TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With a dynamic roster featuring players like versatile point guard Mark Sears and forward Grant Nelson, Alabama boasts some of the most recognizable talents in the NCAA Tournament. Their strong performance led the Crimson Tide to the Final Four last season, and their return to college basketball this year is driven by aspirations of securing the program’s inaugural national championship.
Despite Nelson suffering a left knee injury, Alabama’s hopes are buoyed by its robust supporting cast, particularly the bench. As the second-seed, the Crimson Tide (25-8) is geared to commence its NCAA journey against the No. 15 seed, Robert Morris, in Cleveland on Friday. This schedule affords Nelson an extra day for recovery following his early exit in the semifinal match against Florida at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
One of Alabama’s significant strengths is its bench, which ranks seventh nationally, contributing an average of 34.19 points per game. The versatility and depth in scoring make Coach Nate Oats’ lineup a formidable opponent, especially with the rapid turnaround of tournament games. “We have guys that have been battle-tested, and we have some guys that have some savvy about them to stay in those games and make plays, and we’re going to need that to make runs here in March,” noted Coach Oats.
Although injuries have impacted the team’s depth, it’s still performing impressively. Coach Matt Painter of Purdue had previously remarked that Alabama’s bench was potent enough to stand alone as a ranked team.
Down the stretch and during the SEC Tournament, players from the bench proved their mettle. Jarin Stevenson made a vital 16-point contribution in a win over Kentucky, whereas sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate tallied 12 points and as many rebounds against Florida in the semifinals. The addition of touted freshman Derrion Reid, back after recovering from a hamstring injury, bolsters their lineup further.
Coach Oats admitted, “We knew he was going to be rusty. It’s hard when you don’t practice for a few weeks in a row. Only had a few practices… I thought he was able to get a little flow, knock some of the rust off. We were able to get him almost 10 minutes… He wasn’t bad in his minutes.” Meanwhile, with Sears and Nelson at the forefront, Alabama claims the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 91.4 points per game. Astonishingly, the team has surpassed the 100-point mark eight times, five of which were during SEC matchups.
Remarkably, they achieved these scores without key players like Latrell Whitesell Jr., who suffered an Achilles injury ending his season prematurely, and Houston Mallette, who succumbed to persistent knee issues after just six appearances. The bench stepped up significantly in their absence.
Sophomore Aden Holloway, who made the jump from Auburn, has delivered an average of 11.4 points despite predominantly playing second fiddle to Sears. “I can’t get him aggressive enough, to be honest with you,” said Oats, emphasizing his confidence in Holloway’s shooting abilities.
Dioubate has seen remarkable improvement, doubling his contributions as a sophomore by averaging 7.1 points and 16 minutes per game. “He’s always had it. He needed to learn how to do it with the correct spacing, when the opportunities are there,” Oats remarked, acknowledging Dioubate’s growth in leveraging his opportunities efficiently.
In conclusion, Alabama faced an intense end-of-season schedule, playing nine consecutive ranked teams with a 4-5 record, including challenging matches against Florida, Missouri, and Tennessee. As the tournament begins, Alabama sees this as an opportunity for respite and a stage where their depth can shine, especially if Nelson’s performance is limited. “It’s ideal (that) you play the toughest schedule,” Chris Youngblood, an Alabama guard, commented. “Whoever you face in March, you have to win six tough games. We’ve done it before… Played a lot of tough teams. We’ll be ready.”
