Alabama
How Alabama plans to set the tempo against Saint Mary’s
CLEVELAND — Alabama will face a clash of styles in its second-round game of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 2 seed Crimson Tide will face No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s, a team that plays slow and runs a methodical offensive system.
The Gaels rank No. 360 out of 364 Division I teams in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom.com. Saint Mary’s averages 61.6 possessions per 40 minutes. Comparatively, Alabama averages 75, which makes it the fastest-running team in the country.
“We can’t get frustrated with their slow pace,” Alabama coach Nate Oats told reporters Saturday. “We may be lucky to get over 70 possessions. We’ve had multiple games this year where it’s been 80 possession games in 40 minutes. They’re probably comfortable playing closer to 60 possessions in a game sometimes. They’re a low-possession team. They’re very methodical, they’re very deliberate, and they’re very good at what they do. What they do, they do really well.”
Oats isn’t planning on making any major defensive adjustments to try and speed the Gaels up in Sunday’s matchup. Saint Mary’s doesn’t run an overly complex offensive style but is disciplined in creating the looks it wants. Oats don’t want to gamble by pressing or running traps just to set the tempo, only to give up easy layups and high-percentage shots.
The key instead for Alabama is not getting frustrated by the Gaels’ style and imposing its own on offense by forcing difficult shots and limiting Saint Mary’s to one look at the basket per possession. Alabama nearly lost to a much smaller Robert Morris team after it allowed 16 offensive rebounds. Oats has driven the point home to his players that that cannot be the case again if the Tide wants to have success Sunday.
“If we want to win, that’s like the biggest factor,” forward Mouhamed Dioubate said. “Finishing the possessions out strong, limiting their offensive rebounds. Us also getting offensive rebounds ourselves. A lot of second-chance opportunities. I think that’s going to be the biggest factor tomorrow.”
Discipline has been another major point of emphasis during the shorthanded scout of Saint Mary’s. The Gaels can frustrate their opponents with their methodical offense and elite rebounding, making defensive communication key for Alabama to avoid the lapses it had late in possessions against Robert Morris.
“You’ve got to do a lot of talking because they’re going to get down to late shot clock situations sometimes and you’ve just got to — when their guards are getting back, we’ve got to send our guards to go in and help their bigs,” guard Labaron Philon said. “That’s something Coach Oats has been preaching all day today and last night. Just doing a lot of film and just watching it, rebounding tactics, and see what they like to because they’re a really good offensive rebounding team.”
Alabama’s depth in both the front and backcourt will also be key in establishing the presence it needs in the paint to get rebounds to set the tempo by running in transition. The Tide’s bevy of frontcourt weapons played well on the offensive end against Robert Morris. Grant Nelson being available for all 40 minutes will also be a huge boost to help elevate Alabama’s play on the glass.
“We can get into our depth, and we may need it because they’ve got some frontcourt depth,” Oats said. “They kind of start with… [Paulius] Murauskas, No.23, they start with him, very skilled forward, but they then go big with — their starting center moves to the 4 and they bring in a 7-foot-1 guy. So our frontcourt is going to have to be good, deep because we’re going to have to stay fresh on those guys to be able to rebound with them.”
Oats doesn’t plan to adjust its defensive style to try and scramble Saint Mary’s on Sunday. Alabama has shown it can play its syle against elite slow-paced teams — namely Houston, which ranks No. 359 in adjusted tempo and lost to Alabama in November — and aims to do the same Sunday. The Gaels are going to stick to their game and Alabama’s best counter punch is getting out in transition on offense by being strong on the glass, staying disciplined defensively and scoring efficiently on offense in a game that may not end in the usual high-possession count that Alabama prefers.
“If we can limit them to one tough shot as much as possible and then off the defensive rebound, get out, and we will run,” Oats said. “Everybody in the country knows we run. But we’ve got to make sure that when we run, we get quality shots, too, because this isn’t going to be an 80-possession game. That’s just not how a game with Saint Mary’s is going to work. They’re good. They’re tough. But, shoot, we’re down to the round of 32, and most of the teams left, all the teams left are good.”
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees Compensation Committee approved contracts for 17 Alabama athletics coaches and staff members Friday. The approved contracts include 15 football assistants and staffers, headlined by first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Grubb was given a two-year contract that will pay him $1 million per year through Feb. 28, 2027. Grubb joined coach Kalen DeBoer’s staff this offseason after he held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks. Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne pointed out Grubb’s recent position in the pros as a key point in working out the details of his contract at Alabama.
“He had an existing contract with the Seattle Seahawks that helped us with the structure of our compensation for him,” Byrne said. “And there are playcallers within the SEC that are in that range. So it was the market rate for us.
“From a salary standpoint, we have usually been very aggressive from a football salary standpoint, and that is something we have promised Coach DeBoer from a staff-stability standpoint in maintaining his group that he has.”
Other notable football contracts approved by the board Friday include General Manager Courtney Morgan, wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard and defensive line coach Freddie Roach. Other football staff members, including Director of Player Personnel Bob Welton and Director of Sports Performance David Ballou also received new contracts.
Along with the new football contracts, Alabama basketball assistant coach Preston Murphy was also given an extension that will keep him in Tuscaloosa through Dec. 31, 2028. Murphy will make $675,000 per year in his new deal. Murphy has been instrumental in Alabama’s presence on the recruiting trail, helping grow the Tide’s profile under coach Nate Oats.
