TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Nate Oats has mentioned for the reason that starting of the season that this crew is deep. Between the gifted freshmen class led by Brandon Miller, a handful of transfers led by Mark Sears, and the few rotation gamers that returned, specifically Jahvon Quinerly and Charles Bediako, it was quite a bit to be enthusiastic about.

On paper, this roster was lightyears higher than final season’s, and the 2022-23 version of Alabama basketball had excessive expectations.

By Christmas, the crew not solely met expectations, however exceeded them in plenty of respects. The Crimson Tide had defeated two No. 1-ranked packages in North Carolina and Houston, together with powerful wins towards Michigan State and Memphis. The one losses had been to UConn, who simply misplaced its first recreation to Xavier after a 14-0 begin, and Drew Timme’s Gonzaga.

Quick ahead to now, Alabama is 2-0 in SEC play after defeating Mississippi State and Ole Miss. And among the many multitude of causes for Alabama’s success is, as soon as once more, its depth.

Nevertheless it’s not simply having extra able-bodied and competent gamers that makes the depth so impactful, it is the truth that Oats has a roster of about 10-11 guys who’ve the expertise to play in powerful video games and have confirmed it to date this season.

“We have got choices at each place from level guard to middle,” Oats mentioned after the Ole Miss recreation. “We have had video games the place we had totally different guys in foul bother, different guys have stepped up. We have had guys out with harm and we have been capable of stand up to it just a little bit extra with the depth we’ve.”

The highest of the rotation is not the principle focus. Miller has lengthy since confirmed himself worthy of a lottery projection; Sears is second on the crew in scoring and three-point proportion; Noah Clowney leads the crew in rebounding; Nimari Burnett was a stable two-way participant earlier than the wrist harm, and Jaden Bradley has stuffed in properly on the different beginning guard place; and Bediako is certainly one of solely 32 Division I gamers averaging at the very least two blocks per recreation, and he is had three in back-to-back performances.

It is the 7-11 a part of the rotation that has come alongside properly this season, and every of these guys are actually good of their position:

• It was solely a matter of time that Quinerly would spherical again into kind after getting back from an ACL harm, however an 11-point, 3-assist recreation towards the Rebels with zero turnovers (solely the second time this season) and three 3-pointers is an efficient indication that the veteran of this crew is rounding into true kind.

• Rylan Griffen’s minutes have been inconsistent – Oats himself mentioned so – however the freshman guard continues to compete on protection whereas discovering his taking pictures rhythm from deep. In the previous few video games, Griffen has been the primary guard off the bench, in some circumstances over Quinerly, and appears to look extra snug in his minutes.

• Noah Gurley has been nothing if not constant for the Crimson Tide. He is grabbed at the very least 5 rebounds off the bench in eight of 14 video games, and should you take away the Houston recreation the place he went 0-for-3 from the free-throw line, he is excellent from the stripe.

• Nick Pringle solely performed greater than eight minutes twice by mid-December, however he had his breakout recreation towards Jackson State the place his identify was everywhere in the stat sheet (14 factors, 9 rebounds, two steals and a block). Then, when Bediako bought into foul bother within the SEC opener, Pringle stepped up with 10 factors and 4 rebounds in a season-high 20 minutes.

• Dom Welch was the final particular person to make his debut this season, and whereas he is but to attain some extent or make any vital marks on the board, he is exhibiting his value as a defender, guarding the perimeter and even drawing a cost.

“When it is not any person’s night time, we bought a deep roster, so we’ve a ‘subsequent man up’ mentality,” Bradley mentioned after the Ole Miss recreation.

Miller shared comparable ideas concerning the depth of the crew, saying “Oats did a very good job constructing this crew,” and that the hassle to make blue collar performs goes again to the summer season.

Ought to the expectation be that the rotation might be 10-11 deep each recreation? No. However Oats now can use lineups that create the simplest matchup, whether or not meaning getting extra taking pictures, measurement or pace on the court docket at any time.

For Oats, the largest issue is that he can use the depth of the roster to carry gamers extra accountable.

“We weren’t this deep final 12 months,” Oats mentioned. “This 12 months, should you’re not enjoying onerous, you are not enjoying effectively, we bought loads of choices. Final 12 months, we had been kinda caught with guys that weren’t enjoying onerous.

“This 12 months we bought ten guys robust within the rotation which are all enjoying.”

Alabama has SEC Championship aspirations, and based mostly off its play to date, it would not be excessive to see this crew make a deep run within the NCAA event. A championship crew. nonetheless, wants greater than its high six or seven guys to be dependable in massive video games. Like Oats mentioned, this roster goes 10 robust, and will simply be 11 or 12 at its full potential. That might be and benefit by way of convention play and when it is time to dance.

See additionally: No. 7 Alabama Basketball Blows Out Ole Miss to Open House SEC Slate with Win

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