The Alabama men’s college basketball team won their first big game of the year vs St. John’s on Saturday, November 8th at Madison Square Garden.
This win solidifies Alabama as a top team in the nation. Last year Bama lost core pieces to their roster–star point guard Mark Sears and shooting guard Chris Youngblood– and many fans were skeptical of the team’s current state. This win severely boosts the teams confidence heading into conference play.
This win is Head Coach Nate Oats 8th win against a top 5 ranked opponent. Oats was hired in 2019 and has turned Bama’s underwhelming basketball team into a powerhouse. Oats’ team had 11 three pointers, and they scored the most points ever against St. John’s in the Rick Pitino era.
Oats was happy his smaller players played well against a gritty defense.
“Our backcourt had two turnovers on the day; we had seven as a team and five came from the frontcourt. I thought the guards did a great job handling the pressure on the press and the super physical half court,” says Oats.
The game was exciting from the very start. Alabama’s returning guard, Labaron Philon, has 25 points and a surprisingly solid defensive performance. Philon had a clutch three to guarantee Bama’s win late in the second half.
Philon, star point guard, believes his team’s preparation for St. John’s led to their victory.
“I think Amari ended up with 10-11 rebounds. That was really big. He’s a physical, strong guard to go in there and get those rebounds. That was one of the main things we try to emphasize in practice,” says Philon.
To accompany Philon’s amazing performance, shooting guard Aden Holloway had 21 points in 32 minutes. Although he had a great game, Holloway fouled out towards the end of the game and forced the team into a tough position without him. Bama came out of the garden with a win despite Holloway fouling out.
Oats sees a chance of improvement, even with the win.
“It’s hard to win games when the other team doubles you at the free throw line,” says Oats.
