Hello and Roll Tide!

Another historic season for Alabama Men’s Basketball ended after the Tide lost to Duke on Saturday night. Nate Oats has positioned this program to make runs in March year after year: Alabama has made three consecutive Sweet Sixteens for the first time since 1985-87; Bama Hoops made it to back-to-back Elite Eights for the first time in program history. Surely the team had higher hopes than the Elite Eight, but if you give Oats and company enough cracks at this they should break through soon enough. Today I will recap the season, give out player awards, and discuss the roster moving forward. Let’s go!

2025 Alabama Men’s Basketball Recap:

Alabama started the season ranked #2 in the AP poll and they did not fall outside of the top 10 all season. For the second season in a row, Alabama played the #1 strength of schedule. The SEC was the strongest conference all year, sending 13 teams to the tournament, yet Oats still scheduled a very difficult out of conference schedule. Key games such as @Purdue (L 87-78), Illinois (W 100-87), Houston (W 85-80), and @North Carolina (W 94-79) prepared Alabama for the gauntlet that was the SEC. Alabama started hot in conference play, winning 10 of the first 11 games before finishing the season against 7 ranked SEC opponents, dropping 4 of the matches. With a 13-5 conference record, Alabama placed 3rd in the regular season. Alabama lost to Florida in the SEC tournament before defeating Robert Morris, Saint Mary’s, and BYU advancing to a second consecutive Elite Eight.

Alabama’s strength this year was depth and pace. This was most prevalent among the guards, especially after Latrell Wrightsell went down for the season. Sears led the group with 32 minutes per game, then Youngblood with 25, Philon with 24, and Aden Holloway with 21 minutes per game. This allowed the team to keep the pace high which led to Alabama leading the nation with 90.7 points per game.

While Alabama led the country in points for a second consecutive season, they did lose efficiency. The 3-point % dropped by 2% year over year and free-throw percentage dropped by 5%. Missed free-throws and dependence on the 3-pointer led to many of Alabama’s defeats. Shooting 50% from 3 against BYU then immediately shooting 25% against Duke was a great metaphor for Alabama’s 2024-25 season. The sky’s the limit but the floor is low as well. With that, Alabama played at their best for most of the season keeping them in the national conversation all season long.

2024-25 Awards:

MVP: Mark Sears – Sears had an incredible season earning recognition as a First Team All-American. It seems like every game you’d look up and Sears casually scored 20 points. He was so ingrained in the offense that high output was expected. Sears’ threat opened opportunities for teammates and he was able to capitalize, averaging 5.1 assists per game. His legacy will be felt at Alabama for years to come as Oats continues to build the program.

Defensive Player of the Year: Grant Nelson – Grant led the Tide in both rebounds per game (7.6) and blocks per game (1.2). When Grant blocks someone, they’re like a turkey on Thanksgiving: completely stuffed. The biggest highlight in Alabama’s loss to Duke is certainly Grant rejecting Cooper Flagg. Grant was effective forcing turnovers as well, averaging half a steal per game. Often all 6 foot 11 inches of him would be on the floor wrestling for loose balls. Grant took a huge step forward from last season making a big impact on the Tide’s ability to protect the rim.

Sixth-man of the Year: Aden Holloway – Nicknamed “Biz”, Aden shined at his new home after transferring from Auburn. Aden’s coming out party was against South Dakota State when he made 8 3-pointers. From then on, he had the green light. He finished the season shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc. Aden was very effective running the second team, scoring 11.4 points per game and was just shy of 2 assists per game. Often Aden was able to create a spark and allow our depth to take over the game.

Freshman of the Year: Labaron Philon – Labaron was a top 35 player in the country out of High School and was immediately put to the test. Philon was 3rd on the team in guard points as he served as Sears primary backup. Philon was effective in all phases of the game as he averaged 10.6 points per game, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals. In fast break situations he was always a threat to take it from coast to coast. Philon’s ball handling and distribution of the basketball was a joy to watch.

Full-Season Hard Hat Award: Mo Dioubate – Often referred to as “Blue Collar Mo”, Mo played with high intensity and unmatched effort. The sophomore from Queens saw his minutes jump to 16 per game, up from 7.7 a year ago. He was very effective, shooting 61.7% from the floor and 46.2% from 3. He became the team sniper at the end of the season, taking advantage of defenses playing off him at the 3-point line. Mo was a ferocious rebounder on both sides of the floor and never hesitated to dive after loose balls. Mo led the team with 9 hard hat awards, embodying the traits that Nate Oats loves to see in players.

2025-26 Roster Outlook

Leaving:

· Mark Sears – Out of eligibility

· Chris Youngblood – Out of eligibility

· Grant Nelson – Out of eligibility

· Cliff Omoruyi – Out of eligibility

Eligible to return:

· Latrell Wrightsell Jr. – Suffered a season ending injury; considering the transfer portal

· Labaron Philon – may return but is evaluating his NBA draft stock

· Jarin Stevenson - may return but is evaluating his NBA draft stock

· Aden Holloway – rising Junior

· Mo D – rising Junior

· Aiden Sherrell – rising sophomore

· Derrion Reid – rising sophomore

· Houston Mallette – 5th Year senior received a redshirt

2025 Freshman Class:

· SF London Jemison – 4 star recruit from Oakdale, Connecticut

· SF Amari Allen – 4 star recruit from Green Bay, Wisconsin

· G Davion Hannah – 4 star recruit from Branson, Missouri

Transfer Portal New:

· Naas Cunningham entered the transfer portal

· Noah Williamson is transferring to Alabama from Bucknell

Another great season has come to an end! With Nate Oats at the helm, we should expect another exciting season during the 2025-26 calendar. Look out for updates on Football Spring camp as I will be reviewing the incoming defensive freshman.

Roll Tide!

-Jake