How Alabama Basketball's Chemistry, Camaraderie Contributed to Win Streak

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama basketball has won three straight SEC games for the first time this season and has three of its next four games at home. The one road game is against LSU, who is 2-9 in SEC play.

The Crimson Tide has faced a lot of adversity and changes this season with injuries to almost every scholarship player. The team also had to deal with the insertion of Charles Bediako, and then his subsequent denied eligibility just five games later. Despite all that, Alabama (17-7, 7-4 SEC) is in a good place heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

"They’re real warriors that we’re putting out there," head coach Nate Oats said after Friday's practice. " [Labaron] Philon’s playing through an injury that a lot of guys would sit with. Taylor [Bol Bowen's] played through multiple injuries that most players would sit with. So I think it’s kind of galvanized the group. This is who we’ve got. We’ve got to pull together, play for each other, give it everything we’ve got. If we’re going to make a run, this is who the run is going to be made with."

Oats credited three particular players for their attitudes in helping to make the team chemistry better: Bol Bowen, Houston Mallette and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. Despite playing 15 minutes in Wednesday's win at Ole Miss, Bol Bowen is nowhere near 100 percent according to Oats. As fifth and sixth-year seniors, Mallette and Wrightsell have both told Oats they're fine with coming off the bench if it is what helps the team win.

"The chemistry, the camaraderie, the Mudita is really starting to come together, which I think has contributed to this winning streak," Oats added. "And it's nice when the older guys are the ones embodying it at the highest level. "Shoot, the other day after practice, Houston stepped into the huddle and just commented on how great Jalil’s attitude, work ethic, everything in practice is, because it’s a hard thing for him to go through not playing as much. When Jalil sees guys like Wrightsell, Taylor and Houston embody it, it makes it easier for him. And he's been great too. So I can't say enough about our guys attitudes and everything"

Jalil Bethea transferred in from Miami over the offseason but is only averaging just under 10 minutes per game for the Crimson Tide this season. And it's not just the older guys buying in. Sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. is leading the SEC in scoring at 21.4 points per game and leads the Tide in minutes at 29.9 minutes per game.

Wrightsell has been on fire from beyond the arc as of late. In the Crimson Tide's 93-74 win over Ole Miss, he led the team in scoring with 21 points, all of which came on 3-pointers. Wrightsell was 7-of-14 from deep in the game. At one point, Philon was on the bench ready to enter back into the rotation, but Oats was having a little problem.

"He’s rested long enough, he’s fresh, but I can’t quite figure out who to bring out because basically those three guards rotate, but I think Wrightsell had it going, had just made a couple 3s," Oats explained. "If you just kept the three-guard rotation, it’d be Wrightsell’s turn to come out. Philon just said, ‘Leave him in, man. They’re playing really well. Just leave them in. I’m good. I’m good right where I’m at.’

"Well, you get the leading scorer in the league to just say leave the guys in. When you get the sixth-year senior Wrightsell saying, 'It doesn’t matter if I start.' You get Houston Mallette saying, 'I want to come off the bench. I don’t want to start. I want to let the younger guys start.' You’ve got Taylor Bol Bowen fighting through every injury he’s had, just ‘Whatever, I’m just trying to help the team win.’ It's a lot easier for the rest of these guys to really buy in."

Oats said the team's with the best chemistry are player-led. Alabama will have another opportunity to prove its chemistry Saturday at 7:30 p.m. inside Coleman Coliseum against a struggling South Carolina (11-13, 2-9 SEC) team.

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