Alabama coach Avery Johnson said the meeting is good for college basketball.

"Those guys, man, they're pretty dynamic with the basketball and foot speed and both of them shoot the ball really well," Johnson said. "Collin is very competitive on the defensive end also, and we think he's an outstanding two-way player and obviously playing against a guy that we know can get 50 points in a game."

Alabama is in need of signature wins as it fights to get back into contention for an NCAA Tournament berth.

The Crimson Tide had a four-game winning streak -- which included a win over Auburn with Sexton sidelined with an abdominal injury -- snapped with a loss at Mississippi on Tuesday.

While Sexton typically leads the way for the Crimson Tide, he is part of an ensemble of young talent Johnson has assembled.

That young talent, though, has been up and down so far, leaving Alabama 13-7.

"When we get balanced efforts from our entire team in terms of scoring and everybody making sure that they're doing their job on defense, then we're a really good team," Johnson said. "When we're inconsistent is when we don't get enough balanced scoring or everybody is not on the same page defensively."

Oklahoma is much more dependent on Young's performance, though he took a season-low nine shots from the floor in the win over the Jayhawks, showing he can lift his team in other ways.

But that doesn't figure to typify Young and the Sooners' offense moving forward.

"He'll generally get more shots than that and take more shots than that," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. "A lot of it depends on if the defense is going to give him more attention, then he's going to find other people open."