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.”
Joseph Ionata, who spent two years with the Tide, will be joining former teammate Jaylen Mbakwe.
Georgia Tech fans celebrate during the second half against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2025)
A second former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide is transferring to Georgia Tech.
Offensive lineman Joseph Ionata intends to play for the Yellow Jackets, according to On3. Ionata spent two years with the Tide and would be joining former Alabama defensive back and wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe.
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Chad Bishop is a Georgia Tech sports reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Alabama Farmers Federation has endorsed Kristin Nelson in the upcoming special election for Alabama House District 38, a seat left vacant following the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wood (R-Valley). The district includes portions of Chambers and Lee counties.
Nelson recently secured the Republican nomination after winning a runoff election. The special general election is scheduled for Tuesday, February 3.
“Kristin Nelson is a well-respected community leader in Chambers County, and we are proud to endorse her,” said Jason McKay, president of the Chambers County Farmers Federation. “We know she will represent us well in Montgomery and ensure District 38 gets the attention it needs in the business and agricultural arenas.”
Support for Nelson’s candidacy also came from farmers in neighboring Lee County. “Kristin Nelson is a strong conservative with incredible knowledge of House District 38,” said Robert Walters, president of the Lee County Farmers Federation. “There is no doubt she will work hard and represent the people of Lee and Chambers counties well in the Legislature.”
Nelson grew up along the Chambers-Lee county line and brings experience from both the public and private sectors. Her background includes seven years in city administration with the City of Valley and three years as a third-grade teacher with Lanett City Schools.
She has also been active in homeschooling through Classical Conversations, where she has served as both a tutor and a local representative supporting other families.
In addition to returning to part-time work with Harris Gray LLC, Nelson serves as worship leader at Fairfax Methodist Church, secretary of the Junior Variety Club and president of the EAMC Lanier Auxiliary Board.
She also founded the Chambers County Young Republicans and currently serves as the chair of the Chambers County Republican Party.
“The farmers of this district and I share the same strong work ethic and conservative values,” said Nelson. “It is an honor to have their support and to be able to represent them and all the people of this district in Montgomery.”
Nelson and her husband, Jeff, live in the Huguley community with their two teenage sons.
The Alabama Farmers Federation is the state’s largest farm organization, representing more than 360,000 member families. The organization uses a grassroots endorsement process that relies on decisions made by county Farmers Federation boards of directors in local elections.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
HOOVER, Ala. (WSFA) – Senator Tommy Tuberville officially filed the paperwork to run for governor at the Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Hoover Monday morning.
“I want to make the lives of the people of this state better,” said Sen. Tuberville. “If I thought that staying in the U.S. Senate would be best for Alabama, I would’ve stayed. but I think the best thing for Alabama is for me to come back.”
He talked about the need to grow Alabama’s economy, with attracting manufacturers being a primary focus. Sen. Tuberville said that to do that, he would focus on improving the state’s infrastructure and making the state’s education and workforce systems more attractive to new residents.
When asked about cutting waste, fraud and abuse, a focus of his time in Washington, D.C., alongside President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, Sen. Tuberville said, he expects to make changes if elected governor.
“You have a lot of different agencies here, we want to make them all better,” he said. “We also want to make sure that we save the taxpayers’ money, that we use it wisely and we give it back to them.”
The former Auburn football coach said he did not expect to go into politics, but now, he is ready to transition from national to state politics.
“It’s time to come home, put together a staff and worry about the state of Alabama and the people here,” he said.
According to Alabama’s constitution, someone running for governor has to have lived in the state for at least seven years. Some have questioned whether Sen. Tuberville fits that requirement. He said during the candidacy filing that the Republican Party of Alabama says he does fulfill the requirement.
The filing deadline for candidates to qualify for a major political party is Jan. 23.
Alabama’s Democratic primary has the following candidates:
- Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones
- Dr. Will Boyd – businessman and engineer
- JaMel Brown – pastor and talk show host
- Chad ‘Chig’ Martin – businessowner
Alabama’s Republican Primary has the following candidates:
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville
- Ken McFeeters – former congressional candidate
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