Alabama men’s basketball closes its exhibition slate unbeaten, but head coach Nate Oats says the program’s biggest unresolved issue is simple and central: rebounding.
The Crimson Tide wrapped three warmup games in October with victories over Furman, Ole Miss and Auburn. Still, Oats said those wins exposed a persistent deficiency on the glass that must be corrected before the regular season begins.
“Rebounding still isn't fixed,” Oats said after the win over Auburn, summing up his primary concern with roughly 11 days remaining until the regular-season opener.
Exhibition results and context
Alabama’s exhibition performances provided mixed signals: the offense operated at a high level at times, but the Tide struggled to secure defensive and offensive rebounds consistently enough to satisfy the coaching staff.
| Opponent | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Furman | 111-93 | Coleman Coliseum |
| Ole Miss | 92-84 | Boutwell Auditorium |
| Auburn | 87-85 | Legacy Arena |
Those results left Oats encouraged by certain aspects of the roster but still focused on tangible areas for improvement. He noted the team has been experimenting with larger lineups in the exhibitions, and yet the rebounding numbers did not reflect a clear advantage.
Roster shape and what it means for rebounding
Oats pointed out that the lineups used in the exhibitions frequently featured multiple players listed at 6-foot-5 or taller. He stressed that two guards expected to play significant minutes in the regular season — Aden Holloway and Anderson Diaz — were not on the floor during these games and their presence should alter matchups and, potentially, rebounding outcomes.
To address the issue, Alabama added several big bodies to the roster during the offseason through the transfer portal and recruiting: Jamarion Davis-Fleming (6-10, from Mississippi State), Brandon Garrison (6-10, from Kentucky), Drew Fielder (6-11, from Boise State) and incoming recruit TJ St. Louis (7-0). The Tide also returns Collins Onyejiaka (6-11) and a 6-9 player referenced in the team notes, giving the program multiple frontcourt options.
Oats said he expects Holloway and Diaz to play and suggested their availability could help correct some of the rebounding and turnover imbalances witnessed in the exhibitions.
More than rebounding: turnover and assist balance
Beyond rebounding, the coach flagged an assist-to-turnover imbalance over the exhibition stretch. He described the relationship between ball movement and care with possessions as “upside down” during that period, indicating an area the staff will emphasize in practice leading into the regular season.
Those two concerns — securing missed shots and protecting the ball — frame the staff’s immediate work plan. Oats and his assistants will have less than two weeks to integrate personnel, install rotation patterns and shore up execution before games that count.
What fans should watch
As the season opener approaches, supporters should track a few specific items that will reveal whether Alabama has addressed its vulnerabilities:
- Team rebounding margin in the first two regular-season games.
- Minutes and on-court impact for Holloway and Diaz once they return to the rotation.
- Assist-to-turnover ratio early in conference play compared with the exhibition numbers.
Improvement in those areas would validate the personnel additions and adjustments Oats has made. Failure to show progress, particularly on the boards, could force further lineup and strategic changes once the schedule tightens.
With a deeper frontcourt now part of the program and key guards expected to contribute, Alabama begins the regular season with talent on paper. The first few games will determine whether that talent translates into the consistent rebounding and ball security Oats wants.
For a program with high expectations, turning those preseason warning signs into strengths will be an early test of the coaching staff’s ability to prepare the team for the grind of conference play.
