By Adeniyi Precious 
Alabama basketball had a rough night against Ole Miss, losing 74-64 in Tuscaloosa. The team looked unprepared and out of sync, frustrating fans and head coach Nate Oats, who didn’t hide his disappointment after the game.
But here’s the silver lining: it didn’t really hurt their national standing. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi still has Alabama as a top contender. They dropped from being the last No. 1 seed to the first No. 2 seed—basically moving from 4th to 5th overall. And their NET ranking only dipped from 7th to 8th.
The reason? Ole Miss is a strong team, ranked 16th in the NET. Losing to a solid squad like that isn’t a killer, especially since it counts as a Quad 1 loss (those are the least damaging). College basketball rewards tough schedules, so the loss isn’t the end of the world.
However, this stumble does hurt Alabama’s chances in the SEC Championship race. With Auburn and Ole Miss sitting undefeated at 4-0 in SEC play, Alabama is now trailing. They’ve got a crucial game against Kentucky on Saturday—winning it would keep them in the hunt.
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Time for a Lineup Shake-Up? Alabama’s Offense Needs a Boost
Alabama’s offense hit rock bottom in the Ole Miss game. Scoring just 64 points—their lowest in over 50 games—they struggled to hit threes, turned the ball over 21 times, and couldn’t get anything going. Nate Oats admitted he’s worried, and fans have been saying the same thing all season.
A big problem? Shooting threes, which is a cornerstone of Oats’ system. Alabama’s been terrible at it this year, ranking among the worst teams nationally. But they’ve managed to scrape by thanks to their strong rebounding. When the rebounds don’t come, though, the offense falls apart—like we saw against Ole Miss.
Oats might need to rethink the starting lineup. Right now, it’s Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, Jarin Stevenson, Grant Nelson, and Cliff Omoruyi. Sears is the only reliable shooter in that group, and defenses have keyed in on him. Philon and Stevenson, in particular, haven’t been hitting threes consistently.
Two of Alabama’s best shooters—Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood—are coming off the bench. Putting them in the starting five could give the offense a spark. Holloway was a bright spot against Ole Miss, scoring 15 points and shooting 46.8% from three over the past five games. Youngblood, while still working back from an ankle injury, has the potential to heat up.
Swapping Philon for Holloway and Stevenson for Youngblood would spread the floor better, giving the Tide a chance to start games stronger. Plus, it might take some pressure off Philon, who’s been struggling lately and could use a reset.
Saturday’s game against Kentucky is a perfect time to test these changes. Alabama can’t stick with the same formula after their Tuesday night performance. Oats knows it, and fans are expecting a shake-up.