E83 BH Alabama Illinois Hoops Instant Rx win 90 86 In this episode, The Bamateurs will provide our instant rx to Bama’s win over Illinois in Chicago 90-86. Huge bounce back win after the tough loss at home to Purdue. Tale of two halves. At halftime, 42-41 led by Illinois and the game was being played at the pace Illinois preferred. Rbs - Illin 21 to 16 edge, but Bama fought hard and was much better at rebounding. Bama never led in the 1st half. TBB had 8 pts. Amari Allen had 8 pts & 5 rebs. Mallette had 6 pts . Philon had 5 pts Illinois Mirkovic had 10 pts & 7 rbs. Stojakovic has 12 pts. Wagler had 7 pts Illinois had as much as a 7 pt lead in 1st half before Bama closed the gap and keep it close up to halftime. Difference was Bama made 17 FT’s to Illinois 13. Illinois outrebounded Bama 40-38. Bama only committed 10 TO’s. Bama was led by LaBaron Philon 24 pts as he erupted in the 2nd half. Philon had 24 pts, 5 assists and only 1 TO. Keitenn Bristow played a great 2nd half off the bench – 10 pts, 8 rbs, and lots of energy. TBB had 12 pts, 3 rbs, and 2 blocks. Holloway had 11 pts, 3 rbs, 3 assists with only 1 TO. Mallette had 10 pts and 3 rbs. Amari Allen had 9 pts, 11 rbs, 4 asists and 3 TO’s Bama’s 2nd half eruption allowed them to grab as much as a 9 pt lead and then Bama was able to hold off Illinois and close them out to get the 4 pt win 90-86. Bama sped up the game in the 2nd half and played at their preferred pace in the 2nd half. Bama made a commitment to rebounding as they were only outrebounded 40-38 in this game despite the height advantage Illinois had with the three 7-footer they played. High level game between two top ten teams and two teams that are final four contenders. Bama now has high quality wins over two top ten teams in St John’s and Illinois and a tough close loss to Purdue. Illinois was led by Andrej Stojakovic with 26 pts – son of NBA all-star Peja and he showed out as a future NBA player. Chip off the old block for sure Kylan Boswell also had a strong game with 22 pt, 4 rbs, 7 assists and only 1 TO Bama was able to limit Illinois other talented players as no one else on the roster scored more than 11 points. Great win by Bama and great commitment to playing tough defense and to blocking out and rebounding on the defensive end of the court. Bristow and Amari Allen led the rebounding effort by Bama which was a critical factor in Bama winning this game. The tough schedule continues. Next up for Bama is a game against the undefeated 13th ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Mon, Nov 24.

Brent Venables owns Kalen DeBoer. Alabama has an Oklahoma problem just like Georgia has an Alabama problem. Oklahoma puts Bama on the verge of being out of the playoffs. Just keeping winning, but no margin for error now. Bama’s home win streak is over. Bama now has no margin for error. Must win its next two games to make the playoffs including winning at Auburn. Bama in playoff mode now until Alabama loses a game or wins the natty. Every game is an elimination game. Oklahoma’s defense and special team beat Alabama. Not a dual threat QB, not an elite offense. Previously when Bama lost a home game, it was because of a dual threat QB and an elite offense, not defense and special teams. The Kick six was the last team special teams specifically beat Bama. Upon Further review Bama hoops loss to Purdue 87-80 Now let’s review the other tough loss Bama suffered last week in Hoops against Purdue 87-80. Tough loss. Game was tied 80-80 with 1.36 to go on Mallette 3. Then Braden Smith showed his brilliance and control to make the plays to secure the win. Scored two out of pick and roll on TBB to go up 2. Then Philon missed front end of 1&1. Smith does pick and roll again and gets TBB to foul him. Makes 2 FT’s to go up 84-80 with 47 secs left. TBB misses a 3 and then with 33 secs left and Purdue closes out Bama 87-80 as Bama fails to score in crunch time. Holloway led Bama with 21 pts 3 assts and 1 TO TBB has 13 pts but only 2 rebs Sherrell has 12 and 4 rebs Philon had 11 pts, 4 rebs, 7 assts, 3 steals, but 4 TO’s – Philon had a bad