Alabama Set to Face Former Crimson Tide Final Four Player Against Texas A&M

Nate Oats remembers and previews Aggies guard Rylan Griffen, who played at Alabama during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons before transferring.

Mar 10, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats talks with guard Rylan Griffen (3) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama men's basketball's 2023-24 season ended in the NCAA Tournament Final Four with a loss to UConn. However, this was perhaps the best season in Crimson Tide hoops history, as it was the first time that the program made the Final Four.

Then-sophomore guard Rylan Griffen played an integral role in Alabama's historic run as he averaged 11.2 points on 45.4 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from deep in 26.3 minutes per game that season. However, despite being a starter for a team on a meteoric rise, Griffen decided to enter the transfer portal after the season and ended up choosing the University of Kansas.

However, like the rest of the Jayhawks, he struggled a bit, averaging 6.3 points on 37.2 percent from the field. He entered the portal once again before this season and has turned things around with Texas A&M, as he's currently averaging 11.2 points in 19 games (15 starts). The Crimson Tide will face Griffen and the Aggies at home on Wednesday night.

"Great shooter, plays hard, really enjoyed coaching him," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said of Griffen during Tuesday's press conference. "He's averaging two-plus steals per game. How he plays, he's smart, very cerebral. He's got a really good memory.

"He can talk to you about anything. I bet you if you ask him about any game that he was here for, he'd remember a lot of things about the game that I don't remember.

As previously stated, Griffen and Kansas struggled last season, but the Richardson, Texas native seems to have found his spot in his home state.

"So he loves playing basketball," Oats said. "He's having a lot of fun. You can tell he's had fun there. He's shooting the three-ball really well for him, which he shot well for us here. But you know, he's been able to play their defensive system pretty well. He's getting the steals and all that.

"So, we've got to make sure we don't give him open shots and we've got to take care of the ball around him, because he's doing a good job of creating turnovers on defense too."

While Texas A&M and Alabama received the 26th and 27th most votes in Monday's AP Top 25 drawing, these two programs have been trending in very different directions. The Aggies are an SEC-best 7-1 in conference play, while the Crimson Tide is in ninth with a 4-4 record.

Wednesday's game is big for Alabama head coach Nate Oats and company to get things back on track, as the Crimson Tide fell out of the AP Top 25 after 42 consecutive weeks.

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