Alabama basketball is not anywhere close to a finished product as it looks to contend for an SEC title. Here are 3 improvements the team must make from now until the end of the season.
With SEC play getting started on Saturday, Alabama will have to up its game intensity on both ends of the floor for the course of 40 minutes because every game will now matter with the hopes of cutting down the nets and hanging another SEC regular-season banner.
18 games over the next three months, and it will be crucial that the Tide get off to a good start in January, stacking wins to put itself in position in the race for the regular season crown.
Alabama basketball will enter SEC play at 13 in the NCAA Net Rankings and at 16 in Kenpom.
In the preseason, Alabama was picked third in the SEC polls.
So far this season, Labaron Philon leads the team in scoring with 21.9 PPG while averaging 5.6 APG. Aiden Sherrell is fifth in the country with 2.9 blocks per game.
“We’re a pretty good team right now. We can’t be one of the elite teams we’re trying to be in the country if we can’t rebound the ball,” said Alabama Coach Nate Oats.
Rebounding
Over the course of the season, head coach Nate Oats, whether it be before games or after the games with the media, has continuously harped on the rebounding problems.
The Tide has been out-rebounded in 8 out of its 13 non-conference games, with being out-rebounded by as much as 24 by Purdue earlier in the season.
Whether it be effort from the likes of Taylor Bol Bowen, whom Oats has harped about multiple times, whether it be on the bench or in post-game press conferences.
“That’s what we’re gonna continue to focus on. We’re gonna make substitutions in the game in large part based on rebounding,” said Oats before the South Florida game on Dec. 16.
Defensive efficiency
For much of the last three seasons Alabama’s problems have been on the defensive end. Over the course of this season, it has been a mix of problems, but defense still remains a trouble. The Tide’s first shot defense has been good, but not finishing a possession with a rebound or turnover has hurt them. Per KenPom, Alabama is 71 on the defensive end, and teams to win a national title usually have both offense and defense in the top 20.
“The Clemson game, I thought that our defense in the second half was abysmal. We’ve got to get our whole mindset, disposition fixed,” said Oats.
When Alabama basketball made the Final Four in 2024, it had a defensive efficiency ranking in the range of 70-100.
Second-half troubles
Alabama has been in every game and even led number 1 Arizona at the break just three weeks ago, but whether it be the Clemson game, the Kennesaw State game, or the Arizona game, the second half troubles have become tough to overcome and to hold onto its leads. Whether it be an effort problem, poor shooting from three, or turnovers, the Tide have not really been strong at closing out games throughout non-conference until this past game against Yale.
“Defensive intensity, focus, attention to detail, not there in the second half. … We’ve got to get significantly better on that end of the floor before SEC play starts,” said Oats after the game against Kennesaw State on Dec. 22.
Next for Alabama basketball (10-3): Alabama’s first two SEC games are at home against Kentucky and then on the road at unbeaten Vanderbilt, so it will have to improve quickly.