Holloway, Philon and Wrightsell give No. 15 Alabama a dynamic and experienced backcourt

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The Crimson Tide might have the most dynamic backcourt in the league, maybe even the country, despite losing point guard Mark Sears to graduation. Aden Holloway, Labaron Philon and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are back for coach Nate Oats, who is trying to lead Alabama to the NCAA Tournament for a sixth consecutive season. The Tide made the Final Four in 2024 and the Elite Eight in March. Roster construction remains a question mark for a high-scoring team that didn’t play much defense last season.

Holloway moves from the bench to the starting lineup and should be even more difficult to guard. He’s good enough of a shot-maker to extend defenses and has the speed to get to the rim.

Forward Aiden Sherrell could provide a much-needed post presence. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound sophomore was a McDonald’s All-American in 2024 and the fourth-ranked center in the class. But he averaged 3.4 points and 2.8 rebounds as a freshman.

Freshman Amari Allen put up sick numbers at Ashwaubenon High in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He averaged 34.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists as a senior. He previously played at IMG Academy in Florida.

Sears and Grant Nelson both went undrafted. The duo averaged more than 30 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists last season. Also gone are Chris Youngblood (NBA), Mouhamed Dioubate (Kentucky) and Derrion Reid (Oklahoma). Alabama replaced them with four transfers and four freshmen. The returns of Wrightsell and graduate guard Houston Mallette, who played in six games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, might be more important than the newcomers.

Alabama opens the season against North Dakota on Nov. 3 and then plays four consecutive ranked teams. The daunting stretch includes No. 5 St. John’s, No. 1 Purdue, No. 17 Illinois and No. 21 Gonzaga. Only the Boilermakers travel to Tuscaloosa. Throw in No. 13 Arizona in Birmingham in mid-December, and the Tide have one of the nation's toughest non-conference schedules.

The Crimson Tide were picked to finish fourth in the SEC, a small step back after being the preseason favorite a year ago. … Holloway and Philon combined to score 82 points in the team’s two exhibitions, wins against Florida State and Furman. … Alabama averaged 90.7 points a game last season, tops in the nation, but also gave up 81.3 points a game, which ranked 347th out of 355 teams.

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