Sears had a tame first half against Rutgers as he scored just six points on 2-of-6 from the field plus a pair of made free throws. But something clicked in the halftime locker roo

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Rutgers Scarlet Knights will compete in the Players Era Tournament's winner's bracket. Each of these teams notched hard-fought wins last night, and my Rutgers vs. Alabama predictions expect a slow start offensively — particularly from the Tide.

Alabama hopes to bounce back after a tough road loss to the Purdue Boilermakers, while the new-look Fighting Illini team looks to improve to a hot 4-0 start.