Alabama is back at Coleman Coliseum on Monday night, and the Crimson Tide are meeting a team that has already been through a rough opening stretch. Nate Oats’ group takes on Oakland in Week 2 of the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season, with the Golden Grizzlies coming in at 0-3.
The Tide have opened 2-0 and are sitting at No. 18 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Top 25. They had to work through a sluggish start Friday against Arkansas State, missing 16 of their first 19 shots before finishing the first half with a 10-0 burst. That turned into a bigger 26-4 run and a 101-86 win.
Alabama’s depth showed up in that one. Four players scored in double figures, led by freshman Qayden Samuels with 17 points.
Amari Allen posted 16 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for a triple-double, though he left in the second half after landing awkwardly on his ankle and did not play the final minutes. Drew Fielder added 16 points, Brandon Garrison had 14, and freshman forward Terris Bouie finished with 12.
The Crimson Tide also controlled the glass, 58-46, and forced 19 turnovers.
Oakland has had a tougher start to the season. The Golden Grizzlies opened with an 84-63 loss to defending national champion Michigan and then dropped a 90-67 game at Santa Clara. They also arrive with a bit of recent NCAA Tournament history still attached to the program, having upset No. 3 seed Kentucky in the first round two and a half years ago in what became John Calipari’s final game as Wildcats coach.
Monday’s game will stream on SEC Network+ and ESPN+, with no traditional TV channel listed. Roger Hoover and Richard Hendrix will be on the call from Coleman Coliseum.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.
Alabama’s schedule keeps moving quickly after this one. The Tide host Seton Hall on Nov. 13, then Kennesaw State on Nov. 17 before heading into a busy stretch that includes Baylor in Las Vegas, Miami on the road, Houston in New York and St. John’s in Birmingham.
Alabama basketball schedule 2026-27
All start times Central.
Nov. 3: vs. Sam Houston Bearkats (W, 96-74)
Nov. 6: vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves (W, 101-86)
Nov. 9: vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network+
Nov. 13: vs. Seton Hall Pirates, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Nov. 17: vs. Kennesaw State Owls, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network+
Nov. 24: vs. Baylor Bears (Las Vegas), 9 p.m., ESPN2
Nov. 26: TBA (Las Vegas)
Nov. 27-28: TBA (Las Vegas)
Dec. 2: at Miami Hurricanes, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 8: vs. Houston Cougars (New York), 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 12: vs. St. John’s Red Storm (Birmingham), 2:30 p.m., ESPN
Dec. 16: at South Florida Bulls, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Dec. 21: at Iowa Hawkeyes, 6 p.m., Peacock
Dec. 29: vs. Samford Bulldogs, 9 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 2: at Mississippi State Bulldogs, 5 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 5: vs. LSU Tigers, 6 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 9: at Arkansas Razorbacks, 1 p.m., ESPN2
Jan. 13: vs. Ole Miss Rebels, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 16: vs. Florida Gators, 1 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Jan. 20: at South Carolina Gamecocks, 5 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 23: vs. Oklahoma Sooners, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 26: at Missouri Tigers, 8 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 30: vs. Auburn Tigers, 5 or 5:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Feb. 6: at Kentucky Wildcats, 1 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Feb. 9: at Texas Longhorns, 6 p.m., ESPN
Feb. 13: vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Feb. 16: vs. Mississippi State, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Jan. 20: at Tennessee Volunteers, 1 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
Feb. 23: at Texas A&M Aggies, 8 p.m., SEC Network
Feb. 27: vs. Vanderbilt Commodores, 7:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2
March 3: vs. Georgia Bulldogs, 6 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU
March 6: at Auburn, 5 p.m., SEC Network
In Other News...
Alabama May Be Giving Austin Mack A Huge Chance At Vanderbilt
Keelon Russells ankle injury has opened the door for Austin Mack, and Alabama appears willing to let the former five-star recruit take some meaningful snaps against Vanderbilt. With Russell banged up, head coach Kalen DeBoer said Mack could see the field in an effort to protect the starter for the games ahead, giving the Crimson Tide a chance to see what they have in a quarterback who has spent most of his time waiting behind the scenes.
For Mack, the timing matters. He has had limited playing time since arriving in Tuscaloosa, but this could be the kind of opportunity that changes the conversation around his future, especially with a possible transfer in the background. Vanderbilt may not be the biggest stage on Alabamas schedule, but it could be a valuable one for a quarterback still trying to show he can handle real game action. [Read more 🡒]
Alabamas Defensive Front Just Got A Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
Devan Thompkins gave Alabama a timely jolt in the win at LSU, finishing with two sacks and snapping a drought that had stretched back to Week 3. It was the kind of interior push the Crimson Tide have been trying to rediscover, and it came in a game where the defense as a whole finally looked disruptive again, piling up four sacks for its best total since Week 5.
Terrance Greens return from injury helped make that happen. He made his presence felt with a sack of his own and steady work against the run, giving Alabamas defensive front a more complete look and drawing praise from the coaching staff for the way he changed the lines energy. For a unit that has been searching for consistency up front, Greens impact may have been just as important as the numbers beside Thompkins name. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Forced A Playoff Ranking Debate Fans Will Obsess Over
Alabamas win over LSU has done more than pad the rsum in November. It has reopened the kind of playoff-rankings debate that gets college football fans arguing all week, with analysts split on where the Crimson Tide should land when the next set of rankings comes out. Some see the victory as the kind of statement that can push Alabama as high as No. 3 or No. 4, while others think the committee could still leave the Tide closer to the middle of the top 10.
The messier part is what it means for Tennessee, because the comparison between the two teams is now impossible to ignore. Head-to-head results and strength of schedule both have a way of complicating the conversation, and Alabamas latest win only sharpened the question of how much weight the committee will give each factor. However it shakes out, this is the sort of ranking fight that could linger well beyond Tuesday night. [Read more 🡒]