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Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats couldn't have been clearer when asked after the Auburn exhibition what his biggest takeaway of the preseason has been.
"Our rebounding still isn't fixed," Oats said on Oct. 22 in Birmingham. "We're playing big lineups without (Aden) Holloway and (Anderson) Diaz out there. I mean everybody that plays is 6-5, 6-6 and taller. So if we can't rebound better with the lineups we've been putting out there, like [that's a problem]. Holloway and Diaz are going to play."
Losing the rebounding battle often stems from a lack of height, which has played in the Crimson Tide's losses over the past few years. It's been Oats' mission to fix this, as 12 of the 15 players on the 2026-27 roster are at least 6-foot-6.
The Auburn scrimmage was just one of three preseason matchups for Alabama. The Tide showed some promise on the glass in one of the games, but could've rebounded much better in the other two. This was all without guards Aden Holloway, Anderson Diaz and Preston Murphy Jr. — the three players under 6-foot-6.
"What's our rebounding issue going to look like when we're not rolling out 6-5, 6-6, 6-9, 6-8 at the three, whatever it is?" Oats said. "6-10, 6-11, we have big lineups out there and we're still not rebounding the ball very well, so it's a major concern."
Oats acknowledged some factors that have played into UA's subpar rebounding preseason performances, including Jamarion Davis-Fleming seeing less time on the floor due to foul trouble. Davis-Fleming thrived on the glass against Ole Miss, and the same is said for Drew Fielder, who grabbed 10 boards that night. But those numbers for both transfers weren't exactly the same in the other two games.
Brandon Garrison registered five rebounds against Auburn, but Oats "needs more" from the Kentucky transfer. Additionally, London Jemison only had two rebounds, which is "not going to cut it." Oats explained that he's been playing Jemison more at the small forward position "to get bigger." Jemison was the first to re-sign with the Tide this offseason, and he has expectations to soar in Year 2 under Oats.
As the Crimson Tide continues to practice its rebounding ahead of the season opener, Oats commended forward Keitenn Bristow and 6-foot-6 guard Tarris Bouie for their efforts on the glass. Despite being 6-foot-6, like Bouie, fellow freshman Jaxon Richardson is another Alabama player who has the ability to help on the boards "because he'll really rebound it."
All this said, we haven't even mentioned Amari Allen yet. The 6-foot-6 guard (he was listed as a forward last season), led Alabama in rebounds per game during his freshman campaign with 6.9 per game. He'll probably float around a similar number this year, but it may decrease due to being the Tide's primary ball-handler and scorer.
Every player mentioned above, plus more, will need to step up in the rebounding department this season, especially since Collins Onyejiaka and TJ St. Louis — two of the tallest players on the team — did not play in the exhibitions despite being healthy.
Onyejiaka, who missed nearly all of last season due to a heart condition, was cleared to play against Furman, but didn't check in because of the Paladins' play style. Alabama will play many programs that are better than Furman this year, so his role is a bit of a question mark.
Redshirts have been removed from college basketball, but Oats said after the Ole Miss game that St. Louis, the lone 7-footer, will essentially be a redshirt and not see much time on the floor as a freshman.
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