Without Aden Holloway, Alabama is going to need players other than Labaron Philon to step up if it wants to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Philon was predictably elite against Hofstra, scoring 29 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists during the 90-70 win on Thursday.
But Alabama needed more, and it got it off the bench from a player who was described as the Crimson Tide's X-Factor earlier in the season. Florida State transfer Taylor Bol Bowen has dealt with various injuries throughout his junior season, but he looked healthy on Friday afternoon, which is a massive development for the Crimson Tide's NCAA Tournament hopes.
Bol Bowen played 21 minutes off the bench, scoring 16 points, grabbing two rebounds, and blocking three shots. He was excellent on the defensive end of the floor, and he knocked down 3-of-5 attempts from three on a night when Alabama struggled to make shots from outside consistently.
Nate Oats praises Taylor Bol Bowen's performance in Alabama's win over Hofstra
"I’m super proud of Taylor. He’s gone through a lot this year with all these injuries. At different points, got frustrated. Man, he’s locked in for the last month," Oats said. "I thought Taylor got himself really locked in and was about the right stuff. Three blocks tonight, playing really hard. You look at what he’s able to bring. Defensively, we were 20 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.
That was the version of Bol Bowen that Alabama expected to get out of the Transfer Portal. That was the version of him that was pivotal in the Crimson Tide's road win over St. John's in non-conference play. And it's the version of Bol Bowen that Alabama hasn't had for the bulk majority of the season due to the injuries that he has had to battle through.
But make no mistake about it: he's a real difference-maker for this team, and if Alabama is going to make a run in March Madness, they are going to need Bol Bowen to continue to deliver performances like he did against Hofstra.