There wasn't much to complain about for Alabama basketball in its 96-74 win over Sam Houston on Tuesday night. Outside of some clunky early offense and an off-shooting night, the Crimson Tide played well against a team that won 22 games last year.
But if you are looking for a negative, you can find it with Alabama's rebounding. That's something that Nate Oats wasn't happy with during the exhibition schedule, and he wasn't happy with it again after last night's season opener.
Sam Houston beat Alabama 45-42 on the glass. That's an early warning sign because the Crimson Tide had a physical advantage against the Bearkats that they won't have against quite a few teams on their schedule.
You can play elite defense, but if you can't secure a rebound and keep your opponent off the offensive glass, that defensive effort is wasted.
Boise State transfer Drew Fielder took accountability for the rebounding issues and showed his veteran leadership that has been obvious since he arrived in Tuscaloosa.
"I think we had good moments, but we're still not close to our standard," Fielder said of Alabama's rebounding, via Bama Central's Katie Windham. "We're really gonna dive into that in practice and just keep focusing on it because we're battling, but we're not close to our standard.
"Us older guys, myself included, need to lead in our action and start to dominate in that way because our team needs it, and that was our big focus in the offseason. That's why I'm here. That's why a lot of guys transferred here. We need to show up and do that."
Drew Fielder took accountability for Alabama's rebounding issues vs. Sam Houston
Fielder actually did a pretty good job overall on the boards. He secured six rebounds in his 21 minutes, adding 15 points, which tied London Jemison or the team-high. Four of Fielder's six boards came on the offensive end, too.
But it's still great to see him take accountability and to preach about playing up to a standard. That's real leadership, and while you expect it from a senior like him, it's impressive to see how quickly he's become a vocal leader in Tuscaloosa in his first season with the team.
We all knew Alabama was getting a talented player when Fielder chose to come here after an excellent season at Boise State a year ago. But we didn't know the Crimson Tide was getting a leader who would have no problem holding guys accountable day in and day out.
He's already become a critical piece of the puzzle both on and off the floor for the Crimson Tide.
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