Key Battle from the Perimeter for Florida against Alabama

Florida, one of the SEC's most inconsistent 3-point shooting teams, is set to face the nation's leader in 3-point attempts.

Florida Gators guard Urban Klavzar has been one of the lone consistent shooters from deep this season. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has turned his team into the college version of the Golden State Warriors, with the Crimson Tide routinely chucking 3-pointer after 3-pointer in every game. 

Conversely, this is an area where the Florida Gators have struggled to establish a foothold in the 2025-26 season, ranking among the SEC’s worst teams. 

That is why the battle of the 3-point line is one to watch in the contest between the two on Sunday, with it potentially leading to a victory for whoever wins it. 

The Crimson Tide leads the country in 3-point attempts this season. They are attempting 35.6 per game and shooting 34.8 percent on 713 total attempts. Furthermore, they have just three games where they shot fewer than 30 triples. 

There are five players for Alabama connecting on 35 percent or better from deep. Leading their team in this department is junior guard Aden Holloway, making 45.4 percent of his threes this season. The others included on this list are Labaran Philon, Amari Allen, Jalil Bethea and Davion Hannah. 

Now compare both of these categories to Florida. Of the players with at least 10 appearances, only two players are shooting north of 35 percent from deep. The Gators have also only attempted 544 3-pointers this season. 

Florida defending the 3-point line is a different story, though, emphasizing running their opponents off it and forcing them into the paint. Their defense has only surrendered 412 threes in 21 games, averaging out to 19.6 per game. 

The Gators must continue to defend the three on Sunday. In Alabama’s 14 wins this season, they are shooting 35.6 percent from behind the arc and have made 185 in total. On the other side, in their six losses, the Crimson Tide are connecting on just 31.8 percent of their triples and have just 63 makes. 

Moreover, in two of their three losses to SEC opponents, Oats’ team has seen fewer than 10 makes from deep. 

Florida head coach Todd Golden also understands how to limit Alabama from three. Florida enters with a four-game winning streak over Alabama, with two coming in the SEC tournament and the other two split at each team's home arena. In these four games, Alabama shot 28.7 percent from three on 108 attempts and only connected on 10 or more threes one time. 

Florida and Alabama tip off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, with ABC providing broadcast coverage of the game.