game scoring wise and TO-wise. Mallette had 9 pts and 2 rebs Wrightsell also had a bad game scoring only 6 pts and shot 2/9. Purdue outrebounded Bama 48 to 23 and made 16/23 FT’s and Bama was only 8/10 from FT Pts in Paint goes to Purdue 34 to 26 and made FT’s Purdue 16 to 8 and Rebs 48 to 23. And that was the difference! In crunch time, Purdue executed in the half court and was able to score key buckets in the midrange. Bama came up small, but had their chances to win since it was tied at 80 all with 1.30 left. Bama didn’t defend well at the end of the game and was also down by 79-81 with 5 mins to go. Credit to Bama for going on 9-1 run to tie the game at 80 all, but the Purdue made all the plays after that to win 87-80. Braden Smith led Purdue with 29 pts, 7 rebs, 4 assists as he dominated in the 2nd half T Kaufman-Renn had 19 pts, 15 rebs and 5 assists Cluff had 9 pts and 11 rebs Dan Jacobsen had 9 pts and 5 rebs Issues Out of bounds plays Rebounding – all five players must commit to defensive rebounding by blocking out a man on every possession and on every shot taken – Bama must do a much better job of blocking out before trying to secure the ball on every rebound. Stagnant offense in the half court at crunch time Offense was very fluid and crisp much of the game vs St Johns – not the case vs Purdue Failure to score easily in the midrange when needed or for bigs to score in the post Failure to force Braden Smith left Failure to use various defensive alignments Rick Barnes is a master defensive coach who will use diamond and one, triangle and two, various zone looks, half court press or full court press. Next up for Bama against Illinois in Chicago on Wed, Nov 19.

Alabama lost to Oklahoma at home today 23 21 in a tough loss that puts Alabama on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs. Alabama has lost all its margin for error for the season. Bama must win its last two games including winning on the road at Auburn to make the playoffs. Alabama always struggles to win at Auburn and given what happened tonight in the loss to Auburn, I am doubtful of this team to go to Auburn and win, but win they must if they want to go to the playoffs. Brent Venables owns Kalen DeBoer. Bama’s home win streak is over. Bama now has no margin for error. Must win its next two games to make the playoffs including winning at Auburn. Oklahoma’s defense and special team beat Alabama. Alabama’s offense was not clutch when it needed to be and Bama’s special teams were bad. Alabama could not handle the Oklahoma blitz’s as Oklahoma was able to pressure Ty relentlessly and ultimately stop Bama’s last drive of the game. Bama’s special teams let Bama down by allowing a long punt return to set up a short field for OK that led to a FG. Ryan Williams fumbled a punt on a punt return that gave OK a short field that led to a John Mateer TD run. And Connor Talty missed Bama’s only FG attempt from 36 yds as Bama tried to tie the game going into halftime, but missed it as OK led at half 17-14. And Ty Simpson threw a pick Six on an up the middle blitz that gave OK its first TD of the game. Bama’s defense only allowed OK to score one TD and held OK to 3 FG’s. OK shut out Alabama in the 4th quarter. Bama outgained Ok 406 to 212 in total offense Bama out rushed OK 80 to 74 as Daniel Hill scored two TD’s Ty Simpson threw for 326 yds and 1 TD, but also threw a pick six. Ty was 28 of 42 and was sacked 4 times and under pressure a lot particularly in the 4th quarter. Bama turned the ball over 3 times, 1 int pick six, 1 fumble by Ty on a blitz, and 1 fumble by Ryan on punt return. Bama 3 to OK zero on TO’s 3 Turnovers by Bama and 3 made FG’s by OK and 1 missed FG by Bama led to Bama’s loss. Bama won Time of Poss 34 to 26 Bama won penalties 2-25 to OK 5-37 Bama struggled to beat SC and LSU, and struggled and lost to OK. This team playing this way cannot win a natty. The recipe to beat Bama is to blitz Ty over and over again. And Venables is the master of the blitz. Bama has its back against the wall. How will they respond in the next two games and particularly at Auburn.

Tough loss. Game was tied 80-80 with 1.36 to go on Mallette 3. Then Braden Smith showed his brilliance and control to make the plays to secure the win. Scored two out of pick and roll on TBB to go up 2. Then Philon missed front end of 1&1. Smith does pick and roll again and gets TBB to foul him. Makes 2 FT’s to go up 84-80 with 47 secs left. TBB misses a 3 and then with 33 secs left and Purdue closes out Bama 87-80 as Bama fails to score in crunch time. Holloway led Bama with 21 pts 3 assts and 1 TO TBB has 13 pts but only 2 rebs Sherrell has 12 and 4 rebs Philon had 11 pts, 4 rebs, 7 assts, 3 steals, but 4 TO’s – Philon had a bad game scoring wise and TO-wise. Mallette had 9 pts and 2 rebs Wrightsell also had a bad game scoring only 6 pts and shot 2/9. Purdue outrebounded Bama 48 to 23 and made 16/23 FT’s and Bama was only 8/10 from FT Pts in Paint goes to Purdue 34 to 26 and made FT’s Purdue 16 to 8 and Rebs 48 to 23. And that was the difference! In crunch time, Purdue executed in the half court and was able to score key buckets in the midrange. Bama came up small, but had their chances to win since it was tied at 80 all with 1.30 left. Bama didn’t defend well at the end of the game and was also down by 79-81 with 5 mins to go. Credit to Bama for going on 9-1 run to tie the game at 80 all, but the Purdue made all the plays after that to win 87-80. Braden Smith led Purdue with 29 pts, 7 rebs, 4 assists as he dominated in the 2nd half T Kaufman-Renn had 19 pts, 15 rebs and 5 assists Cluff had 9 pts and 11 rebs Dan Jacobsen had 9 pts and 5 rebs

The #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-1, 6-0 SEC) will host the #11 Oklahoma Sooners (7-2, 5-2 SEC) on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The game, which serves as Alabama's homecoming, is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC. Alabama overview • Alabama enters the game with an 8-1 record and leads the SEC at 6-0. • The Tide has been on a winning streak since their season-opening loss to Florida State. • The offense, led by quarterback Ty Simpson, has been effective, averaging 32.8 points per game, though it has sometimes struggled with consistency. • The defense has been a strength, allowing only 17.2 points per game. Oklahoma overview • Oklahoma, in its second season in the SEC, holds a 7-2 record and is 5-2 in conference play. • The Sooners are led by quarterback John Mateer and have been a surprise contender in the conference. • The Oklahoma defense is among the best in the SEC, giving up only 14.1 points per game. • The Sooners' strength lies in their ability to generate sacks and pressure the quarterback, which could challenge Alabama's pass protection. Matchup highlights • The game is a rematch of last season's contest, where Oklahoma defeated Alabama 24-3. • Both teams feature strong defenses, suggesting a lower-scoring affair. • The game could be a potential preview of the SEC Championship and has significant playoff implications • Stakes: Alabama is pushing for a playoff berth and needs this win to solidify its position. Oklahoma, while improved, needs a big road win to boost their credentials. Key Matchup to Watch • Oklahoma’s designed QB-run game + zone-read runs vs. Alabama’s ability to stop the run and edge pressure. • Secondary battle: Alabama’s pass-defense strength vs Oklahoma’s mix of short passing, screens and attempts downfield. If Oklahoma can’t get the passing game going, their offense might stall. • Quick Summary Table• Player Role Why Key • John Mateer QB Drives offense & passing attack • Jaydn Ott RB Veteran running back / balance • Tory Blaylock RB (Emerging) Depth & explosive playmaker • Isaiah Sategna III WR Receiving threat in pass game • David Stone DL Anchors defense up front • Robert Spears-Jennings Safety / DB Veteran in secondary • Oklahoma more productive and efficient rushing team in 2025 — averaging ~51 more rushing yards per game and 1.2 yards more per carry than Alabama. • John Mateer’s dual-threat ability (300+ rush yds, 6 TDs) adds a key dimension that Alabama’s Ty Simpson doesn’t replicate. Turnovers -- Takeaways vs Giveaways Predictions for the game - who wins and the score? Hoops preview for Purdue Game 1. Respect & Rankings on the Line So this is more than just one game — it’s an early-season statement opportunity for both. 2. Purdue’s Defensive Concerns -- For Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer, the recent win didn’t satisfy him: “If we’re supposed to be #1… we’ve got to be better on defense.” If Purdue is going to defend its ranking, stopping Alabama’s offense will be a big test. 3. Alabama’s Offensive Firepower & Home Advantage Alabama not only has momentum but has shown it can score in bunches (103-96 vs St. John’s) which signals they’re ready for a major test. Playing at home gives them an added boost. 4. Critical Matchup Elements • Pace & Execution: Alabama’s ability to push pace and score may challenge Purdue’s structure. • Rebounding & Size vs. Perimeter Shooting: Purdue traditionally uses size, structure and efficiency; Alabama might look to exploit transition and perimeter opportunities. • Mental Toughness: Early in season, road games at ranked opponents test a team’s readiness. Purdue is on the road; Alabama at home with something to prove.

Takes on the game: Bama still in control of its own playoff destiny. 6-0 in the SEC and 8-1 overall. Not Bama’s best game offensively, but Bama won 20-9. Ty was off on his passes, but still engineered two good scoring drive in the second quarter. And the last drive of the first half to make the score 17-3 going into the half ended up being all Bama needed to win. Bama’s offense was bad in the first quarter and in the whole 2nd half. Ty was off for most of the game, except for two drives in the 2nd Quarter On a shot play, Ty underthrew Brooks on a pass that was probably PI on LSU, but not called. Had Ty hit Brooks in Stride, he would have scored. And then the very next play, Bama takes another deep shot and Ty barely overthrows Germ on what would have been another score. Indicative of Ty’s night as he was just a bit off. And yet his passing numbers were good while the running game was pathetic. Running game was bad and not productive. Example of offensive ineptness and inability to run the ball. 1st drive of game: Bama drive stalls as Bama has the ball on the LSU 41 yd line 2nd and 3. Bama runs the ball three times including on 4th and 1 and cannot get the first down and turns the ball over on downs. LSU then moves the ball into FG range, but misses the 30 yd FG. Defense was very good. Defense was really good as we had LSU to 9 pts and 3 FG’s, but again it was bend, but don’t break. LSU moved the ball and won time of possession, but Bama won turnover battle, and LSU committed a lot of penalties to hurt their drive. LSU also missed a FG and could not finish any drive with a TD. Bama forced two turnovers and could have had at least one more Interception and missed recovering a forced fumble early in the game. Defense: • The defense held LSU to just 9 points on three field goals—bend-but-don’t-break football. • LSU moved the ball at times and won time of possession, but Alabama won the turnover battle (2–1) and limited LSU’s ground game (59 rushing yds, 2.3 yds/carry). • LSU was 5–14 on third down, committed 10 penalties for 74 yards, and missed a 30-yard FG early. Key Team Stats: Category Alabama LSU Total Yards 344 232 Passing 288 173 Rushing 56 59 Turnovers 1 2 Penalties 2–25 10–74 Time of Possession 28:11 31:49 Held LSU to 59 yds rushing and 2.3 yds/attempt LSU was 5-14 on third down Bama punted 3 times and kicked 3 FG’s only making 2 of 3 Top Performers: • QB Ty Simpson: 21/35, 277 yds, 1 TD • WR Germie Bernard: 3 rec, 79 yds • WR Isaiah Brooks: 4 rec, 67 yds • TE Jamari Cuevas: 4 rec, 58 yds • WR Ryan Williams: 3 rec, 33 yds, 1 TD • LBs Deontae Lawson (9 tackles) and Jihaad Jefferson (7 tackles) led the defense; Yhonzae Pierre added 2 sacks. Key Stats Total Yards - Bama 344 to LSU 232 TO’s – Bama 1 to LSU 2 Penalties – Bama 2-25 to LSU 10-74 Grades Offense Defense Special Teams Coaching Next Up: Alabama hosts Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:30 PM. Bama win in Hoops over St Johns Won on the road against a top 5 team Led at half 53-44 and held on to win by 7. St John’s led 87-86 with 6 mins to go and then Bama came right back and TBB hit a 3 with 5.44 left in the game to take the lead back at 89-87 and Bama never trailed again. Bama stretched the lead to 12 pts at 100-88 with 1.44 left in the game and held on to win by 7 pts 103 to 96. Great ball movement on offense Balanced scoring led by Philon, Holloway, Wrightsell, and TBB Hit the boards hard and played hard Took care of the ball – only 7 TO’s Concerns Committed lots of fouls Shot the ball poorly from 3 and FT line Made up for it by shooting lots of shots and getting rebounds to extend possessions Could not keep Ejiofor and Hopkins off the free throw line as the two of them shot 23 FT’s in the game and were able to draw fouls or score the ball on many possessions.

Not Bama’s best game, but Bama won 20-9. Ty was off, but still engineered two good scoring drive in the first half. And the last drive of the first half to make the score 17-3 ended up being all Bama needed to win. Bama’s offense was bad in the first quarter and in the 2nd half. Ty was off for most of the game, except for two drives in the 2nd Quarter He underthrew Brooks on a pass that was probably PI on LSU, but not called. Had Ty hit Brooks in Stride, he would have scored. And then the next play, Ty barely overthrows Germ on what would have been another score. Indicative of Ty’s night as he was just a bit off. And yet his numbers were good while the running game was pathetic. Defense was really good as we had LSU to 9 pts and 3 FG’s, but again it was bend, but don’t break. LSU moved the ball and won time of possession, but Bama won turnover battle, and LSU committed a lot of penalties to hurt their drive. LSU also missed a FG and could not finish any drive with a TD. 1st drive of game, Bama drive stalls as Bama has the ball on the LSU 41 yd line 2nd and 3. Bama runs the ball three times including on 4th and 1 and cannot get the first down and turns the ball over on downs. LSU then moves the ball into FG range, but misses the 30 yd FG. TD drives in 2nd quarter Bama 1st TD scoring drive is in 2nd Q with 12 to go as Bama goes 75 yds in 7 plays and ends with a Daniel Hill 4 yd run for TD Bama’s other scoring drive was right at the end of the first half as Bama goes 66 yds in 3 plays to score on Ty pass to Ryan Williams for 13 yd TD. Big play in the drive was 53 yd pass to Brooks to put Bama on LSU 13 yd line with 43 seconds left. Bama did nothing offensively in the 2nd half. Here are Bama’s 2nd half drives 6 plays – punt 6 plays – fumble by Ty 5 plays – punt 6 plays – FG 7 plays to run out the clock picking up 1 first down Team Stats LSU Bama 1st Downs 13 17 3rd down efficiency 5-14 4-13 Total Yards 232 344 Passing 173 288 Comp/Att 23/32 22/36 Yards per pass 5.4 8.0 Rushing 59 56 Rushing Attempts 26 26 Yards per rush 2.3 2.2 Penalties 10-74 2-25 Turnovers 2 1 Fumbles lost 2 1 Possession 31:49 28:11 Key Stats Total Yards - Bama 344 to LSU 232 TO’s – Bama 1 to LSU 2 Penalties – Bama 2-25 to LSU 10-74 Time of Poss: Bama 28 to LSU 32 Held LSU to 59 yds rushing and 2.3 yds/attempt LSU was 5-14 on third down Bama punted 3 times and kicked 3 FG’s only making 2 of 3 Player Comp Pass Att Pass Yds Pass TD QBRat T. SimpsonQB 21 35 277 1 135.9 Player Rec Rec Yds Y/R Rec TD Tgt G. Bernard WR 3 79 26.3 0 6 L. Brooks WR 4 67 16.8 0 7 J. Cuevas TE 4 58 14.5 0 4 R. Williams WR 3 33 11.0 1 5 I. Horton WR 2 26 13.0 0 3 J. Miller RB 3 16 5.3 0 4 Player Solo Tackles Sacks D. Lawson LB 5 9 0.0 J. Jefferson LB 4 7 0.0 N. Hill-Green LB 3 5 0.0 K. Sabb DB 1 5 0.0 B. Hubbard DB 3 4 0.0 R. Morgan DB 3 4 0.0 D. Lee Jr. DB 3 4 0.0 L. Overton DL 2 2 1.0 Y. Pierre LB 2 2 2.0 Next up is Oklahoma at home on Saturday 11-15 at 2:30 pm

Won on the road against a top 5 team Led at half 53-44 and held on to win by 7. St John’s led 87-86 with 6 mins to go and then Bama came right back and TBB hit a 3 with 5.44 left in the game to take the lead back at 89-87 and Bama never trailed again. Bama stretched the lead to 12 pts at 100-88 with 1.44 left in the game and held on to win by 7 pts 103 to 96. Great ball movement on offense Balanced scoring led by Philon, Holloway, Wrightsell, and TBB Hit the boards hard and played hard Took care of the ball – only 7 TO’s Concerns Committed lots of fouls. Shot the ball poorly from 3 and FT line Made up for it by shooting lots of shots and getting rebounds to extend possessions Could not keep Ejiofor and Hopkins off the free throw line as the two of them shot 23 FT’s in the game and were able to draw fouls or score the ball on many possessions. Game overview • Final score: Alabama 103, St. John’s 96. • Alabama jumped out to a strong first-half finish: they closed the half with a 16-6 run and led 53-44 at halftime. • St. John’s fought back in the second half, even taking a brief lead (81-80 with 8:13 remaining) but Alabama responded down the stretch and sealed the win. Key players & stats • For Alabama: o Labaron Philon Jr. had 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. o Aden Holloway scored 21. o Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Taylor Bol Bowen each scored 17. • For St. John’s: o Zuby Ejiofor led with 27 points and 10 rebounds. o Bryce Hopkins scored 19, and Ian Jackson and Oziyah Sellers each had 14. 📌 Why this win matters • It was a major road victory for Alabama at a premier venue in New York. Alabama Athletics+1 • For St. John’s, the loss stopped a 12-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden. Reuters • The game highlighted Alabama’s ability to stay composed amid a comeback from a ranked opponent, showing depth and resilience. • Alabama took care of the ball: just 7 turnovers compared to St. John’s 12. Alabama Athletics+1 🧭 What kept Alabama ahead • Strong start + a dominant close to the first half gave them control early. • Balanced scoring and contributions across the roster from players stepping up. • Defensive adjustments and execution when St. John’s was surging in the second half. • Limiting turnovers and making enough plays down the stretch to withstand the comeback. 🐘 Alabama – Top Scorers Player Points Labaron Philon Jr. 25 with 3 assists and 1 TO Aden Holloway 21 with 4 assists and zero TO’s Taylor Bol Bowen 17 with 9 rebs and 2 steals and 2 blocks Latrell Wrightsell Jr. 17 with 3 rebs and 3 assists and 4 steals Aiden Sherrell 9 Houston Mallette 8 with 5 rebs Amari Allen has 10 rebs and 6 pts Team Total: 103 points 🏀 St. John’s – Top Scorers Player Points Zuby Ejiofor 27 with 10 rebs and 2 blocks Bryce Hopkins 19 with 4 rebs Oziyah Sellers 14 with 7 rebs Ian Jackson 14 with 4 rebs, but missed key shots late in the game Dillon Mitchell 7 Joson Sanon 7 • Top Alabama scorer: Labaron Philon Jr. – 25 points • Top St. John’s scorer: Zuby Ejiofor – 27 points • Balanced rebounding effort (40 total). • Only 7 turnovers, showing good ball control. • Strong bench and balanced scoring (four players with 17+ points). Key Notes: • Efficient shooting overall (49.2% FG). • Big advantage at the free throw line (40 attempts, 28 made). • Out-assisted Alabama 18–13, showing strong ball movement. • Zuby Ejiofor’s 27 points, 10 rebounds led the way. Overall: • Alabama won behind higher tempo, better depth, and fewer turnovers. Alabama 39-81 shooting & 11-35 3’s & 14-22 on FT’s St Johns 31-63 shooting & 6-17 3’s & 28-40 on FTs Alabama outrebounded St J 40-38 Bama won TO battle 7 to 12 And outscored St J from 3’s 11 to 6 (15 pt diff) and from 2’s 28 to 25 (6 pt diff) while getting outscored on FT’s 28 to 14 (14 pt diff) Next up is Purdue at home on Thursday 11-13 at 6 pm

The LSU-Alabama game on November 8, 2025, with No. 4 Alabama looking to continue its push for the College Football Playoff and LSU playing under interim head coach Frank Wilson. The game will be played at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. LSU (5-3, 2-3 SEC) • Despite a talented defense, LSU has given up significant points in recent weeks and faces a challenging matchup against Alabama's potent offense. • Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is seen as a key player for the LSU offense. Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC) • Crimson Tide favored in game, with ESPN's FPI giving Bama 80.9% chance to win. • Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. • Bama's offense has been one of the best in the country after a rocky start to the season. LSU has the opportunity to exploit Alabama's defensive edge setting issues that have been seen earlier in the season. LSU's offense has struggled under interim offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and is without fired coach Brian Kelly. - LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier is capable of making big plays but has been inconsistent. - LSU has the potential for explosive plays but has been hampered by turnovers and poor offensive line play. Can LSU's offense find rhythm and protect the quarterback long enough to make plays, or will Alabama's defense create turnovers and stifle the Tiger attack? - LSU is led by interim head coach Frank Wilson following the firing of Brian Kelly. - Wilson is a veteran coach and will be looking to energize his team in the wake of the firing. Can Wilson and his staff devise a SCheme to slow down Alabama's potent offense and give LSU a chance to win? LSU Coaches HC - Frank Wilson (Interim Head Coach): Wilson was promoted from his role as associate head coach and running backs coach after Brian Kelly was fired on October 26, 2025. OC - Alex Atkins (Interim Offensive Coordinator): Atkins was named interim offensive coordinator after Joe Sloan was fired a day after head coach Brian Kelly was dismissed. Before being promoted, Atkins served as the team's run game coordinator and tight ends coach. DC - Blake Baker (Defensive Coordinator): Baker is in his second season as LSU's defensive coordinator. He previously held the same role at Missouri before returning to LSU in 2024. Harold Perkins Jr. - opting out of remainder of season to prepare for NFL Draft. -- Predictions for the game - who wins and the score? CFP Rankings as of Nov 4th -- AP Top 25 as of Nov 2nd Hoops takeaways after the first game-- Issues -- Out-of-bounds plays – struggled on several occasions to inbound the ball -- Turnovers - Alabama did commit 15 TO’s while dishing out 22 assists. Interior scoring by the bigs – Williamson, Onyejiaka, and TBB struggled -- Shot-blocking by the bigs – Sherrill blocked 4 shots, but who else? -- TTB didn’t play well as he turned the ball over and struggled to score other than getting to the FT line and hitting FT’s. Not sure what Bama will get out of Wrightsell or Bethea this year. Need to see them on the floor playing for a few games before we will know. Concerned Wrightsell may not be fully recovered and have his full athleticism back. No timetable for Bethea to return and be available to play. Positives -- LaBaron Philon is the team leader and poised for a great season – scored 22 points, dished out 8 assists, but had 4 TO’s Sherrill looked strong in the middle as a rebounder and defensive presence The three amigos freshman all look solid – Amari Allen, Davion Hannah, and London Jemison - Freshmen Amari Allen and London Jemison each scored 12 pts as Allen also pulled down 7 rebounds and Fellow freshman Davion Hannah had 9 points as the 3 freshman all played over 20 minutes and contributed to the win.-- Houston Mallette looked strong with 15 pts and 8 rebounds, but had two TO’s -- Holloway will be a key player offensively for Bama as I expect him and Philon to lead Bama in scoring Alabama is long and athletic as a team -- Alabama hit 78% of their Free Throws in the game.

E74 S1 BH Bama Instant Reaction win 91 62 over ND State

Labaron Philon Jr. Led the way with 22 points (had 15 in the first half) and eight assists, Houston Mallette had 15 points and 8 rebounds as No. 15 Alabama rolled to a 91-62 victory over North Dakota on Monday night. Freshmen Amari Allen and London Jemison each scored 12 pts as Allen also pulled down 7 rebounds and Fellow freshman Davion Hannah had 9 points as the 3 freshman all played over 20 minutes and contributed to the win. Aiden Sherrell has 9 pts, 4 rbs, and 4 blocks and TBB had 8 pts, 3 rebs, and 1 block to round out the scoring. Alabama has led at half 48 to 32 and stretched the lead in the 2nd half to win by 29. Alabama did commit 15 TO’s while dishing out 22 assists. Philon scored or assisted on 32 of Alabama’s 48 first-half points, more than making up for the Crimson Tide's short-handed bench. Bama was down 4 of its best players. guards Aden Holloway (wrist) and Latrell Wrightsell (Achilles) and transfer forward Keitenn Bristow (ankle) all did not play. And Transfer guard Jalil Bethea, who injured his foot during practice in September, is still out trying to get healthy. Despite missing these four players, Bama rolled because of its depth and because of the ability of the three freshman to step up and play effectively. Those absences allowed true freshman Amari Allen and transfer Taylor Bol Bowen to start. Allen finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. The Tide broke open a close game with a 19-5 run midway through the first half with Philon leading the way putting up 15 pts in the first half and clearly standing out as the best player on the court. Philon was effective, hitting 6 of 7 shots and assisting on five of his teammates in the first half as he stood out as the best Bama player in the first half. The Crimson Tide's lead never dipped below double digits after its initial run. Turnovers remain a problem for Alabama as Alabama had 15 turnovers and was particularly sloppy with the ball in the 2nd half. This Bama team is long and athletic. They can shoot the ball and score quickly. We will find out more about this team when they play better competition in upcoming games. Up next- Bama goes to the Big Apple to play St. John’s coached by the legend Rick Pitino in Madison Square Garden on Saturday at 11 am CT. Great warm-up prior to the Alabama LSU game Saturday night. We will find out much more about this team on Saturday.