Alabama basketball‘s non-conference gauntlet saw Oklahoma receive a rude welcome to the SEC.
Coach Nate Oats has prepared gruesome slates since arriving in Tuscaloosa six seasons ago, but the 2024-25 docket was uglier than most. With 43 games left to be played on Saturday, Alabama’s (12-2) strength-of-schedule ranked 11th out of 364 teams in Division I basketball, per KenPom.
Meanwhile, a -5.91 rating landed Oklahoma’s non-con schedule at 347th. Despite being in what’s currently college hoops’ toughest conference, by the numbers, Oklahoma (13-1) is the weakest-scheduled opponent that the No. 6 Crimson Tide has faced this season.
“I definitely feel like that non-conference schedule helped us out,” top-scoring senior Mark Sears said. “I feel like we’re clicking in the right direction.”
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KenPom ranked Alabama’s non-conference opponents by strength-of-schedule as follows: UNC-Asheville − 216th; Arkansas State − 200th; McNeese − 99th; Purdue − 7th; Illinois − 41st; Houston − 56th; Rutgers − 53rd; Oregon − 29th; UNC − 6th; Creighton − 13th; North Dakota − 184th; Kent State − 247th; South Dakota State − 122nd.
Eight contests from the first half of Alabama’s season were against contenders who had schedule strengths among the top 100 teams in D1 college hoops.
“That non-conference schedule really showed us our weaknesses, and we were able to capitalize in practice, and we got the chance to in games,” Sears said.
Granted, Alabama basketball’s defense was undeniable regardless of how battle-tested Oklahoma was or wasn’t.
“We’re capable of being a great defensive team,” Oats said. “I still think there’s a lot of chemistry to be figured out.”
The Crimson Tide outrebounded the Sooners by 51 to 26 and held a perimeter offense that shot over 36% prior to Saturday to just 5-for-19.
“I think our non-conference schedule games prepared us,” Oats said after the game. “Now, we’ve got to go on the road.”
Alabama’s remaining SEC opponents in January − South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, LSU and Mississippi State − will be no easy task. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Kentucky lead the pack, with schedules rated 28th, 42nd and 45th. South Carolina and Mississippi State sit outside the Top 100 at No. 101 and No. 125, respectively. Outcomes against Vanderbilt and LSU will probably look more similar to that over Oklahoma, as the programs have schedule strengths ranking 338th and 305th. Looking ahead to the Tide’s home game against rival Auburn on Feb. 15, the Tigers have the next toughest schedule in the SEC after Alabama, ranked 17th.
Alabama finds its next SEC opponent in the Gamecocks on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, set for 6 p.m. CT.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: How non-con schedule prepped Alabama basketball for Oklahoma blowout
