Alabama heads into Saturday’s matchup at Oklahoma hoping to get a little healthier-and a little deeper-as it tries to keep the momentum rolling after a big win earlier this week.
The 18th-ranked Crimson Tide (12-5, 2-2 SEC) took care of business on the road Tuesday night with a 97-82 win over Mississippi State, despite suiting up just eight scholarship players. That kind of short-handed effort says a lot about this team’s resilience, and now head coach Nate Oats is hoping to get one more key piece back in the rotation.
That player is 6-foot-10 junior forward Taylor Bol Bowen, who missed the Mississippi State game with a left hand injury. While several of Alabama’s injured players are expected to remain sidelined, Oats said there’s a chance Bol Bowen could return for Saturday’s game in Norman.
And his return could be timely.
Bol Bowen’s averaging 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds on the season, but it’s his recent growth that has caught Oats’ attention. “He’s done a complete 180 in the last month,” Oats said.
“He was part of our rebounding issues, not rebounding well at all a month ago. He has completely turned into one of our toughest players.”
That toughness might be needed against an Oklahoma team (11-6, 1-3 Big 12) that just gave up 96 points to Florida and struggled to handle size in the paint. If Bol Bowen is cleared to play, he’ll likely be wearing some sort of protective pad on his injured hand. According to Oats, Bol Bowen was pushing to play Tuesday despite the swelling and bruising, which speaks to the edge he’s developed.
“He’s gotten much tougher, he’s gotten more vocal and his leadership has turned up,” Oats added. That’s the kind of presence Alabama would love to have back on the floor, especially in a tough road environment.
The Crimson Tide snapped a two-game skid with Tuesday’s win, and they’ll be looking to stack another one before getting a full week off-a break that could help more injured players return to the fold.
Leading the charge is freshman phenom Labaron Philon, who’s been nothing short of electric. He poured in a career-high 32 points against Mississippi State and is now averaging 21.9 points and 4.9 assists per game. He’s been Alabama’s offensive engine, showing poise well beyond his years.
Right behind him is Aden Holloway, averaging 18.4 points and 3.7 assists. Together, Philon and Holloway form one of the most dynamic backcourts in the SEC, capable of breaking down defenses and putting up points in bunches.
On the other side, Oklahoma is looking to stop the bleeding after dropping three straight games. The Sooners had won five in a row before this recent skid, and they’ll need a bounce-back performance to avoid falling further behind in the Big 12 race.
Senior guard Nijel Pack is one player the Sooners need more from. He scored just five points in Tuesday’s loss to Florida-his lowest output of the season. Pack is averaging 15.7 points per game, along with 3.1 assists, and when he’s on, Oklahoma’s offense looks a lot more dangerous.
Xzayvier Brown is another key piece, matching Pack’s 15.7 points per game while adding 3.2 assists. But the real intrigue might be in the frontcourt, where Oklahoma is starting to see something promising from 6-foot-11 center Kirill Elatontsev.
Elatontsev became eligible in late December and had a quiet start-just eight points over his first four games. But that changed in a big way against Florida, when he erupted for 17 points, including four made threes. That kind of performance opens up new possibilities for Oklahoma’s rotation.
“Hopefully we can build off that with him,” head coach Porter Moser said. “I think every day he’s getting more comfortable. You can just see it.”
Moser also hinted at playing Elatontsev alongside 6-foot-10 Mohamed Wague in a two-big lineup, something the Sooners experimented with against Florida. It’s a look that could help Oklahoma compete on the glass and defend the paint-especially if Alabama gets Bol Bowen back in action.
“We’ve got to play the best players on the floor,” Moser said. “Right now we’ve got some guys that we need to play better.
Whatever the combination is. If the combination is two centers that are giving us a chance to win and compete and rebound in the SEC, then we’re going to do that.”
Saturday’s showdown in Norman features two teams with very different vibes right now-Alabama riding a wave of confidence after a gritty road win, and Oklahoma trying to rediscover its footing. If Bol Bowen suits up, the Tide’s frontcourt gets a much-needed boost. If Elatontsev continues to emerge, the Sooners might just have a new weapon of their own.
Either way, this one has the makings of a physical, high-stakes battle between two teams looking to prove something.