Hello and Roll Tide!

Today starts SEC play for Alabama basketball. While they have a goal of reaching a 2nd straight Final 4, firstly Nate Oats and team wants to win the SEC. Alabama is currently ranked #5 in the AP Poll and #6 in the Coaches Poll as they started the season 11-2. Ken Pom NET Rankings has Alabama as the 10th best team in the country. Nate Oats is known for scheduling difficult out of Conference games; so far this season Alabama has played the 6th most difficult schedule according to the ESPN Power Index. The 11-2 start is Alabama’s best out of conference performance to start a season under Oats. The Tide are battle tested, preparing them for SEC play and March. To open the season Alabama played 5 Quad 1 teams in road games, neutral games, as well as the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas. In the two losses (at Purdue and vs Oregon in Las Vegas), offensive inconsistency and turnovers were the key issues. Alabama had an impressive Quad 1 win against Illinois at “neutral site” Birmingham, toughed out an extremely physical win against Houston in Las Vegas, and dominated UNC in a true road game during the ACC/SEC challenge. Alabama was challenged greatly during this stretch which allowed Oats many opportunities to figure out the rotation. As of right now, Alabama is projected a 2 seed in March, however this difficult SEC stretch will certainly change that for the better or worse. Below are Depth/Injury notes, Player notes so far this season, and 2025 Storylines.

## Depth Chart/ Roster Changes

· PG: 1. Mark Sears 2. Aden Holloway

· SG: 1. Labaron Philon 2. Chris Youngblood 3. Houston Mallete

· SF: 1. Derrion Reid 2. Mouhamed Dioubate

· PF: 1. Grant Nelson 2. Jarin Stevenson

· C: 1. Cliff Omoruyi 2. Aiden Sherrell

Injury Report:

· Latrell Wrightsell- Torn Achilles, out for season

· Derrion Reid- Lower leg injury, should be healthy for SEC play

Player Notes:

Mark Sears: 18ppg/4AST - After a slow start, Mark Sears has come on strong in December scoring 21.2 ppg and shooting 41% from 3. Other players are handling the ball, allowing Sears to be a catch and shoot player. The surrounding cast has improved, taking weight off of Sears’ shoulders. Sears remains a key to Alabama winning, yet not every play has to run through him, like a year ago. The Tide are not as dependent on Sears production to win (Alabama beat Illinois while Sears had 0 points.)

Labaron Philon: 14.4 ppg/ 3.9AST – Philon is one of the biggest surprises this season as he’s emerged as an everyday starter. His effort on both sides of the ball is fun to watch. Finishing at the rim is a strength of his (68% shooting at the rim) as he has been flying up NBA draft boards. His only flaw so far has been 3-point shooting (26.8%). If he improves in this space, the upside is huge for this Freshman

Grant Nelson: 12.4ppg/ 8.6 REB – Moving to the 4 position, Grant has excelled in scoring and rebounding. Grant has the ability to take over an entire game. Alabama is so deep, that sometimes Grant can fall into the background and have quiet nights. Grant has his moments such as the Sweet-16 game against UNC last year, however we’d like to see more consistency from him on the defensive side of the ball in all games. It was great to see Grant put on a show in his home state as Alabama played North Dakota on the road (23pts/10rebounds).

Cliff Omoruyi: 7ppg/6.2REB – The strong schedule was great for Cliff, allowing him to adjust to Oats’ system. Oats’ fast paced system can be difficult to learn, and this Rutgers transfer has had some bumps along the way. Playing time for Cliff is lower than expected as he has struggles with fouls. He seems to be getting comfortable as he’s been defending down low at a very high level (shut down Creighton’s 7’1 Center). Cliff will be a huge piece for this team’s success down the stretch.

Jarin Stevenson: 4.4ppg/3.4 REB – Jarin has struggled to start the season, yet Oats continues to give him opportunities, hoping that he’ll soon get into a rhythm. Oats praises Jarin’s improvement on the defensive side of the ball as he’s been a mismatch for opposing guards. If his offense improves, Jaren will be a key contributor on this team. If he continues to struggle (started the season 0-18 from 3; 8-21 since then), minutes will be available for other guards

Derrion Reid: 7.5 ppg/3.4 REB – Derrion may be the best defender on the team. His defensive intensity has been a spark for this team all season long and he is clearly showing why he was rated 5-stars out of high school. Oats has praised Reid’s effort on many occasions. One such example came against Houston: LJ Cryer was dominating the Tide, so Oats switched Derrion onto him who locked him down the rest of the game, helping the Tide defeat Houston in Overtime. Oats trusts Reid immensely, so should his offense improve, he very well may leave after 1 season for the NBA draft.

