In one of the two SEC matchups between top-15 teams on Saturday, No. 5 Alabama flexed its muscle with a dominant 107-79 performance over No. 12 Oklahoma. There was little drama in Tuscaloosa as Alabama led for 39:44 of the game en route to a sixth straight win.
Few, if any, teams scheduled a more difficult non-conference slate than Alabama. The early schedule was to prepare the Crimson Tide for a daunting SEC race as the conference has 10 teams ranked in the Top 25. Alabama’s impressive 11-2 non-conference showing prepared the team for nights like Saturday, when the Crimson Tide made quick work of a fellow top-ranked team and staked an early claim in the conference race.
SEC Preseason Player of the Year Mark Sears was his normal self, scoring 22 points with 10 assists and most impressively: zero turnovers. As a team, Alabama only shot 30 percent from 3 but dominated in the paint (48 points) and attempted 26 free throws. Six players finished in double figures: Sears, Labaron Philon, Grant Nelson, Derrion Reid, Aden Holloway and Cliff Omoruyi.
it’s showtime 🍿#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/axMgNu4rX2
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 5, 2025
Alabama (12-2, 1-0) travels to South Carolina on Jan. 8 while Oklahoma (13-1, 0-1) hosts No. 13 Texas A&M on the same date.
Alabama’s emphatic defensive statement
Alabama coach Nate Oats didn’t mince words a few weeks ago when asked about the playing rotation entering SEC play: “Some guys that don’t want to guard aren’t gonna play very much anymore.”
His team responded with one of its most dominant defensive performances of the season, recording six blocks while holding Oklahoma to its fourth-lowest point total, nearly 10 percentage points lower in 3-pointers (26 percent compared to a season-average 35 percent) and just four second-chance points and five bench points. The opportunities were few and far between for Oklahoma to score considering Alabama dominated the rebounding battle by a staggering plus-25 margin.
The question is, can Alabama carry this through the rest of conference play?
There’s a direct link between Alabama’s defensive effort and winning. It had one of the country’s best defenses in 2020-21 and 2022-23 when it swept the SEC’s regular season and tournament titles; last year was much different: 358th nationally, allowing over 81 points per game. It found its defensive rhythm in the NCAA Tournament, resulting in a Final Four run.
This year’s team is modestly better, allowing 77 points per game prior to Saturday, but displayed its full potential against Oklahoma where it dominated the glass, affected shots, played with strong effort and used its length to its advantage. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is that Omoruyi played one of his best games in an Alabama uniform: 10 points (5-5), seven rebounds and one block. Alongside Nelson, Alabama has the dominant frontcourt presence it lacked a year ago.
Alabama’s backcourt: The Rookie and The Vet shined
Sears, a fifth-year senior, led all scorers Saturday, but a budding star freshman wasn’t too far behind: Philon, who chipped in 16 points, four rebounds and five assists of his own. And like Sears, didn’t record a turnover.
The starting backcourt controlled the pace of the game on both sides of the ball, equally scoring and distributing while giving necessary effort on the defensive end. One game into conference play, the prospect of what this tandem could look like as Philon continues his development is exciting for Alabama and potentially scary for future opponents.
And there’s also sophomore Holloway, who scored 26 points in Alabama’s last outing before conference play began and added 10 points on Saturday. Led by Sears, Alabama’s backcourt is in a good position now and into the future.
How can Oklahoma bounce back?
At the time of Saturday’s tipoff, Oklahoma was one of four teams in the country that hadn’t played a true road game (Colorado, Dayton, Texas Tech). A near-sellout Coleman Coliseum crowd wasn’t kind to the Sooners, who scored the first basket of the game then trailed the rest of the way. Saturday’s loss isn’t a complete indictment on Oklahoma to this point, who was 3-0 in Quad 1 games before this loss, but it highlights how far the program is from the SEC’s elite programs.
Alabama men’s basketball is at an inflection point, off of a Final Four season after claiming SEC titles years prior. Oklahoma is a program that’s been steadily building under fourth-year coach Porter Moser, but is still searching for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in his tenure. With this start in SEC play, it’s both an eye-opener and an opportunity. Oklahoma was in this situation just last year with a 10-0 start and a No. 7 national ranking before a double-digit loss to North Carolina. The Sooners finished the season 20-12 and did not make the tournament field.
New year, new opportunity. The SEC appears tougher than ever, how will the Sooners respond?
Required reading
(Photo: Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images)
