Alabama found itself in a tough spot Saturday night, not just because of the 79-73 loss to Tennessee, but because the Crimson Tide were unexpectedly short-handed. Two key starters-freshman forward Amari Allen and junior guard Aden Holloway-were absent from the lineup, and head coach Nate Oats confirmed after the game that both suffered injuries during the recent matchup against Oklahoma.
“I was really hoping they’d both play,” Oats said postgame. “They just didn’t come around as quick as we would’ve liked, but they’re doing everything they can.” He gave credit to the team’s training staff, including Clarke Holter, for working to get the players back on the court.
While Oats didn’t go into detail about the specific nature of the injuries, he did make one thing clear: neither Allen nor Holloway is expected to be out long term. That’s a critical silver lining for a team that’s already navigating a thin roster.
With Allen and Holloway sidelined-and still no Keitenn Bristow, Davion Hannah, or Collins Onyejiaka available-Alabama was down to just five scholarship players. That’s not exactly the depth chart you want heading into a high-stakes SEC matchup. The Tide also worked former pro center Charles Bediako into the rotation, as they look to stabilize a roster that’s suddenly become paper-thin.
The absence of Holloway and Allen left a massive scoring void. Holloway is Alabama’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.7 points per game behind standout freshman Labaron Philon Jr.
Allen isn’t far behind, contributing around 12 points a night. That’s nearly 30 points of offensive firepower missing against a top-10 opponent-and it showed.
Alabama will try to regroup quickly, with the Missouri Tigers coming to Tuscaloosa on Jan. 27.
The hope is that the injury report looks a little less crowded by then. Because if the Tide want to stay in the SEC hunt, they’ll need their full arsenal back-and fast.