It feels like it’s been a long time since Kentucky Basketball last played on December 23rd in a win over Bellarmine. The Wildcats are on a four-game winning streak, with two of those wins coming against
Indiana and St. John’s.
Mark Pope’s team is playing a lot better of late, especially on offense. With Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance in the lineup, this Wildcats team has a toughness and competitive edge that has fans dreaming big again.
Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats head to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC opener for both teams. Alabama is what it has been for the last several years: Fast, high-powered, physical, and really good. This is going to be a measuring stick game for the Wildcats and possibly a barometer of where they could finish in the SEC standings this season.
Let’s take a look at the players to watch on the Crimson Tide, keys to the game, and my score prediction for Saturday afternoon.
Alabama Players to Watch
1. No. 0: Labaron Philon Jr. — 6-4, 185 lbs. So. Guard; Mobile, Ala. (Link Academy)
Stats: 21.9 pts, 3.6 rebs, 67 ast.-33 TO, 17 stl, 55.1 FG%, 42.2 3-PT FG%, 72.4 FT%, 28.7 mpg
Philon is a beast. He already has eight games with 20+ points this season, and he has also made multiple three-pointers in six straight games. In four straight games in that six-game stretch, Philon made three three-pointers.
With Mark Sears and Grant Nelson gone, Philon is now the leader of this team. He leads the SEC in scoring and is in the top 10 in the SEC in assists, field goal percentage, and three-point field goal percentage. Philon should come out aggressively on Saturday, and Kentucky’s defense must have an answer to prevent him from taking over the game and getting the Crimson Tide into an offensive rhythm.
While Philon is dealing with a leg injury that sidelined him vs. Yale on Monday, the expectation is that the standout guard will play Saturday.
2. No. 2: Aden Holloway — 6-1, 180 lbs. Jr. Guard; Charlotte, N.C. Auburn Transfer
Stats: 17.6 pts, 2.2 rebs, 48.8 FG%, 44% 3-PT FG, 96.2 FT%, 28.3 mpg
Holloway is a threat from three-point range, as evidenced by his team-leading 44 percent shooting from beyond the arc this season. Over his last six games, Holloway has made 22 three-pointers on 39 attempts.
Five times this season, Holloway has scored 20+ points, including twice in his last three games. This is a player who can decide a game with his shooting. Kentucky’s defense cannot let him get to his spots beyond the arc.
3. No. 3: Latrell Wrightsell Jr. — 6-3, 195 lbs. Gr. Guard; Omaha, Neb. Cal State Fullerton Transfer
Stats: 11.3 pts, 2.8 rebs, 34% FG, 27.4 3-PT FG%, 9-11 FT, 24 mpg
Wrightsell played in just eight games last season, but he is a very important part of this Crimson Tide team. Two seasons ago, Alabama went 10-0 when he scored in double figures. Even more important, Wrightsell shot 52.9 percent from the field and 63.3 percent from three-point range in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, helping Alabama reach its first Final Four in school history.
4. No. 5: Amari Allen — 6-8, 205 lbs. Fr. Forward; Green Bay, Wis.
Stats: 10.6 pts, 7.2 rebs, 46.2 FG%, 34.8 3-PT FG%, 67.6 FT%, 26.9 mpg
Allen is Alabama’s leading rebounder as a Freshman. He has four games with double-digit rebounds this season, and he has six games scoring in double figures.
Despite being known for rebounding, Allen will also step outside and shoot. He can get lost in the shooting shuffle with Philon and Holloway, but he is capable of making an impact as a shooter. Allen has also started four of his last five games, so his playing time is increasing.
The 2025 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, Allen averaged 34.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists during his senior season at Ashwaubenon High School. He was ranked as the No. 2 player in Wisconsin and the No. 17 small forward in the country by On3 Sports.
5. No. 1: Jalil Bethea — 6-5, 190 lbs. So. Forward; Philadelphia (Miami Transfer)
State: 9.7 pts, 3.2 rebs, 47.1 FG%, 10-22 3-PT FG, 16-18 FT, 13.7 mpg
Bethea is settling in nicely at Alabama after playing his Freshman season at Miami. He scored 21 points in just his second game with Alabama, and he has three total games in double figures this season.
In high school, Bethea was the 2024 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year and was named a McDonald’s All-American.
