Hello and Roll Tide!

Alabama Basketball kicks off their season tonight as they take on North Dakota. Sitting at #15 in the preseason AP Poll, this could be another exciting season of Bama Hoops. Nate Oats’ last two teams reached the Final Four and Elite Eight; Oats has created a new standard in Tuscaloosa. From last year’s team, Alabama lost four players who used up their eligibility, then another three to the portal. Alabama returns five members of last year’s team while adding four from the transfer portal and four from traditional high school recruiting. Below are notes on each player by position, a projected depth chart, and 2025 storylines. Let’s go!

2025-26 Alabama Crimson Tide Basketball Roster:

Point Guard

  • #0 Labaron Philon (Sophomore): Philon returns after a stellar freshman season that almost ended with him entering the NBA draft. Labaron averaged 10.3 PPG, 3.3 REB, 3.8 AST while sharing the backcourt with Mark Sears and Aden Holloway. Philon has the ability to take over a game, just needs more consistency. He returns as the Tide’s primary ball handler and is the most experienced distributor. If he can hit the 3-ball at a higher clip and manage turnovers, Philon could be one of the best point guards in the SEC.
  • #4 Davion Hannah (Freshman): Davion is a 4-star recruit, native to Milwaukee, WI. He played high school basketball at Link Academy in Branson, MO and was the 4th highest rated player in the state. He is tall and physical, standing at 6-6. Oats already complimented his perimeter defending, noting he may be the best on the team. Davion’s effort on defense will get him minutes immediately.

Shooting Guard

  • #3 Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (6th Year Senior): Wrightsell returns to action after an ACL injury shortened last season for him. When healthy, Latrell is very accurate from 3-point range; he was completing 50% of 3-point attempts before the injury. He fits Nate Oats traditional build for a shooting guard and will be heavily utilized on this fast offense.
  • #2 Aden Holloway (Junior): Aden had a productive season in his first season with the Tide: 11.4 PPG, 1.9 REB, 1.9 AST. When he’s hot, Holloway cannot miss from deep. If Nate gives him the green light he can turn into a flamethrower. Aden and Philon showed great chemistry a season ago and they look to lead the backcourt together this year.
  • #1 Jalil Bathea (Sophomore): Jalil is part of the 2025 transfer class, joining the Crimson Tide from Miami (FL). Jalil was formerly a McDonald’s All-American but wasn’t able to carve out the role he wanted at Miami. He averaged 7.1 ppg during his freshman season. He is currently on the injured list but should return in December before SEC play.

Small Forward

  • #95 Houston Mallette (6th Year Senior): Houston joined the Tide as a guard but will likely slide into the SF role ahead of two true freshmen at the position. At 6-5, he plays with enough intensity to slot into the SF position. Mallette had a small role last season as a combination of injuries and a partial redshirt limited his playing time. He is a glue guy, energizing the team when he gets onto the court.
  • #5 Amari Allen (Freshman): Allen was the #64 overall recruit in the 2025 class and hopes to make an impact immediately. Allen led the freshman in minutes played during the first two exhibitions. He is shooting the ball very well and physically looks ready to play college ball. His length at 6-7 helps him be effective in perimeter defense.
  • #6 London Jeminson (Freshman): London was the top prospect in this class, ranked 38th overall nationally. Based on his performance in fall camp and the two scrimmages, London may not see a lot of playing time early on. He has the potential but will likely need to carve out a role as the season progresses.

Power Forward

  • #7 Taylor Bol Bowen (Junior): Bowen transferred to Alabama from Florida State where he had a productive 2024-25 season, posting 8.0 PPG and 5.2 REB. This quickly became a position of need for Alabama as they lost Grant Nelson (NBA), Mo Dioubate (Kentucky), and Jarin Stevenson (North Carolina) over the offseason. Bowen is a stretch 4 with a good 3-pointer. He needs to improve on rebounding and finishing at the rim to be a more complete player.
  • #10 Keitenn Bristow (Sophomore): Oats looked outside the box to fill the PF role, grabbing Tarleton State standout Keitenn Bristow in the portal. He was the WAC Freshman of the year posting 11.3 PPG, 4.3 REB, and 1.4 AST. Bristow will likely take time to adjust to SEC basketball, but he showed great hustle and energy in the scrimmages. Keitenn will need to improve his shooting to get more playing time, but he plays with the heart that you expect to see from Nate Oats teams.

