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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.”
Jan 4, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama forward Derrion Reid (35) and Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) react after Reid dunked on an alley oop pass from Sears at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Oklahoma 107-79. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News
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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…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/non-conference-schedule-prepared-alabama-021714756.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2025-01-05 02:17:00
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