Alabama’s preseason went exactly the way a team wants on paper: three games, three wins, including victories over SEC foes Ole Miss and Auburn. The Crimson Tide even did it without two of their three primary initiators in Aden Holloway and Anderson Diaz, which makes the run look even cleaner.
Still, none of that changes the bigger truth. Exhibition wins don’t hang anywhere. What matters is what Alabama showed, and one issue kept flashing in a way that had to get Nate Oats’s attention.
Rebounding.
That was the sore spot last season, when Alabama finished 295th in defensive rebounding rate on KenPom. Oats attacked the problem by getting bigger in the offseason, bringing in three transfer bigs in Drew Fielder, Brandon Garrison, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming. On top of that, with Holloway and Diaz out, Alabama’s rotation against Auburn was entirely made up of players listed at 6-foot-5 or taller.
And it still didn’t solve the issue. Alabama finished Thursday night’s game against Auburn at minus-9 on the boards and gave up 22 offensive rebounds. The Tigers shot just 33% from the floor, but the extra chances kept the game tight late when it probably should have been more comfortable for the Tide.
Oats didn’t hide his frustration after the game.
“Rebounding has been an issue with us. It was an issue again tonight," Oats said.
"We’ve got to figure this thing out. We give up 22 O-boards tonight; it’s a major problem. ...
We have big lineups out there and still are not rebounding the ball very well. So it’s a major concern.
That’s the kind of flaw that can erase good defense in a hurry. Stop a possession, don’t finish the rebound, and the possession isn’t really over.
Give up second and third chances, and trouble follows. Alabama got away with it against Auburn.
It won’t always be that forgiving once the games start counting.
There’s also a natural question hanging over this now: if the Tide are getting pushed around on the glass with this much size on the floor, what happens when Holloway and Diaz are available?
That’s the good part of exhibition season, though. Weaknesses get dragged into the light before the real schedule starts. Auburn exposed Alabama’s rebounding problem, and in that sense the night served its purpose.
Now Oats has time to clean it up. Alabama has 12 days between “The Feud” and its regular-season opener on November 3rd against Sam Houston. The schedule then opens with five straight home games in Coleman Coliseum - Sam Houston, Arkansas State, Oakland, Seton Hall, and Kennesaw State - before the trip to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival.
That stretch gives Alabama room to sharpen the edges before the schedule turns tougher.
In Other News...
Alabama's New Rotation Already Has A Few Names Fans Need To Watch
The first look at Alabamas preseason rotation came in a familiar setting, with the Tide meeting Auburn in an exhibition game in Birmingham as part of the build-up to the regular season. Even without the result carrying any record-book weight, the game offered an early peek at how Nate Oats may sort through his roster, and the opening stretches were heavy on the kind of minute-by-minute clues fans tend to track this time of year.
What stood out most was how quickly some names began to separate themselves in the box score, with the first-half numbers showing who was getting touches, who was defending well and who was already earning extended run. There is still plenty of time for roles to shift before the games start counting, but this was exactly the sort of preseason test that can shape the conversation around Alabamas rotation for weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Offensive Concerns Just Got More Personal Around Keelon Russell
Alabamas offensive unease took a more pointed turn after the loss to Tennessee, when former Crimson Tide quarterback Jake Coker weighed in on the current state of the unit and, specifically, Keelon Russells grasp of the offense. The comments added another layer to a conversation that has already centered on Alabamas inconsistency, with the run game lagging and the run-pass option package not clicking the way it needs to for this attack to function smoothly.
Texas A&M is the next chance to steady things, and the Tide will need more than just a cleaner overall script to get there. For Alabama, the concern is not simply whether the offense can execute better on Saturday, but whether the quarterback room can show enough command of the system to quiet the criticism that followed last week. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Showed Something Tide Fans Will Love In Auburn Clash
Alabama got a useful early test in Birmingham and passed it with a narrow 87-85 win over Auburn in an exhibition game at Legacy Arena. The Tide showed a balanced scoring punch, with four players reaching double figures and Amari Allen leading the way with 23 points, a sign of depth that should catch the attention of Alabama fans as the season approaches.
Auburn made it plenty uncomfortable, with Kevin Overton pouring in 26 points and the game turning chippy at times as the physicality ramped up. Tahaad Pettiford and Bukky Oboye both fouled out in the scuffle-filled matchup, leaving plenty to sort through for both sides, but Alabamas ability to answer in a game like this is exactly the kind of takeaway Tide supporters will like. [Read more 🡒]