Alabama Basketball Eyes Rebound vs. South Florida After Tough Loss to Arizona
After taking a hard hit against No. 1 Arizona, Alabama basketball is looking to get back on track Wednesday night as they return to the familiar floor of Coleman Coliseum to host South Florida.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and while the Crimson Tide are still licking their wounds from a lopsided loss in the C.M.
Newton Classic, this upcoming matchup offers a chance to reset before the calendar flips to conference play.
But make no mistake - this isn’t just a routine non-conference tune-up. There’s a storyline here that adds some heat to the December matchup: Nate Oats will be coaching against one of his former right-hand men.
Bryan Hodgson, now in his first year as head coach at USF, spent time on Oats’ staff in Tuscaloosa and knows the system well. That familiarity adds a little extra spice to the sidelines.
A Physical Test on the Glass
Hodgson has wasted no time imprinting his identity on the Bulls, and it starts with effort on the boards. USF enters this matchup as one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country - a stat that should catch Alabama’s attention.
Rebounding has been a sore spot for the Crimson Tide this season. Despite their offensive firepower, they’ve struggled to consistently secure the glass, especially on the defensive end.
That’s a dangerous combination when facing a team like USF that thrives on second-chance opportunities. If Alabama doesn’t clean up the boards, they could find themselves chasing points again - something they can’t afford after giving up 96 to Arizona.
Familiar Territory, Crucial Timing
Alabama, now ranked No. 16 with a 7-3 record, has shown flashes of brilliance this season - just look at their 90-point outing against Illinois or the 115-point explosion against UNLV. But consistency has been elusive. The loss to Purdue was competitive, but the Arizona game exposed some real defensive vulnerabilities.
This South Florida matchup comes at a critical juncture. It’s the last home game before a neutral-site tilt in Huntsville against Kennesaw State, and then a tough one against Yale to close out the non-conference slate. After that, it’s straight into the SEC gauntlet with Kentucky and Texas waiting in early January.
How to Watch
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17
- Time: 7 p.m. CT
- Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
- TV/Streaming: SECNetwork+ via ESPN+
A Look at Alabama’s Season So Far
Here’s how the Tide’s 2025-26 campaign has unfolded:
- Nov. 3: vs. North Dakota − W, 91-62
- Nov. 8: vs. St.
John’s (at Madison Square Garden) − W, 103-96
- Nov. 13: vs.
Purdue − L, 87-80
- Nov. 19: vs.
Illinois (United Center, Chicago) − W, 90-86
- **Nov.
24-27**: Players Era Festival in Las Vegas
- Nov. 24: vs.
Gonzaga − L, 95-85
- Nov. 25: vs.
UNLV − W, 115-76
- Nov. 26: vs.
Maryland − W, 105-72
- Dec. 3: vs.
Clemson (SEC/ACC Challenge) − W, 90-84
- Dec. 7: vs.
UTSA − W, 97-55
- Dec. 13: vs.
Arizona (C.M. Newton Classic) − L, 96-75
- Dec. 17: vs. USF
- Dec. 21: vs. Kennesaw State (Propst Arena, Huntsville)
- Dec. 29: vs. Yale
SEC Schedule Highlights
Once the calendar turns, Alabama faces a brutal stretch in the SEC:
- Jan. 3: vs. Kentucky
- Jan. 6/7: at Vanderbilt
- Jan. 10: vs.
Texas
- Jan. 13: at Mississippi State
- Jan. 17: at Oklahoma
- Jan. 24: vs.
Tennessee
- Jan. 27: vs.
Missouri
- Feb. 1: at Florida
- Feb. 4: vs. Texas A&M
- Feb. 7: at Auburn
- Feb. 11: at Ole Miss
- Feb. 14: vs. South Carolina
- Feb. 18: vs. Arkansas
- Feb. 21: at LSU
- Feb. 25: vs.
Mississippi State
- Feb. 28: at Tennessee
- March 3: at Georgia
- March 7: vs.
Auburn
What to Watch For
This game is less about revenge for the Arizona loss and more about course correction. Alabama needs to reestablish its identity - fast-paced, high-efficiency offense paired with aggressive defensive rebounding. If they can match USF’s physicality on the boards and keep the tempo in their favor, they should be in good shape.
But if they let the Bulls hang around by giving up second-chance points, things could get uncomfortable in a hurry.
Bottom line: Alabama has the talent and the coaching edge. But effort on the glass and execution in transition will tell the story Wednesday night.