Last week was a statement week for Alabama basketball. Coming off a tough, humbling loss to Florida, the Crimson Tide responded with the kind of grit and execution that tells you this team isn’t folding anytime soon. Back-to-back wins over Texas A&M at home and Auburn on the road weren’t just good wins-they were gut-check victories that showed us what this group is capable of when the lights are brightest.
Aden Holloway has stepped into the spotlight in a big way. The freshman guard is starting to look like the heartbeat of this team, and more importantly, he's not shying away from the moment.
In both games last week, Holloway wanted the ball in his hands when it mattered most-and that confidence is contagious. You can see it in the way Labaron Philon plays when Holloway is dialed in.
Philon feeds off that energy, and when those two are clicking, Alabama’s offense hums with a different rhythm.
But now comes the next test-consistency. Beating ranked teams and rivals is one thing.
Taking care of business against teams you’re expected to beat? That’s where championship-caliber teams separate themselves.
Alabama heads to Oxford next to face a Chris Beard-coached Ole Miss squad that’s always ready to scrap, especially at home. This isn’t a game where you can sleepwalk through the first 10 minutes and expect to flip the switch late.
Nate Oats knows that, and you can bet he’s drilling it into his team ahead of Wednesday night.
There’s also some noise off the court with Charles Bediako’s situation involving the NCAA, but the hope is that it doesn’t become a distraction. This team has too much on the line to let off-court issues derail the momentum they’ve built.
To keep the momentum rolling, Alabama will need more from its frontcourt. Aiden Sherrell has to continue to be a presence inside, and super freshman Amari Allen is going to be counted on in a big way.
He’s shown flashes of brilliance already this season, and now’s the time to string those moments together. Any contributions from Noah Williamson would be a bonus at this point-if he can give them solid minutes, even in spurts, it could go a long way in keeping the rotation fresh.
After Ole Miss, Alabama returns home to face a South Carolina team that’s been reeling, having dropped five straight SEC games. But don’t let the skid fool you-South Carolina will be coming in rested after a full week off, and that could make things tricky.
Still, for Alabama, this week is less about opponents and more about building a résumé. The SEC title might be slipping out of reach, but every win now is about seeding for March.
And in a season where the margins are razor-thin, every game matters.
This is the stretch where teams define themselves. Alabama showed us last week what they’re capable of. Now it’s about doing it again-and again.