Alabama
Why Alabama basketball made postgame talk ‘hard’ for OU’s Porter Moser
Alabama basketball’s win over Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 17, made the postgame locker room chat a difficult one for Sooners coach Porter Moser.
The No. 18 Crimson Tide defeated OU, 83-81, for the program’s first victory at Lloyd Noble Center. But right around halftime, Alabama (13-5, 3-2 SEC) looked like it was headed for a 2-3 start to SEC play as Oklahoma led by 11 points, and even after UA went on a 10-0 run to even the scoreboard, the Sooners bounced back to still have a chance to win in the final seconds.
“We had a six-point lead and (Labaron) Philon had back-to-back threes. You’ve got to give him credit. One was off an offensive rebound. We had back-to-back shots we missed. So we had our opportunities,” Moser said.
He commended his team’s defensive effort in the first half and forcing Alabama to lose on the glass by a margin of six. Despite a lapse, Oklahoma still rallied back to get in front later in the second half and led the game for a total of 22 minutes and 14 seconds.
“But I told the guys, it was a hard postgame address because yes, they played their tails off. … That should be expected, but our defense … we rolled with seven guys today,” Moser said. “But finding ways to win these games is what we really − and we had opportunities. I thought Aiden Sherrell was a difference. Philon hit those back-to-back threes with like four minutes and some change. You get those misses. You get the one rebound in that kind of a tight game. “
Nate Oats wouldn’t have minded it, but Alabama didn’t need control for 40 minutes. Just a handful of late possessions that flipped Oklahoma’s opportunities into explanations.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.
ADOW Names Eddie Wiggins as Chief Inspections Officer
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Secretary of Workforce Greg J. Reed announced today that Eddie Wiggins has been appointed to the role of Chief Inspections officer. In this role, Wiggins will lead the Elevator and Boilers Division, the Mining Division, and the Child Labor Division. These divisions are responsible for regulating and ensuring safety for all Alabamians.
“I am confident Eddie will be a significant asset to our organization,” said Reed. “His years of experience, professionalism, and commitment to safety will result in a safer Alabama for all of us.”
Wiggins has been employed with the agency since 2020. Prior to his promotion, he worked as the agency’s Chief Elevator/Boiler Inspector and was responsible for overseeing the Inspections and Child Labor Department and ensuring the safe operation and compliance of elevators, boilers, and pressure vessels. Before his employment with ADOW, Wiggins worked as a Boiler/Elevator Inspector and Loss Control Engineer in the insurance industry. He has performed inspections in most of the United States. He also served on the Alabama Boiler Board and the National Board Inspection Code committees. Since his employment with the agency, Wiggins has served as a member of the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
Wiggins has been married to his wife, Beverly, for 45 years. They have a son, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
The Alabama football offense has its share of questions heading into the 2026 season. But none may be bigger than one.
Can Alabama find stability in its 2026 run game?
Alabama struggled to run the ball in 2025, finishing with the second-worst run game in the SEC averaging a little more than 100 rushing yards per game. Will the Crimson Tide improve in 2026?
Here are three questions about the Alabama’s 2026 running back room.
How much of a load will EJ Crowell carry in Alabama football run game?
In Kalen DeBoer’s ideal world, EJ Crowell would make an impact immediately as an Alabama freshman.
While Crowell spent the spring navigating a lower-body injury — attending 2026 A-Day on a medical scooter with a boot on his right foot — DeBoer told The Tuscaloosa News in May he wants Crowell to “get incorporated full-fledged with some urgency with as much as he can handle.”
When Crowell was healthy at Jackson High School, he was electric, needing only three seasons to accumulate more than 6,000 rushing yards and 91 rushing touchdowns.
Alabama hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Brian Robinson. TJ Yeldon was the last Crimson Tide freshman back to eclipse 1,000 yards. Could Crowell be next?
Can Daniel Hill or Kevin Riley take next step?
Daniel Hill showed flashes of success. He was the bellcow back in Alabama’s regular season loss to Oklahoma, leading the team in carries and rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Kevin Riley’s days came in blowouts, recording 69 yards against Louisiana Monroe and two touchdowns against Eastern Illinois.
Both Riley and Hill are back. If Crowell takes awhile to adjust, or is still recovering from injury, both would likely shoulder the run game workload.
Can Alabama flourish if Hill and Riley are at the top of the depth chart?
Will lack of run game force Alabama to be one-dimensional offensively?
One Alabama back had a 100-yard game in 2025.
In Alabama’s 30-14 home win against Vanderbilt, Jam Miller had 136 rushing yards on 22 carries, adding a 20-yard touchdown run. The run game, as a whole, averaged 3.8 yards per carry.
With Miller’s 100-yard performance, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson added 340 passing yards and two touchdown passes.
The 2026 offense looks similar to 2025, at least from a quarterback perspective. Neither Austin Mack nor Keelon Russell have a career start, and both bring even less experience than Simpson had.
Can a stagnant run game in 2025 be revived in 2026, especially for an offense that may desperately need it?
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter or Instagram @colingaytnews.
(WHNT) — Residents of North Alabama made it out to the polls on Tuesday for the 2026 Primary Runoff Elections, and News 19 is following the results as they come in.
We are following several runoff races, including multiple state races.
News 19 is updating the election results as they become available. You can find the results for each runoff race below:
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