Here is the full list of new coach contracts approved by the committee:
Chris Kapilovic — Offensive line coach: 2 years, $925,000 per year ending Feb. 28. 2027
Maurice Linguist – Defensive backs coach: 2 years, $975,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
Chuck Morrell — Linebackers coach: 2 years, $600,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
Jay Nunez — Special teams coordinator: 2-year contract ending Feb. 28, 2027. Nunez will make $375,000 in the first year and $400,000 in the second year
Freddie Roach — Defensive line coach: 2-year contract ending Feb. 28, 2027. Roach will make $1.2 million in the first year and $1.3 million in the second year.
Christian Robinson — Linebackers coach: 2 years, $700,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
JaMarcus Shephard — Wide receivers coach: 2 years, $1.1 million per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
Bob Welton — Director of Player Personell: 2 years, $295,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
Jeff Allen — Strength coach: 3 years, $525,000 per year ending Feb. 29, 2028
David Ballou — Director of sports performance: 2 years, $950,000 per year ending Dec. 31, 2027
Bryan Ellis — Tight ends coach: 2 years, $600,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027
Robert Gillespie — Running backs coach: 2 years, $850,000 per year ending Feb. 28, 2027.
Jason Jones — Defensive backs coach: 2-year contract ending Feb. 28, 2027. Jones will make $250,000 in the first year and $450,000 in the second year.
Ryan Grubb — Offensive coordinator: 2 years, $1 million per year ending Feb. 28, 2027.
Courtney Morgan — General Manager: 2-year contract ending Dec. 31, 2027. Morgan will make $825,000 in the first year and $875,000 in the second year.
Preston Murphy — Assistant basketball coach: 2 years, $675,000 per year ending April 30, 2027.
Rashinda Reed — volleyball coach: 3 years, $250,000 per year ending Dec. 31, 2028.
Give BYU credit, as they were picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 Conference this past season. Instead, the Cougars put together a strong run that ended Thursday night in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
And honestly, on most other nights, they probably would have been moving on. But nobody was beating Alabama.
The Crimson Tide sank a tournament-record 25 three-pointers in posting a 113-88 victory over BYU. Alabama was 25 of 51 from deep and shot 53 percent overall, making just 10 field goals from inside the 3-point line.
Mark Sears sank 10 of those triples, scoring 34 points with eight assists. He also broke the single-game record for made 3-pointers. Chris Youngblood scored 19 and Grant Nelson had 10 rebounds.
For BYU, Richie Saunders finished with 25 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists, with Egor Demin adding 15 points and seven assists.
Two more Big 12 teams will be in action with Arizona taking on Duke and Texas Tech playing Arkansas.
Sweet 16 Round
Thursday’s results
Friday’s Games
From sleepless nights to financial worries, stress has become a daily reality for many Alabamians—and it shows in the data. A new 2025 WalletHub study confirms that Alabama ranks among the top 10 most stressed states in the U.S., placing 8th overall.
The study analyzed 40 key indicators of stress, including work hours, financial strain, family pressures, and health-related challenges. Alabama was one of six Southern states to appear in the top 10, underscoring the region’s ongoing struggle with mental health access, economic insecurity, and limited resources.
The report evaluated multiple stressors and revealed that residents of Alabama experience disproportionate levels of financial and health-related stress. Key findings include:
Key Stress Indicators for Alabama
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3rd fewest average hours of sleep per night
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2nd-fewest psychologists per capita
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3rd lowest average credit scores in the U.S.
These factors contributed to the state’s high stress ranking, which reflects ongoing strain in daily life and long-term well-being.
Top 10 Most Stressed States in 2025
Source: WalletHub’s analysis of 40 stress-related metrics
| Rank | State | Stress Level |
|---|---|---|
| 🟥 1 | New Mexico | Very High |
| 🟥 2 | Nevada | Very High |
| 🟥 3 | Louisiana | Very High |
| 🟧 4 | West Virginia | High |
| 🟧 5 | Mississippi | High |
| 🟨 6 | Tennessee | Moderate-High |
| 🟨 7 | Arkansas | Moderate-High |
| 🟨 8 | Alabama | Moderate-High |
| 🟩 9 | Florida | Moderate |
| 🟩 10 | Oregon | Moderate |
Color Legend: 🟥 Very High | 🟧 High | 🟨 Moderate-High | 🟩 Moderate
Southern States Under Pressure
The Deep South remains a stress hotspot. Alabama joins Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida in the top 10, highlighting a regional trend shaped by long-standing challenges like limited access to mental health care, lower credit scores, and economic instability.
Solutions and Support: What’s Being Done
Despite the troubling statistics, Alabama is taking steps to reduce stress levels through statewide and community-based initiatives.
Statewide Crisis Support
The Alabama Crisis System of Care provides comprehensive mental health services, including:
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The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7
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Regional crisis centers for psychiatric evaluation and stabilization
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Mobile crisis teams for on-site intervention
These services aim to reduce emergency room visits and offer faster help to those in crisis.
Community and Campus Resources
Organizations and institutions across Alabama offer free or low-cost stress-reduction programs. Some examples include:
Healthy Habits for Everyday Stress
Alabamians can also manage stress through personal routines:
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Regular physical activity, like walking or biking
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Practicing relaxation techniques, including deep breathing and mindfulness
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Maintaining balanced sleep and nutrition
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Seeking out community support networks
About the Study
WalletHub’s 2025 report analyzed data from government and research sources, grouping indicators into four categories: work stress, money stress, family stress, and health & safety stress.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
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