6. No. 7: Taylor Bol Bowen — 6-10, 202 lbs. Jr. Forward; Jericho, Vt. Florida State Transfer
Stats: 9.3 pts, 5.2 rebs, 47.3 FG%, 32.6 3-PT FG%, 93.1 FT%, 21.8 mpg
Bowen is another player who transferred to Alabama in the offseason and is off to a good start in his first season with the Crimson Tide. He has six games scoring in double figures and four games with multiple three-pointers. In addition, he has three games with nine rebounds.
At Florida State, Bowen averaged 5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in his two seasons. As a Sophomore, Bowen averaged 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists during his sophomore season at FSU while shooting 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range.
Originally from Egypt, Bowen moved to Jericho, Vermont, and played at Brewster Academy for two seasons.
7. No. 22: Aiden Sherrell — 6-11, 255 lbs. So. Forward; Detroit
Stats: 9.2 pts, 6.2 rebs, 38 blk, 53.5 FG%, 30.8 3-PT FG%, 51.4 FT%, 21.3 mpg
Sherrell leads the Crimson Tide in blocks, and he has two games with eight blocks this season.
This is a player who can also score, with four games in double figures and a season-high 21 points against Kennesaw State in late December.
Head Coach: Nate Oats (7th Season, 155-66; 11th Season Overall, 251-109) — 51 years old
Oats has taken the Alabama program to incredible heights since he was hired on March 28, 2019. The Crimson Tide. Two SEC regular-season and tournament championships, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, and a Final Four berth in 2024— Alabama’s first-ever trip to the Final Four— and a style of basketball that’s among the most electric in the country have all come to Tuscaloosa with Nate Oats.
After agreeing to contract extensions in 2021 and 2023, Oats received a third contract extension during the 2024 season that is set to keep him in charge of the Crimson Tide basketball program through the 2030 season.
The Crimson Tide has 75 wins in SEC play over the last six seasons, the most of any team in that span. Oats won the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year, a year that saw the Crimson Tide navigate COVID-19 to win the SEC regular-season and conference championships and advance to the Sweet 16.
Prior to Alabama, Oats was the head coach at Buffalo for four seasons. The Bulls went to three NCAA Tournaments in that span, including upsetting Arizona in the First Round in 2018 to advance to the Round of 32 to face Kentucky. Oats was a two-time MAC Coach of the Year and also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Bulls before becoming a head coach. The Bulls went to the 2015 NCAA Tournament with Oats on Bobby Hurley’s staff.
Keys to the Game
1. Rebounding
Alabama averages 42.2 rebounds per game, but they do allow 40.9 rebounds per game. Kentucky will have opportunities to make an impact on the glass in this game. Having Jayden Quaintance for this game is massive. If he is in top form, the Wildcats will be in position to win this game and make a statement in the SEC.
2. On-ball defense
Alabama can really move the ball, which leads to a lot of scoring and a lot of three-point shots and makes. Kentucky’s defense has to make it difficult for the Crimson Tide to move the ball and be active in the paint. Make it difficult for Aiden Sherrell and Taylor Bol Bowen to score and for Jalil Bethea to rebound. Pressuring the ball is a key that will go a long way towards deciding this game.
3. Start fast
In each of Kentucky’s two wins against major opponents this season, they fell behind big in the first half. Yes, they came back to beat both Indiana and St. John’s by 12 points, but the Wildcats can’t keep falling behind in the first half and relying on second-half comebacks. It’s the next step this team has to take: throwing the first punch and setting the tone early in big games.
4. Offensive efficiency
Kentucky’s defense will be better against the Crimson Tide this season, but that doesn’t mean its offense can go a few minutes during the game without scoring. The Wildcats are going to have to score to keep scoring to match the intensity of this Alabama team. Not only is this game a test for their much-improved defense, but it’s also a big test for their offense and how far they have come shooting the basketball.
Score Prediction: Crimson Tide 87, Wildcats 81
The last time these two teams played was in the SEC Tournament. Alabama won that game 99-70. Granted, Kentucky was down to its third-string point guard in that game.
Kentucky’s defense is much better than it was in that game, and that should show in this game. The hard part is trusting Kentucky’s offense to shoot the ball well enough to match Alabama’s high-powered offense. I think the Wildcats are getting better offensively, but I don’t think they’re quite there to beat a team like Alabama to open SEC play.
However, we saw the Wildcats beat Florida in their SEC opener last season. They can win this game, but it’s going to take a really strong offensive performance.