Center

  • #15 Noah Williamson (Senior): Nate Oats hit the portal for another Center in Williamson. Williamson was the Patriot League player of the year out of Bucknell, averaging 17.6 PPG, 7.6 REB, 1.6 AST. Noah is skilled offensively and a great passer. In the scrimmages, it appeared that he may not yet be up to Nate Oats’ conditioning standards, which may limit his minutes starting out. The offensive skills are there so we will likely see an increased role later in the season.
  • #22 Aiden Sherrell (Sophomore): Aiden was a raw prospect a season ago. He gained more playing time as the season progressed, but left many question marks. At times, he was an effective 3-point shooter, but struggled rebounding and finishing at the rim. The raw talent is there; he just needs it all to click together. If he progresses this season as much as he did last year, he could be a true 5 for the Tide.
  • #34 Collins Onyekiaka (Freshman): Collins reclassified from the Class of 2026 foregoing his Senior year of high school. With Sherrell and Williamson ahead of him, Collins will likely redshirt. It is worth noting, at 6-11, Collins is the second tallest player on this team. His height may draw him looks when Alabama faces larger lineups.

Depth Chart:

  • PG: 1. Labaron Philon; 2. Davion Hannah
  • SG: 1. Aden Holloway; 2. Latrell Wrightsell Jr.; 3. Jalil Bathea
  • SF/G: 1. Houston Mallette; 2. Amari Allen; 3. London Jeminson
  • PF: 1. Taylor Bol Bowen; 2. Keitenn Bristow
  • C: 1. Aiden Sherrell; 2. Noah Williamson; 3. Collins Onyekiaka

2025-26 Storylines:

Can Labaron Rise to Super-Star Status?: Labaron Philon returning to Alabama may have been the biggest offseason news. Philon impressed last season drawing NBA draft chatter, but decided that he could benefit from another season with Alabama. On paper, Labaron is the best player on the Tide and has the tools to be one of the best in the Conference. He looked the part in the exhibition games and his individual accolades will be worth following this season.

Battle Tested before Conference Play: Yet again, Alabama has one of the most difficult out of conference schedules. Notable opponents include at #5 St John’s, #1 Purdue at home, at #17 Illinois, #21 Gonzaga in the Players festival, Clemson at home, and #13 Arizona in Birmingham. Oats mentioned that he’d rather play a gauntlet than 12 cupcakes to better prepare his team for SEC play. The SEC will be one of the best conferences again this season. Will Nate’s bold scheduling set them up to succeed?

New Faces, Same Goals: Alabama returns five players from a season ago, 3 of which were significant contributors. Resetting the team to this degree is very difficult for any coaching staff. Oats has had tournament success at Alabama, setting a new standard. Alabama has been to the Sweet Sixteen 4 of the last 5 years. While the bar has been raised, making the tournament should be our preseason goal. This is a brand-new team in a very difficult conference.

Keep Possession/Turnover and Rebounds: The season hasn’t even started yet and Nate Oats is already talking about rebounding. After an exhibition game, Nate mentioned that the team needs to be better at rebounding on both sides of the ball. It’s simple: Offensive rebounds lead to more possessions and defensive rebounds limit the opposing team’s possessions. Last year the Tide also struggled with turnovers. The turnover margin, like rebounding, will either add or subtract possessions from a team. Nate Oats teams are built on Blue Collar plays. Nothing shows effort better than out-rebounding and winning the turnover margin.

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Roll Tide! -Jake