Alabama Basketball Flips Rebounding Script in Exhibition Win Over Ole Miss

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama basketball's most glaring issue from the previous season appeared transformed during a 92-84 exhibition win against Ole Miss on Thursday night.

During the 2025-26 campaign, the Crimson Tide frequently struggled on the boards, and that deficiency played a major role in several of their losses, including an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 defeat to eventual national champion Michigan. The Wolverines' imposing size prompted Alabama head coach Nate Oats to prioritize adding bulk, not just height, to his roster.

In their first preseason exhibition on Oct. 8, the Crimson Tide narrowly outrebounded Furman 44-38. On Thursday, they dominated the Rebels on the glass, 45-28, with a 14-9 edge on the offensive end. Those totals would have ranked as Alabama's third-best overall rebounding performance and seventh-best offensive rebounding mark from last season.

"A lot better than the Furman game," Oats said during the postgame press conference. "Now, if you notice, [Ole Miss] was sending a lot of guys back. Our transition game puts some fear in some of these teams. They're a really good defensive team. They didn't want us to score in transition, so they didn't send a ton of guys on the O-boards, which helps on the defensive glass."

Alabama forward Drew Fielder, a Boise State transfer, recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds. He is fully aware of the team's rebounding struggles last season and is eager to rectify them during the regular season.

"That's a big, key emphasis for us," Fielder said after the game. "We know Chris Beard's team is always going to be really tough, so it was a big emphasis. I'm just proud of our freshmen taking that challenge. Really proud of our guys responding to it. It's just a lot of punches and physicality that beat you down throughout that game, so I'm really proud of those freshmen."

While Alabama's rebounding numbers were impressive, the margin on the glass was even more significant than the final score. The Crimson Tide built a nearly 20-point lead in the second half, but they eased off the accelerator, allowing the Rebels to trim the deficit to as little as three points. Ole Miss' surge was evident on both ends of the floor.

"I thought once they got downhill and were down 18, they started coming, and we didn't do a great job at that point," Oats said. "So, the rebounding numbers looked really well, we were plus-17. But I'm going to look at once we got up 18, what did they look like from that point? At that point, they started coming a little harder. I didn't think we did a great job."

Ole Miss was Alabama's second scrimmage, following a home win over Furman on Oct. 8. The next exhibition is scheduled against Auburn in Birmingham on Oct. 22.

Hunter De Siver is the lead basketball writer for BamaCentral and has covered Crimson Tide football since 2024. He previously distributed stories about the NFL and NBA for On SI and was a staff writer for Missouri Tigers On SI and Cowbell Corner. Before that, Hunter generated articles highlighting Crimson Tide products in the NFL and NBA for BamaCentral as an intern in 2022 and 2023. Hunter is a graduate from the University of Alabama, earning a degree in sports media in 2023. Follow HunterDeSiver.