BamaCentral Courtside from Alabama's 104-93 Victory Against USF

Final thoughts and takeaways from the BamaCentral crew inside Coleman Coliseum after the Crimson Tide beat the Bulls.

Coleman Coliseum after Alabama defeated USF. | BamaCentral

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama men's basketball coach Nate Oats wanted his Crimson Tide team to step up its game on the boards entering Wednesday night's home meeting with USF (6-5). No. 16 Alabama snagged a season-high 20 offensive rebounds in a 104-93 win against the Bulls.

Star guards Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway combined for 53 points (Philon 29, Holloway 24), hitting 18 shots from the field between them. The Bulls had three players score 20-plus points: Izaiyah Nelson, Wes Enis and Josh Omojafo. Aside from that trio, only one other player reached double figures. That still equaled the number of Alabama players to score 10 points or more.

The overall rebounding battle finished 46-45 in favor of USF, led by former Oats assistant Bryan Hodgson, who is in his first season with the program after being hired from Arkansas State. The Bulls collected 25 offensive rebounds. Hodgson's squad is one of the best in the nation on the offensive glass.

"They’re a good team. I was pleased with our effort coming out. We’ve been emphasizing the rebounding issues, and we were up 10 in the first half, so I think they got the message," Oats said. "It’s the first time all year we’ve had three or more guys have seven rebounds with Aiden Sherrell, Houston Mallette and Taylor Bol Bowen... I thought the rebounding was good for a half. It was decent at the beginning of the second half and then it kind of fell apart."

Alabama (8-3) led by seven points at the half. It scored 12 more points in the second half than it did in the first and led by as many as 18. USF scored 54 second-half points and made 39 percent of its 72 attempted field goals. The schools were virtually even when it comes to turnovers. The Crimson Tide (14) had one fewer than the visitors.

"We have to continue to work and continue to get better," Oats said. "We’ll continue to work on it [rebounding] and emphasize it. We’re going to have to get better at it before we get to SEC play."

Watch the above video as BamaCentral lead basketball writer Hunter De Siver and staff writer Will Miller analyze the Alabama men's basketball team's home win against Bryan Hodgson and the South Florida Bulls. The pair breaks down the Crimson Tide's rebounding performance against a visiting team that is prolific on the offensive glass, as well as the play of guards Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway.