Alabama basketball just took down No. 5 St. John's on the road, 103-96, in a win that will resonate all the way into March. To begin a gauntlet four-game stretch, Nate Oats led his team into Madison Square Garden and took the fight to Rick Pitino's Red Storm.
Alabama was +1 on the glass and only turned it over seven times while putting up triple digits on what will likely be one of the best defenses in the country. Pitino's teams are known for their grit and fight; Oats' team out-toughed them on their home floor.
Buoyed by elite guard play, Alabama's commitment to blue-collar basketball put the Crimson Tide over the top to earn a massive road win.
The biggest observations from Alabama's road win over St. John's
1. Alabama may have the best guard play in the country
Alabama's guard play was elite on Saturday afternoon against St. John's and was the single biggest difference between the two teams. It's still early, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a better trio than Labaron Philon-Aden Holloway-Latrell Wrightsell. And Alabama should get Jalil Bethea back in the next month.
Philon started slow, but finished with a team-high 25 points to go along with three rebounds and three assists with only one turnover.
Holloway was just as good, if not better, for most of the game before fouling out one of a litany of questionable calls against the team in Crimson. The junior was only 2-of-9 from three, but St. John's couldn't stay in front of him as he consistently got to the rim and finished. He scored 21 points and dished out four assists with no turnovers.
Wrightsell scored 17 points off the bench, overcoming cramps in the second half that had all Alabama fans holding their breath. Wrightsell hit four threes, pulled down three boards, dished out three assists, and came up with four of Alabama's nine steals.
Philon and Wrightsell combined for the biggest sequence of the second half. Leading by seven with a little over two minutes left, Philon hit a step-back three to put the Tide up by 10. Wrightsell then came up with a steal and connected with a lay-up for an and-one that effectively put the game to bed.
2. Taylor Bol Bowen answered the bell
Oats wasn't happy with Taylor Bol Bowen's performance in the season opener against North Dakota, specifically calling him out for a lack of offensive rebounds. The Florida State transfer responded, pulling down four offensive rebounds and finishing the game with 17 points, nine rebounds, and four stocks (two steals, two blocked shots).
That was the version of TBB that Oats and Alabama thought they were getting out of the Transfer Portal. His performance was key, and might get overshadowed by the performance of the three guards, but it shouldn't. Alabama doesn't win this game without Bol Bowen playing to the level he did.
Oats called Bol Bowen the X-factor in the post game.
"He was 100% the X-factor in this game," Oats said. ... If Taylor doesn't bring it like he brought it, we have no chance of winning this game."
3. Amari Allen, Houston Mallette brought incredible effort
It wasn't the best offensive games for freshman Amari Allen or senior Houston Mallette. Allen scored just six points on 3-of-8 shooting while Mallette scored eight but was only 1-of-6 from three, uncharacteristically missing open shots he normally makes.
But both gave incredible effort on defense and on the glass. Allen was Alabama's leading rebounder, grabbing 10 boards. He and Mallette both grabbed two offensive rebounds each.
They were both first to the floor all night, too. Off the Wrightsell steal and bucket late in the second half, it was the effort by those two diving to the floor that made it happen.
4. Alabama out-toughed one of the toughest teams in the country
The story will be about the guard play and Bol Bowen's big-time performance, but Alabama's effort level can't be understated. It was a street fight, and the officiating was heavily in favor of the home team. It didn't matter. Alabama more than matched St. John's physicality, like Oats wanted.
Alabama won the battle on the glass overall and beat St. John's 14-10 in offensive rebounds. Alabama forced 12 St. John's turnovers and only turned it over seven times itself.
The effort, combined with insanely elite guard play, can carry this team a long, long way.