Aden Holloway: 10.4 ppg/1.8 AST – Aden is showing great potential, coming off the bench for Sears and Philon. He is the primary ball handler when on the floor and has had several big games. Aden has the ability to get hot, but will often play a reserve role. When in the game, Aden certainly has the green light to shoot, as he shot 19 3-point attempts against South Dakota, scoring 26 points.

Chris Youngblood: 7ppg – Youngblood started the season injured and made his debut against Creighton. He is still getting back into the swing of things, yet his shooting numbers are way down since last season (shooting 25% from 3, down from 44% last season). Improvement is expected as he gets more comfortable with his new team. His quick release shot and defensive skills will continue to get him minutes in the rotation.

Mohammad Dioubate: 4.8ppg/5.8REB - Mo D is the poster child for Nate Oats blue collar basketball. Mo plays with more physicality and intensity than anyone on the team. He may not be a skilled scorer but he makes winning plays every game. Mo had 10 points and 16 rebounds against Houston, willing the Tide to victory. Oats has awarded him multiple hard hat awards and will continue to play against physical opponents.

Houston Mallete: 4.8 ppg/3REB – Mallete started the season as a redshirt, but joined the team in a full role after Latrell Wrightsell tore his Achilles. Houston proved himself to be a team player as he makes the most of the limited minutes he’s received so far this season. Oats has praised his unselfishness as Mallete took the redshirt with grace and now shows a high level of effort when he is on the court.

Aiden Sherrel: 2.1ppg/2.8REB – Aiden has started the season as a reserve Center. He has shown potential in his limited playing time, but it will take time for this freshman to adjust to College ball. He has a great build and can move well for a big man. While he hasn’t had success yet beyond the arc, he is clearly developing as a 3-point shooter. Sherrel will likely provide depth against bigger teams or when Cliff or Mo D are in foul trouble.

Latrell Wrightsell: 11.5 ppg/2.0 AST – After a great start to the season, Latrell tore his Achilles against Oregan and will miss the rest of the season. Latrell will attempt to receive a medical redshirt to play for the Tide next season.

2025 Storylines

How will the rotation look during Conference play? – 11 different players for Alabama have played significant minutes in non-conference play. Oats has mentioned before that they need to trim minutes down and run a smaller rotation. Starter Latrell Wrightsell is out for the year, so Oats must put those minutes somewhere else. Oats will tweak rotations based on the matchup or fouls, however he will need to identify 8 or 9 players who will receive the bulk of the minutes. The starting lineup has been consistent with Sears, Philon, Nelson, and Cliff, so who will be the primary backups? Alabama’s depth has been a strength for the team, however a consistent rotation of 8-9 players will be critical for Alabama to have success in Conference play.

How will Alabama match up in a strong Southeastern Conference? – The SEC has been the best conference this season. Joe Lunardi projects the SEC will have 2 #1 seeds (Tennessee and Auburn) which would be the first time since 2009 that a conference had more than 1 top seed (Pitt and UCONN). Currently 12 teams from the SEC are projected to make the tournament which would be an NCAA record. This season in non-conference play, the SEC is 185-23. They dominated the ACC/SEC challenge 14-2 (only Auburn and Kentucky lost). Every team in the SEC is within the top 85 NET rankings and top 64 Ken Pom. Winning this conference will be difficult for everyone as most games are Quad 1. Alabama’s SEC schedule had 5 Quad 2 games and 13 Quad 1 games. The 5 Quad 2 games are in the first 7 games, meaning that Alabama will play 11 straight Quad 1 games to finish the year. Alabama’s away games are very difficult as they play at Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas. This means that Alabama needs to win most all home games if they want to win the conference. Going 14-4 should get Alabama a top-4 seed in the SEC tournament. Whether they accomplish this task or not, the SEC regular season will prepare Alabama for a run in March Madness.

Will Alabama’s offense find their rhythm? – Alabama has struggled shooting the ball from 3 (31.7%) and averages 12.8 turnovers per game. Even with these terrible statistics, Alabama leads the country with 89.9 points per game. As well, they hold the highest field goal percentage in the country (63.1%). Ken Pom rates Alabama as the 4th best offense in the country. Nate Oats’ teams are known for their ability to shoot the 3-pointer, yet this season they continue to find success at the rim. Several players are struggling at the 3-point line, Sears included, so should they turn it around, they will be a top offense in the country. They will be difficult to beat if they find their shot behind the arc. To win in March, you need to get hot at the right time.

Roll TIde -Jake