No. 20 Alabama is navigating through a reloading phase as it opens its season against Sam Houston on Tuesday night at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Crimson Tide (25-10 last season) lost star Labaron Philon Jr. and key cogs Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Aiden Sherrell from a squad that reached the Sweet 16 last March before losing to eventual national champion Michigan.
There will be opportunities for transfers and freshmen as Alabama seeks a seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid.
“I love our roster,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said earlier this month. “I think we have a chance to compete with the best teams in the country with this roster.”
Guard Aden Holloway and forward Amari Allen are Alabama’s returning starters but Holloway will miss the first two games to complete a five-game suspension that included the team’s three exhibition games.
Holloway was arrested on drug charges last March just before the NCAA Tournament and suspended indefinitely. He later completed a pretrial diversion program and the charges were dismissed.
Oats announced Holloway’s five-game suspension for this season earlier this month.
Holloway averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 assists and knocked down a team-best 43.8% of his 3-point attempts last season. His 74 made 3s were behind Philon (81) and Wrightsell (76).
Allen averaged 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounds as a freshman last season.
Among the newcomers are Drew Fielder and Brandon Garrison, both at the third school of their respective careers.
The 6-foot-11 Fielder played his first two seasons at Georgetown before breaking out with averages of 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds at Boise State last season.
The 6-foot-10 Garrison started one season at Oklahoma State before spending two campaigns as a reserve at Kentucky. He averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Wildcats last season.
Both players are being counted on to work the boards, an area that was bothering Oats after Alabama’s third preseason game, an 87-85 victory over Auburn on Oct. 22. Both Holloway and freshman guard Anderson Diaz (elbow) missed the contest.
“Rebounding still isn’t fixed,” Oats said. “We’re playing big lineups without Holloway and Diaz out there. I mean, everybody that plays is 6-5, 6-6 and taller. So if we can’t rebound better with the lineups we’ve been putting out there, (that’s a problem).”
Among those joining Diaz as part of the freshman class are shooting guard Qayden Samuels and small forward Jaxon Richardson, a McDonald’s All-American. Richardson is the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson.
Diaz will miss the opener. He was injured in an exhibition victory over Furman on Oct. 8.
Sam Houston (22-12 last season) lost to New Mexico in the first round of the NIT last season and is predicted to finish fourth in Conference USA this season.
Point guard Justin Begg (9.5 ppg) and shooting guard Jacobe Coleman (8.7 ppg, 45 3-pointers) lead the returnees but the Bearkats also lost guard Jacob Walker to Oklahoma State via the transfer portal. Walker was C-USA Sixth Man of the Year last season as a freshman when he averaged 11.5 points per game.
“The great thing about having good enough players to return that are pretty good and guys who have been able to move up is that you have good players and you can win,” fourth-year coach Chris Mudge said during conference media day festivities. “If nobody’s trying to mess with your players, then you’re probably not very good.”
Begg’s campaign was shortened to 22 games last season after he injured his ankle during a Feb. 4 game against UTEP. Now the junior is taking on a larger leadership role after five double-digit scorers moved on from last season’s squad.
“We are more connected than any team I’ve been on,” Begg said. “We really share the ball.”